A tree on the house at 2 AM? We answer, we come, we document
Trees on roofs, pines across the driveway, limbs on the LCEC drop, Australian pines in the canal — dispatched by priority 24 hours a day, with the photos your insurer will ask for.
Every emergency call in Cape Coral is triaged the same way: is anyone hurt, is the tree on a structure, is a line down, is a road or a driveway blocked. Trees on houses and blocking roads go first, service drops and leaners second, hangers and curbside debris third. The crew that shows up photographs the tree where it landed before a cut is made, because that photo is what the insurance adjuster will want, then cuts the tree off the structure in the order that doesn't make the damage worse — the weight on the roof comes off in pieces, not in one push that drives it through the trusses.
After a named storm the rules change for a week or two. Ian put trees on thousands of Cape Coral roofs in September 2022, dropped Australian pines across the canal-side streets and the Yacht Club neighborhoods, and left the city hauling 1.9 million cubic yards of debris by December. Milton in October 2024 knocked out power to 80,000 Cape Coral customers and spun an EF-1 tornado through Matlacha. In those weeks we run two shifts, we take the calls in order of danger, and we tell you honestly where you are in the line. We also don't do the one thing storm-chasers do: we don't knock on doors, we don't ask you to sign anything in the driveway, and we never touch a downed power line — LCEC and FPL handle those and we work behind them.
What's included
Any hour, any day
A person answers at 2 AM; the crew is dispatched by priority, not by who called first.
Documented for insurance
Photos of the tree where it landed, then of the damage underneath, before and after the cut — sent to you the same day.
Off the structure safely
Weight comes off the roof in sections, from the top down, so the tree doesn't drive deeper into the house as it's cut.
Roads and drives cleared
Blocking trees cut and moved first; the full haul-off scheduled after.
Lines left to the utility
We never cut a tree that's on a live line — LCEC (239-656-2300) or FPL de-energizes, then we clear.
Storm week, in order
Two shifts after a named storm, calls taken in order of danger, honest answers about where you are in the line.
Emergency tree service cost in Cape Coral, FL
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency call-out (after hours) | $400 – $1,500 | Crew and equipment to site, first cuts to make the house safe |
| Tree off a roof or lanai | $1,500 – $5,000 | Sectioned from the top down, cage and roof protected as far as possible |
| Tree across a driveway or road | $500 – $2,000 | Cut and moved to open access; haul-off scheduled |
| Hanging limb over the house | $300 – $1,200 | Roped and lowered, not dropped |
| Tree on a service drop (after de-energizing) | $600 – $2,500 | Coordinated with LCEC or FPL |
| Post-storm full cleanup | $1,500 – $8,000 | Multiple trees, hangers, debris chipped and hauled |
These are 2026 Lee County ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — the climb or bucket work, rigging, chipping and haul-off, stump grinding, crane time, the wildlife and mangrove check — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about emergency tree service
Is emergency service more expensive?
Yes — after-hours and storm-week calls carry a call-out charge of $400–$1,500 on top of the work, because we're paying a crew overtime to come out at night. We tell you the number on the phone before anyone drives.
Will my homeowners insurance cover it?
Usually, if the tree damaged a covered structure. Removal of a tree that fell in the yard and hit nothing is often capped at a few hundred dollars per policy, and a tree that was dead before it fell can be contested. We photograph everything and write the invoice in the line items adjusters expect; the coverage decision is the insurer's. After Ian, FEMA and the city handled curbside debris, but trees on structures were always the homeowner's call.
A tree is on the power line to my house. What do I do?
Call LCEC at 239-656-2300 (or FPL if you're in Fort Myers, Bonita or Estero) first, and stay away from it. We don't touch anything in contact with a line until the utility has de-energized or dropped it; once they have, we clear the tree and the electrician reconnects the service.
Should I sign with the first crew that shows up after a hurricane?
No. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming general liability and workers' comp, a written price before any cut beyond making the house safe, and a local address or phone that works after the storm. Never sign an assignment of benefits in the driveway.
Do you handle the curbside pile after a storm?
After a declared storm the city and county run separate debris collection — four piles at the curb, vegetative in its own pile, away from hydrants and lines. We'll stack to those rules; for anything we cut outside the declared window, we haul.