Cutting a tree is only half the job. A single mature laurel oak can leave a lawn covered in limbs, leaves and log sections, and after a hurricane every street in a neighborhood has the same problem at once. What happens next depends on how much there is, who cut it, and the rules of the city or county you live in.
Tree Service Orlando FL does not haul anything. It is a free phone line. Call (689) 407-5379, tell the automated assistant how much debris you have and where, and your call is transferred to an independent, locally owned company that hauls tree debris in your part of the Orlando area. That company looks at the pile, quotes its own price and does the work.
What curbside yard waste pickup will take
Free curbside pickup works well for ordinary trimming. Unincorporated Orange County publishes clear limits:
- Yard waste is collected on your recycling day
- Limbs and palm fronds cut to 3 feet or less, tied in bundles with string or twine
- Each bundle, can or bag under 60 pounds; cans and bags 50 gallons or less
- No more than three cubic yards per household per week, which the county compares to about three stoves
- Stumps cut into pieces no longer than 3 feet, each under 60 pounds
- Never mixed with garbage, recyclables or large items
Inside the City of Orlando, the city collects yard waste on your yard waste day. On that day it will also take up to two large household items that can be loaded by hand, for free. Call the city's Solid Waste Division at 407.246.2314 for the limits at your address. Other cities in the area set their own rules, so check with yours.
When the curb is not an option
Three situations push most homeowners toward a hauling crew.
A contractor did the cutting
The City of Orlando says contractors hired for yard work or repairs must haul away the debris they generate. Debris from a paid tree job generally needs to leave on the company's truck, so put hauling in the quote.
The pile is too big
One removal can produce far more than Orange County's three cubic yard weekly limit. Logs and trunk sections are also too heavy to cut into 60 pound pieces by hand.
It is a safety problem
Hung limbs in the canopy, trunks on a fence or pool cage, or debris tangled with wires are not cleanup jobs. Stay back and see emergency tree removal.
Storm debris: sorting it the way the trucks want it
After a hurricane, debris collection works differently from weekly yard waste. The City of Orlando asks residents to separate storm debris into piles at the curb:
- Bagged or bundled yard waste: leaves, twigs and small vegetation.
- Large vegetation: stumps and large branches that cannot be bagged or bundled.
- Construction debris: fencing, roofing, lumber, drywall, carpet and furniture.
- Appliances: refrigerators with food removed and doors secured or removed, washers, dryers and water heaters.
Place piles at the curb, away from mailboxes, fire hydrants, storm drains and utility poles, without blocking sidewalks or streets. Debris left in back yards, driveways or behind fences is not collected, and debris mixed with household garbage is not picked up either. The city says collection happens within about six weeks of a report, which you can file online or at 407.246.2314.
That timeline is why many owners pay to have storm debris hauled sooner, especially when it blocks a driveway or sits against the house. If a tree company cleared the storm damage, the contractor rule above still applies. For damaged trees still standing, see storm and hurricane tree damage.
Put the debris in the quote, every time
Most arguments over tree work in the Orlando area are not about the cutting. They are about what was left behind. One company's "removal" means the tree is on the ground in pieces; another's means the yard is raked and the truck is gone. Before you agree to any tree job, get these points in writing:
- Whether brush is chipped on site, and whether the chips leave or stay
- Whether logs and trunk sections are hauled, or cut to length and left for you
- Whether the stump is ground, and whether the grindings are removed
- How the lawn, beds, driveway and street will be cleaned up at the end
- That debris will not be left at the curb for city or county pickup
The last point matters because the City of Orlando expects contractors to haul what they generate. A pile of oak logs left at the curb after a paid job can sit there, and you are the one who has to deal with it.
Taking it to the landfill yourself
If you have a truck or trailer, Orange County runs three disposal sites that take yard waste. These are the published details:
| Site | Address | Yard waste |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County Landfill | 5901 Young Pine Road, Orlando, FL 32829 | Open to non-account customers Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; yard waste $46.80 per ton |
| Porter Transfer Station | 1326 Good Homes Road, Orlando, FL 32818 | Yard waste on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $54.20 per ton |
| McLeod Road Transfer Station | 5000 L.B. McLeod Road, Orlando, FL 32811 | Yard waste on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $54.20 per ton |
The county lists a $9.00 minimum charge, takes check, cash and major credit cards, and charges a double fee for uncovered loads, so bring a tarp and straps. Rates shown took effect October 1, 2025; check the county page before you go. For a single big removal, compare the cost of a rented trailer, fuel, your time and the tipping fee against a crew's hauling price.
The City of Orlando also rents roll-off dumpsters to addresses inside city limits. Its 20-yard size is described as suited to yard waste, priced by tonnage. Call 407.246.2314 to check availability and cost.
What tree debris removal usually costs
Debris is priced by volume and weight. Green oak wood is heavy, palm fronds are bulky, and the price follows both.
| Option | Published figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small hauling load, up to 60 cubic feet | $70 to $100 | HomeGuide junk removal prices |
| Full truckload, 420 to 480 cubic feet | $400 to $450 | HomeGuide junk removal prices |
| Self-haul, Orange County Landfill | $46.80 per ton, $9.00 minimum | Orange County |
| Self-haul, county transfer stations | $54.20 per ton | Orange County |
These are published figures, not prices from this line or from the company you are connected with, and real quotes vary. Ask whether the crew will chip the brush on site, since chips take up less room on the truck than whole limbs. Logs are usually hauled or cut and left for you, depending on what you agree.
What a good debris crew does
A company worth hiring for debris work walks the pile first and asks what is underneath and around it: sprinkler heads, a septic lid, landscape lighting, a fence. Then it explains the plan:
- Brush and limbs fed through a chipper at the curb, with the chips hauled away or left for mulch if you want them
- Logs loaded by hand or with a small loader, without driving heavy equipment across a soft lawn or over a septic drain field
- Leaves and small debris raked and blown off the lawn, driveway and street
- A clear answer on whether the stump is part of the job; if so, see stump grinding
Get the scope in writing, including where the debris goes. Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation coverage before anyone starts.
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).
Tell the assistant roughly how big the pile is, what kind of wood it is and whether a storm or a contractor left it. The company you are put through to quotes before any work starts.
How a debris removal 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.
Related services
- Storm and Hurricane Tree Damage
- Emergency Tree Removal (24/7)
- Stump Grinding and Removal
- Tree Removal
- Land Clearing
Guides for this job
The line takes calls from across the Orlando area: