Property walk & risk assessment
ISA Certified Arborist documents each significant tree, identifies structural defects, and prioritises the work. Same-day on-site, no charge.
Hurricane prep · Treasure Coast
Hurricane Prep On Florida's Treasure Coast
You watched the cone shift toward the Treasure Coast last August and realized the laurel oak hanging over the bedroom hadn’t been touched in five years. Maybe your HOA board is asking whether the queen palms along the entrance road will hold in a Cat 2. Hurricane prep isn’t done in September with a forecast on the screen — it’s done in March, by an arborist who knows which Treasure Coast species fail and which ones hold. Free same-day assessment · Written scope in 4 hours · ISA Certified Arborist · Fully insured · Tree removal across Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Vero Beach and the surrounding Treasure Coast.
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Why Treasure Coast property owners choose Swift
Why Treasure Coast Property Owners Trust Swift For Hurricane Prep
- Family-Owned by Johnathan Portillo & Danny Ramirez (met at church)
- ISA Certified Arborist On Staff or partnered per job complexity
- ANSI A300 Pruning + ANSI Z133 Safety Standards on every property
- We Refuse Hurricane Cuts, Topping, & Lion-Tailing — every time
- Cabling & Bracing to ANSI A300 Part 3 for Heritage Live Oaks
- Fully Insured — GL, Workers’ Comp, Commercial Auto (COI before work)
- 24/7 Human-Answered Emergency Line · 60–90 Minute On-Site Target During Storms
- Kenya Ministry Partnership — a portion of every job funds orphan schools
Hurricane prep on the Treasure Coast is not about cutting trees down. It is about reducing failure risk in the canopy that stays. Pruned correctly, mature trees lower wind damage — they don’t increase it. Swift is the family-owned, ISA-led crew that knows which species fail and which ones hold, and works in the March–May window when the work can still be done right.
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What's included
Every Job Comes With This — In Writing.
- Property walk & risk assessment with the ISA Certified Arborist — every significant tree documented and prioritised
- Structural pruning on retained trees — subordinate codominant leaders, reduce end weight on long laterals, remove deadwood and crossing branches
- High-failure species decisions in writing — retain & prune, retain with cabling, or remove
- Palm work to ISA protocol — remove dead and brown fronds only · never green fronds above horizontal
- Cabling and bracing installation on heritage live oaks where structural support is warranted (ANSI A300 Part 3)
- Post-storm follow-up — walk-through after every named storm for hanger limbs, fresh cracks, root plate lift
- Insurance documentation — multi-angle photos and written scope your adjuster can work from
- We refuse hurricane cuts, topping, lion-tailing, and aggressive crown reduction — they increase failure risk, not reduce it
How it works
From Your Call To A Clean Property — Four Steps.
Written scope in 4 hours
Tree-by-tree recommendation: retain & prune, retain with cabling, or remove. Scope, equipment plan, and permit pathway noted in writing.
March–May execution
Crew schedules the structural work in the optimal pre-season window so cuts heal before June 1. ANSI A300 + Z133 compliance on every job.
Post-storm follow-up
After every named storm that affects the Treasure Coast we walk inspected properties — hanger limbs, cracks at unions, root plate lift. Urgent damage routes to the 24/7 emergency line.
The details
High-Failure Species To Address First On The Treasure Coast
Laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia)
Weak wood, decay-prone, the single most common large-tree failure across the Treasure Coast. Often misidentified as live oak. Lifespan 50–70 years; notorious for sudden trunk failure after 40.
Water oak (Quercus nigra)
Similar wood properties and failure profile to laurel oak. Frequently fails at codominant unions. Heavy lateral branches and internal heart-rot are common.
Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
Shallow root system, top-heavy in wind. Common snap-and-uproot failure across the region. Consider replacement with sabal palm on exposed lots.
Australian pine (Casuarina)
Category I FLEPPC invasive · brittle, shallow-rooted, documented hurricane-failure species. Should not be on the property at all. Invasive removal scope →
Live oak (Quercus virginiana) — keep it
Mature live oak, properly pruned, is one of the most wind-resistant canopy trees in the southeastern United States. These trees do not need to come down — they need structural pruning to ANSI A300 standards.
Sabal palm — Florida’s state tree
Documented wind-resistant species. The right palm to plant where queen palms have failed. Native, deep-rooted, and built for the Treasure Coast.
The three timing windows on the Treasure Coast
Florida Hurricane Season Runs June Through November. The Work Happens Earlier.
By the time a forecast lands inside the cone, every reputable crew on the Treasure Coast is already booked. Start the conversation in February or early March — schedules fill fast once the National Hurricane Center publishes the season outlook.
Mar – May
Pre-Season Structural Prep
This is where the real work happens. Structural pruning, deadwood removal, high-failure species evaluation, cabling installation. Cuts heal before June 1.
Jun – Nov
Mid-Season Inspections
Walk-throughs after named storms pass and before the next one approaches. Focused on hanger limbs, cracked unions, and root plate lift.
Dec – Feb
Long-Window Projects
Larger removals, cabling installations, and heritage-tree assessments that don’t need to wait for the pre-season rush.
Calling in August with a forecast on the screen is too late for most properties. Structural pruning cuts take 4 to 8 weeks to start healing — cuts made in summer are open wounds during peak fungal-infection season.
Permits & FS §163.045
Permit Rules Vary By City And County On The Treasure Coast — Swift Handles The Paperwork.
Worth knowing for hurricane prep: Florida Statute §163.045 (amended July 1, 2022) allows a single-family residential homeowner to skip the local tree-removal permit when an ISA Certified Arborist documents the tree as dangerous under ANSI/ISA Best Management Practices for Tree Risk Assessment (2nd Ed., 2017). The statute does not apply to shoreline trees, HOA common areas, or commercial property. For city-specific permit details, see the Hurricane Prep page for your city.
Common questions
Frequently Asked About This Service.
When Should I Start Hurricane Prep on My Treasure Coast Property?
March through May. Pre-season is the window where structural pruning can be done correctly, schedules are open, and the work is finished before the first named storm forms. Calling in August with a forecast on the screen is too late for most properties.
What Species Are Most Likely to Fail in a Hurricane on the Treasure Coast?
Laurel oak, water oak, queen palm, and Australian pine are the four most common failures across the region after Irma, Nicole, and Milton. Each one deserves individual evaluation for removal or retention.
Can a Heritage Live Oak Be Saved Instead of Removed?
Often, yes. Mature live oak is one of the most wind-resistant species in the region when properly pruned. Cabling and bracing to ANSI A300 Part 3 standards can extend the life of a heritage tree significantly.
Is The &Quot;hurricane Cut&Quot; the Right Way to Prepare a Palm?
No. Hurricane cuts (the 9-and-3 shape, also called over-pruning) remove green fronds above horizontal and damage the bud-protecting canopy. The practice increases storm vulnerability and shortens palm lifespan. Remove dead and brown fronds only. More on proper palm trimming →
Do I Need a Permit to Remove a Hurricane-Risk Tree?
It depends on the city, county, parcel type, and whether the tree qualifies as a dangerous tree under Florida Statute §163.045. Swift handles the permit research and submittal in-house.
What Does Swift Do After a Storm Passes?
We walk inspected properties for hanger limbs, fresh cracks at unions, and root plate lift. Urgent damage routes to the 24/7 Emergency Tree Service line with a 60–90 minute on-site target. We also document storm damage for insurance claims.
Does Insurance Pay for Hurricane Prep?
Generally no — pre-season pruning is a property-owner expense. However, post-storm damage and emergency response often qualify under homeowner policies. We coordinate documentation when a claim is involved.
Should I Do Prep Work Myself with a Chainsaw?
Hurricane prep on mature trees is not a DIY job. Improper pruning (topping, lion-tailing, hurricane cuts on palms) increases failure risk. ANSI Z133 safety standards exist because tree work is among the most dangerous regulated trades.
Post-storm follow-up
The Job Is Not Done When The Season Starts.
After every named storm that affects the Treasure Coast we walk inspected properties for hanger limbs, fresh cracks at unions, root plate lift, and damage that wasn’t visible from the ground before the wind hit. When the failure is urgent, we route it through the 24/7 Emergency Tree Service line with a 60 to 90 minute on-site target across all three counties. For storm damage that involves an insurance claim, we coordinate documentation, photograph the failure from multiple angles, and deliver a written scope your adjuster can work from.
Cabling & bracing for heritage live oaks
A Mature Live Oak With Two Codominant Leaders Is Not Automatically A Removal Candidate.
Often it is a cabling candidate. Cabling installs flexible synthetic or steel hardware high in the canopy to limit how far two leaders can separate during high wind. Bracing installs rigid rods through weak unions lower in the trunk. We follow ANSI A300 Part 3 Supplemental Support Systems for installation — correct cable type, anchor placement, and load rating. Installations are documented, inspected on a defined cycle, and re-tensioned or replaced when the canopy changes. A properly cabled heritage live oak can keep a 100-year tree on the property instead of in a landfill.
What customers say
Real Reviews — This Service.
Swift did a full pre-season assessment in April, flagged two laurel oaks I had no idea were at risk, and thinned the canopy on the live oaks. When the storm hit in August we had zero tree damage. Zero.
✓ Verified customerThey talked me out of a hurricane cut on my queen palms and gave me a real explanation of why it would weaken them. The written prep plan documented every tree with a specific action. Worth every penny.
✓ Verified customerSwitched to the Hurricane Subscription after the first one-time prep. Pre-season trim, mid-season inspection, post-season cleanup — all on schedule without me having to remember to call. That peace of mind is real.
✓ Verified customer
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Same-day on-site assessment · Written quote in 4 hours · Fully insured · Family-owned