Tree care in Citrus County: your questions answered

We work across Citrus County, Florida: Crystal River, Inverness, Homosassa, Beverly Hills, Lecanto, Hernando, plus Dunnellon just over the Marion County line. Call (813) 735-2777 and tell us where you are.

Crystal River, Inverness, Homosassa, Beverly Hills, Lecanto and Hernando in Citrus County, plus Dunnellon over the Marion County line. Each town has its own page.

Yes, we inspect the tree and give you the price in writing before work starts. That is the quoted amount you pay.

Yes, and it is not a separate charge. Wood and brush are hauled out and the ground is raked or blown clean before we leave.

Yes, we will recommend pruning when it can keep the tree rather than selling a removal it does not need.

Yes. Dunnellon sits over the Marion County line and is on our regular run. It has its own page like every other town we cover.

Yes. Broadway Tree Care LLC carries general liability insurance.

We take cards and cash. We do not offer financing.

Yes. Besides Citrus County and Dunnellon, we also take jobs in Tampa and Largo. Call (813) 735-2777 and tell us where the tree is.

It depends on the tree's size, its species, what is underneath it, and how much room there is to work. A 30-foot sand pine in an open yard and a 70-foot live oak overhanging a pool are very different jobs. We quote on site, in writing, before any work starts.

No. Two trees of the same height can price very differently once you account for the wood, the lean, and how a truck and chipper reach them. That is why an honest quote comes after someone has seen the tree, not over the phone from a guess.

Usually yes. Felling the tree and grinding the stump are two separate jobs with different equipment, so stump grinding is quoted on its own. You can have it done at the same visit or leave it for later.

For a tree down on a roof or leaning on a line, describe the damage when you call. We give a realistic response window based on the danger and work already queued.

No. A tree that has leaned the same way for years, with settled soil and no cracked roots, is often just its natural shape. What worries a crew is a new lean, especially one that shows up after a storm, with soil lifting or splitting on the high side. That points to the root plate letting go, and that tree needs looking at soon.

A standing dead tree can provide wildlife habitat in open woodland, but decaying branches and roots create a different risk near a house, driveway or fence. Have a dead tree near those targets assessed for removal.

A hollow alone does not settle whether a tree must be removed. Assessment considers the remaining sound outer wood, the cavity's position and what the tree could hit.

No, and you should not try. A line pulled down or draped by a fallen limb is treated as live and dangerous, whether or not the power is out on your street. That is a call for 911 and your electric utility, which for most of Citrus County is Duke Energy Florida. They de-energize and clear the line first. Once the wire is confirmed safe, a tree crew can take the wood off it.

For most hardwoods, late winter into early spring is the easiest time on the tree. But deadwood and anything hanging over a roof can come off any time of year: waiting for an ideal window on a hazardous limb is not worth it. Palms are their own case and are usually done in late spring.

No: topping or hat-racking removes the canopy to stubs and encourages weak regrowth. Storm pruning should remove deadwood and preserve sound structure.

Most mature hardwoods here do well on a three-to-five year cycle. Young trees benefit from lighter, more frequent structural pruning that sets them up to hold together as they grow.

Talk to the neighbor and confirm your right to prune before work starts, since the details depend on the situation. We carry out only the work you are entitled to have done.

Yes, we trim palm trees. Read more in our guide to palm tree trimming in Citrus County.

Grinding chips the stump and surface roots below grade while leaving deeper roots in place. Removal digs or pulls out the stump and main root ball, leaving a larger hole to fill when the old root mass must be cleared for building work.

Some species can send up shoots from roots left after grinding; cut back or treat those shoots if they appear. The remaining roots decay in place over time.

A typical grind takes the stump down several inches to a foot or more below grade, enough to plant grass over it and forget it was there. If you plan to put a new tree, a patio or a slab on the exact spot, we can grind deeper or take out more of the root mass, so the depth depends on what you want to do with the ground afterward.

Grass can go over the area after grindings are removed and the hole is filled with soil. For a new tree, choose a position a few feet away or remove more old roots and chips and replace the soil first.

During a widespread storm we cannot promise a set time, because the genuinely dangerous jobs, trees on houses and trees on lines, come first. Call us and we will tell you honestly where your job sits in the queue rather than give you a number we cannot keep. A limb resting safely on open ground can usually wait a day or two without getting worse.

Call the utility and keep everyone well clear of lines near or through a tree. We can handle the tree only after the line is confirmed de-energised or cleared.

Your insurer decides coverage based on the policy and circumstances. We photograph the damage and cause before clearing so you have documentation to submit.

Roof work is a roofer's job. We get the tree off and clear so a roofer can get up there, and we will tell you plainly that the next call is to one.

Yes. A real person answers (813) 735-2777 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. If a tree has come down, say what it is touching so we can judge how urgent it is.

In unincorporated Citrus County, removing a protected tree usually needs an individual tree removal permit from the Building Division unless the tree is exempt. A protected tree is any woody plant four inches or more across, measured at four and a half feet above the ground. Smaller trees generally fall outside that rule, and if your property sits inside a city, that city may have its own rules. The safe move is a quick call to the Building Division at 352-527-5310 to confirm your specific tree.

Citrus County defines a protected tree as a perennial woody plant measuring four inches or more in diameter at breast height, and breast height is set at four and a half feet above the ground. Below that size a tree is generally not protected. The county sets its own list of exemptions on top of the size rule, so a call to confirm your tree is worthwhile before any work starts.

The Citrus County Building Division handles residential tree removal permits. You can reach them at 352-527-5310 or by email at permit@citruscounty.gov. If your property is inside the city limits of Crystal River or Inverness, or in Dunnellon on the Marion County side, check with that city instead, since incorporated areas can set their own tree rules.

It is usually a fraction of the cost of removing a mature tree and replacing the shade it gave you, which is a large part of why it is worth considering. We do not quote a set price here, because it depends on the tree and the system it needs. We look at the tree on site and give you a written figure for the support work and for removal, so you can compare the two honestly.

Recovery depends on the cause: a buried root flare or compacted soil may respond to work, while advanced trunk or root rot requires a safety assessment. Have the tree inspected before deciding what to do.

Oaks dominate most yards and roadsides, with live oak the signature shade tree and laurel oak and water oak filling in as the faster-growing, shorter-lived cousins. Pines are the other big presence, especially on the sandy uplands near the Withlacoochee State Forest, and the sabal palm, Florida's state tree, turns up almost everywhere.

Live oak and sabal palm are among the most wind-firm trees in Florida, which is one reason you see so many old ones still standing after big storms. Laurel oak, water oak and sand pine are more likely to lose limbs or fail, particularly once they are mature or carrying decay. Sound structure and regular pruning matter more than species alone.