Bucket truck with the bucket raised into the canopy on a residential job

Tree Service in Ocala, FL

Name: Arbor Care Tree Service
Address: Gainesville, FL, 32608, US
Telephone: (352) 770-8733

Tree service in Ocala and Marion County, covering horse farm property, in town neighborhoods, subdivisions and commercial sites.

Call or text 352-770-TREE Free estimate

About 45 minutes south on I-75 or 441 ISA Certified Arborist on staff Answered 24 hours a day

Marion County

What tree work in Ocala actually looks like

Ocala runs from older in town neighborhoods with a full closed canopy out to the horse farms north and west of the city, where oak lined pastures and driveways are a genuine part of what the property is worth. Those two jobs have almost nothing in common except the saw.

Farm work here is its own discipline. A pasture oak is an asset, not an obstacle. Fencing matters, footing matters, and what gets left on the ground matters more than it does in a back yard. The goal on a horse property is nearly always keeping the tree and keeping the animals safe under it, not clearing.

See all of our services

What we get called for around Ocala

Maintaining pasture and paddock trees, because deadwood hanging over a field is an injured horse waiting to happen.
Clearing oak lined driveways and fence lines on farm property, done so the drive still looks like the reason you bought the place.
Removals in the older neighborhoods in town, where access is tight and every piece comes down on a rope.
Commercial and HOA maintenance in the newer developments south and west of the city.

Worth knowing. Marion County does not license tree service contractors, and Florida does not regulate the trade statewide. That means anybody with a truck and a saw can print a magnet and call themselves a tree company here. Ask for the insurance certificate in writing, every time, from everybody. Including us.

On the ground

Where we work in and around Ocala

Not a list we bought. These are the places our trucks actually go.

Historic DistrictTuscawilla ParkGolden OcalaMarion OaksOn Top of the WorldSR 200 corridorSilver SpringsShadyNW 27th AvenueFort KingBellechaseWorld Equestrian Center area

Know your trees

The trees you actually have in Ocala

Different trees fail in different ways, and knowing which one is in your yard tells you most of what you need to know about what happens next. These are the ones we deal with here.

The treeWhat goes wrong with it hereWhat we do about it

Live oakThe pasture and driveway trees, and the whole visual identity of a Marion County farm. Heavy horizontal limbs, and deadwood that ends up in a paddock.Deadwooding first, every time. End weight reduction on limbs over fence, drive or run in shed. Cabling where a fork is worth saving.

Laurel oakAll through the older in town neighborhoods. Hollows at the base, and drops big limbs onto cars and roofs before it fails outright.Sound the base, deadwood what is sound, remove what is not. These are the Ocala trees most likely to surprise somebody.

Sand pine and longleaf pineCommon in the sandy country west of town and through the newer subdivisions. Shallow anchorage, and they go over whole.Thinning where the stand can be saved, removal where a single exposed pine is leaning at a roof.

Bradford pear and crape myrtleThe subdivision trees. Bradford pears split straight down the middle at about twenty years old. Crape myrtles get topped every winter by somebody who should not.Structural pruning on the pears while it still helps, and proper crape myrtle pruning, which is not topping and never has been.

Not sure what you are looking at? Text a photo to 352-770-TREE and we will tell you what it is and whether it is a problem.

Services

What we do in Ocala

Tree Removal

Farm removals with good access price well. In town removals in the historic district are tight, rigged work, and we quote them as such.

Tree Removal in Ocala 02

Tree Trimming and Pruning

Paddock and pasture deadwooding, driveway clearance for trailers, and real pruning on subdivision trees.

Tree Trimming and Pruning in Ocala 03

Stump Grinding

Ground deep and cleaned up properly on horse property. A stump hole in a paddock is a serious problem.

Stump Grinding in Ocala 04

Emergency and Storm Damage

We do run to Marion County for emergencies. Call and we will tell you honestly how long we will be.

Emergency and Storm Damage in Ocala 05

Commercial Tree Service

Farms, equestrian facilities, HOAs, apartment communities and commercial property along the SR 200 corridor.

Commercial Tree Service in Ocala

Permits

Do you need a permit to take down a tree in Ocala?

Sometimes. It depends on the tree, the size, the property and which side of a city line you are standing on. Here is the honest version, including the part most tree companies never mention.

Florida law

A certified arborist can take the permit out of the picture entirely

Since 2019, Florida Statute 163.045 has said that no local government may require a permit, an application, a notice, a fee or any mitigation before you remove a tree on residential property, as long as you have documentation from an ISA Certified Arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. They also cannot force you to replant it.

There are real conditions attached, and they matter:

It covers single family detached homes. It does not cover commercial property, and an HOA can still have its own say.
The assessment has to happen on site, in person, following the ISA Best Management Practices for Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition.
The finding has to be that removal is the only practical way to bring the risk below moderate. Not that the tree is ugly, or dropping leaves, or that you would rather have the sun.

We have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff, so we can do that assessment and write it up for you. What we will not do is write one for a tree that does not meet the standard. If your tree is healthy, we will tell you it is healthy, and then you decide what you want to do with that.

And the local rules in Ocala

In unincorporated Marion County

Marion County does not require a homeowner to get a permit to remove a tree on their own residential property. It also has not licensed tree service contractors since 2006, and the State of Florida does not license the trade at all. That is worth sitting with for a second, because it means nobody has checked the company parked in your driveway.

Inside Ocala city limits

The city has its own tree ordinance, and it is stricter than the county. Belleview and Dunnellon do too. If your address is inside a city line rather than out in the county, the rules change, and we check that before we give you a price.

Ordinances get rewritten, and thresholds move. Treat this as a starting point rather than the final word, confirm anything that matters with the city or county directly, and let us check your specific property before anybody starts cutting. Alachua County tree permits: 352-374-5249.

Timing

Timing a job in Ocala

Almost every tree job is cheaper and easier before it becomes urgent. Here is when to move on what, in this town specifically.

Work around your barn schedule

We can start early, work through the middle of the day when horses are in, or plan around a show or sale week. Tell us what the calendar looks like and we will fit it.

Before June for anything near a structure

Barns, run in sheds and equipment storage are worth as much as the house, and they get treated the same way in a storm.

Late winter for structural pruning

Best time to see and correct the frame of a young tree, which is when it is still cheap to fix.

BeforeAfter Poolside backyard with pool, deck and open sky after the tree was removed

Large tree grown hard against the back of a house before removal

Drag the handle. A tree taken out from over a pool deck, with the deck still in one piece. Same day, no ruts through the lawn, and every limb, log and chip gone before the trucks left.

Certified arborist on staff

Someone who actually studied trees looks at yours before a saw comes out. You get a real opinion, not a sales pitch.

Fully insured

General liability and workers comp. Ask and we email you the certificate before we start work.

We follow the standards

ANSI Z133 for safety and A300 for pruning, on every single job. Plenty of crews do not.

We answer 24 hours a day

Storms do not wait for business hours. Call or text any time, day or night, any day of the year.

Questions

Questions we get from Ocala

Do you charge to come out to Ocala?

No. Estimates are free everywhere we work, including Ocala. A certified arborist looks at the tree, tells you what he actually thinks, and gives you a price in writing. You are not obligated to book anything.

How quickly can you get to Ocala?

About 45 minutes south on I-75 or 441. Regular work in Ocala is usually scheduled within the week. Emergencies go to the front of the line, and we answer the phone at any hour of any day.

Are you insured to work in Marion County?

Yes. General liability and workers compensation, both current. Ask and we will email you the certificate before we start. If a company will not send you one, that is your answer about that company.

What does tree removal cost in Ocala?

It depends on the size of the tree, what is underneath it, whether we can get equipment to it, and whether you want the stump and the debris gone as well. Ocala specifics are covered further up this page. Nobody can give you a real number over the phone, which is why the visit is free. See what moves the price.

Do I actually need a permit in Ocala?

Maybe, and it depends on the tree and the property. There is also a Florida law that removes the permit requirement entirely when a certified arborist documents that the tree is a genuine risk. We explain both in the permits section above.

Can you do several trees in one visit?

Yes, and you should. One trip and one setup instead of three means the price per tree drops. If you have a removal, a couple of trims and an old stump, put them all on the same estimate.

Nearby

See all eleven towns

Free estimate

Get a free estimate in Ocala

Tell us what is going on. We will come out, tell you honestly whether the tree needs to come down, and give you the price in writing before anyone starts cutting.

Faster than filling out a form 352-770-TREE (352) 770-8733, call or text, 24 hours a day