A tree service in Lake Mary works in one of the most rule-conscious corners of Seminole County. Inside the city, an arbor permit can hinge on how far a tree stands from the house. Next door in Heathrow, county rules and HOA covenants decide instead. Here is how those rules work, which trees Lake Mary yards are built around, and what to ask the company you hire.
Tree Service Orlando FL does no tree work of its own; it is a free phone number. Dial (689) 407-5379 whenever it suits you, explain the tree and your location to the automated assistant, and you are connected with a locally owned, independent tree company that takes jobs in Lake Mary and Heathrow. You deal with that company directly, from the quote to the payment.
Lake Mary: a young city around old trees
Lake Mary takes its name from Mary Sundell, wife of the Reverend J.F. Sundell, and has had a post office since 1887, but it did not incorporate as a city until August 7, 1973. In 1980 it had 2,853 residents. By the 2020 census it had 16,798, spread over about 9.9 square miles that include a good deal of water.
Heathrow, just to the west, grew in the same years. Food entrepreneur Jeno Paulucci founded it in 1985 on land that had grown celery for his Chun King company, and it remains an unincorporated community of Seminole County with 6,806 people in 2020. With the city's population up almost sixfold since 1980, most neighborhoods here are relatively new. Some were built around oaks that were already standing, and others were planted with young trees as the streets went in. That mix of big established trees and maturing young ones is what most Lake Mary tree work is about.
Arbor permits in Lake Mary and Heathrow
Which rule applies depends on whether the property is inside the City of Lake Mary or in unincorporated Seminole County.
| Where | What the rule says | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| City of Lake Mary | City code section 157.12 requires an arbor permit to cut down, remove or move any living tree more than 15 feet from a structure, measured trunk to structure, overhang excluded. The permit lists the approved trees, expires in 60 days (one extension of up to 30 days for good cause) and must be kept on site. | How far is the tree from the house? Who applies, and does the quote include the permit? |
| Heathrow and unincorporated Seminole County | Per the county's arbor application, removing trees on a developed single-family lot of up to 5 acres needs no permit; bigger or undeveloped parcels do. County planning desk: (407) 665-7371. | Is the lot developed and under 5 acres? Has the HOA approved it? |
| Any single-family home | Florida Statute 163.045: no local permit, fee or replanting can be required when an ISA certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect documents that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. | Can I have a copy of the written risk assessment? |
HOAs come first in many Lake Mary neighborhoods
If your home is in a deed-restricted community, as many in Lake Mary and Heathrow are, its architectural review rules come into play. Those covenants can require approval to remove a tree, dictate what gets planted in its place, or set rules about when crews can work and where trucks may park. They apply even when the city or county does not require a permit. Get the HOA's answer in writing before the company you hire schedules the job, and give the company a copy so it plans around any conditions.
HOAs also tend to care about appearance after the work: stump height, grinding depth, sod repair and how quickly debris leaves the curb. Make sure the quote spells out stump grinding and debris hauling so you are not left meeting the HOA's standard at your own cost.
Live oaks: the tree most Lake Mary yards are built around
The southern live oak is a common shade tree in Lake Mary yards and along its older streets. The University of Florida's IFAS extension describes it as reaching 60 to 80 feet tall with a spread of 60 to 120 feet, with very good wind resistance once established, and as a tree that can measure its lifetime in centuries when well placed and cared for. That makes a healthy live oak worth keeping in most cases.
The same publication notes two things owners should know. Its roots grow under curbs and sidewalks and in time can lift sidewalks, curbs and driveways. And young trees need early structural pruning to remove branches that form a narrow angle with the trunk, because those are likely to split as the tree ages. Oaks planted when newer neighborhoods went in may now be at the age when that pruning pays off most. See tree pruning and oak care for what good cuts look like.
FPL lines and Lake Mary storms
Power lines
Seminole County lists Florida Power and Light as the electric utility for Sanford, Lake Mary and Heathrow. FPL runs a line clearing program and takes reports of trees or vines near its equipment through an online vegetation request form. If a tree is on a line, stay well back, call 911 if the line is down, and let the utility make it safe before any tree crew starts.
Severe weather
In March 2025, FOX 35 covered an EF-2 tornado whose path of about four miles ran through both Lake Mary and Longwood. Live oaks generally hold up well in wind, but split laurel oaks, top-heavy pines and trees with old injuries are another story. Have suspect trees looked at before hurricane season, not after.
Before you hire a Lake Mary tree company
In a city where a permit may be needed and an HOA usually is, the best company is the one that handles the paperwork in the right order. Ask the company you are connected with to measure the tree's distance from the house, tell you whether the city's arbor permit applies, and include any permit or arborist risk assessment in the written quote. For large oaks near the house, ask whether trimming or cabling could solve the problem before agreeing to a removal.
- A written quote listing every tree, the method, cleanup and stump work
- Who applies for the Lake Mary arbor permit, if one is needed
- A certificate of general liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation
- The ISA certification number of the arborist judging the tree
Check the company yourself. Florida has no state license for tree trimming or removal, so ask the company for a certificate of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and for the ISA certification number of its arborist. You can confirm a certification with the ISA's credential lookup (opens in a new tab).
Not sure if your tree is more than 15 feet from the house, or whether the HOA has to sign off? Call and describe it. The company you are put through to looks at the tree and quotes before any work starts.
Tree Removal
Taking down a dead, leaning or unwanted tree safely, from small yard trees to big laurel oaks near the house, and what a fair quote includes.
Tree Trimming
Clearing limbs off the roof, raising canopies over driveways and thinning heavy oaks before storm season, without the damage bad cuts cause.
Stump Grinding and Removal
Grinding stumps below grade, what happens to the roots and the chips, and when full stump removal makes more sense.
Tree Pruning and Oak Tree Care
Structural pruning for young trees and live oaks, the right season to prune oaks in Central Florida, and cuts to avoid.
Why Lake Mary homeowners call the line
Someone to measure the 15 feet
Inside the city, whether a living tree needs an arbor permit turns on its distance from the house, trunk to structure. Call, describe the tree, and the independent company you are connected with can measure it on site and tell you which side of that line it falls on.
Heathrow is part of the same call
Heathrow sits outside the city in unincorporated Seminole County, with its own county rules. Tell the assistant where the property is, and the call goes to a locally owned company that takes jobs in Lake Mary and Heathrow alike.
HOA conditions on the table early
In deed-restricted neighborhoods, the architectural review answer can matter as much as any permit. Mention the HOA when you call, then share its written conditions with the company before it schedules. The call is free, and from quote to payment you deal with that company, not the line.
Young live oaks at the right age
Oaks planted as newer streets went in are reaching the point where structural pruning pays off most. This site explains how to ask for an ISA certification number and look it up, so the person shaping a tree meant to last centuries is someone you have checked.
How a Lake Mary call works
- Call any hourAn automated assistant answers (689) 407-5379 and asks what kind of tree work you need.
- Describe the jobGive your name, a callback number, your city or ZIP and what the tree is doing, including anything on a roof, a car or a line.
- Get put throughThe call goes to an independent, locally owned tree service company, which hears a short summary before it picks up.
- Deal with them directlyThat company looks at the tree, quotes, does the work and is paid by you. If it cannot answer, it gets your details to call back.
How this line works: Tree Service Orlando FL is a free phone line, not a tree service company. It does not trim, remove, quote or schedule tree work and holds no license or arborist certification. Calls are transferred to independent, locally owned tree service companies in the Orlando area. Those companies may pay Tree Service Orlando FL a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.
Areas near Lake Mary
Guides for Lake Mary homeowners
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