Trees Near Power Lines in Broward County

The short answer: call FPL before you call a tree crew. Which wire the tree is near decides who is allowed to work, and for one of the two wires the only person who can start the process is you, the account holder. Here is how it works in Broward County, using FPL's own guidance.

Two different wires, two different owners

Most people say "the power line" as if it were one thing. Near a house there are two, and they follow different rules.

1. The main or neighborhood line, pole to pole. FPL owns this line. Only FPL's line-clearing crews trim near it, at no charge, on their own schedule. FPL's rule is to keep yourself and anything you are holding at least 10 feet from these lines, and 30 feet from transmission lines. A tree crew that is not line-clearance qualified has to stay outside that zone as well. OSHA and the ANSI Z133 tree-care standard use the same 10-foot minimum, so this is not just a utility preference.

2. The service drop, pole to your house. This is the wire that runs from the pole to the weatherhead, the metal mast or fitting where power enters your home. FPL says this wire is the customer's responsibility to keep clear. Only FPL may disconnect it. FPL will temporarily disconnect it ("untap") and reconnect it for tree work when the account holder asks, which is what lets a crew work on branches around it.

If you are not sure which wire a branch is touching, treat it as the main line and keep well back.

Who to call, and which number

• Tree trimming near FPL lines: 1-800-226-3545. This is the number for trimming near FPL lines. For a service-drop disconnect, ask for the Service Planning Group.
• A tree touching a line, or sparking: 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). This is an emergency call, not a scheduling call. Stay back and keep everyone else back.
• Online option: FPL's Project Portal lets a residential customer self-schedule a disconnect and reconnect appointment, with "tree trimming" as the work type. FPL's job aid lists single-phase service under 320 amps for this.

Why the account holder has to be the one to call

FPL verifies the account before it disconnects service, so a contractor cannot book the disconnect for you. The account holder is the person whose name is on the bill. Many people expect the tree company to handle the utility part, so it is worth knowing before you book.

You do not have to do it alone. The crew can be on the call with you, which helps when FPL asks about the work. Ask the crew you have lined up, or the crew we connect you with, to join.

Step by step: a branch near the wire to your house

• Step 1. Identify the wire. Decide whether the branch is near the main line or the service drop, using the description above. If it touches or presses on the main line, go to the section below.
• Step 2. Make the FPL call. As the account holder, call 1-800-226-3545 and ask for the Service Planning Group, or use the Project Portal if your service qualifies. Ask for a temporary disconnect and reconnect for tree work, and ask about the fee when you book.
• Step 3. Send the date to the crew. Text the crew the appointment date and time FPL gives you, so the work lines up with the disconnect.
• Step 4. The crew works while the drop is down. With the service drop disconnected, the crew can trim or remove the tree around it. Plan for no power at the house during that window.
• Step 5. FPL reconnects. After the work, FPL reconnects the service. Keep the crew off the wire until that is done.

If the tree is on the main line

For a tree growing into the pole-to-pole line, the order flips. FPL trims its part first, because only its line-clearing crews work near that wire. A tree crew that is not line-clearance qualified stays outside the 10-foot zone, and does the rest of the tree after FPL has cleared the line side.

Hurricane season makes this more urgent

Storm season is when branches over wires turn into outages. Do the FPL step early, before a named storm, rather than in the rush after one. Our hurricane tree prep page covers the pruning that makes sense before June 1. After a storm, if a tree is down on a line, use our emergency tree service page and call 1-800-4-OUTAGE first.

What not to do

• Never trim, climb or use a pole saw near a line. A pole saw lets you reach a wire from the ground, so staying on the ground is not a safe distance.
• Never touch a downed line, or anything in contact with it. Treat every downed line as live, keep everyone back and call 1-800-4-OUTAGE.
• Never assume a line is dead. Only FPL can tell you a line is safe, so leave that call to them.

When to call a certified arborist for a plan

Sometimes the real question is not "who cuts this" but "should this tree be here at all." A certified arborist can look at the tree, the wire and the house together and write down a plan: prune, reduce, replace or remove. See our certified arborist page for what a consultation includes, and our tree trimming page for routine pruning. FPL's planting guide, linked below, helps with choosing what goes near a line.

Help across Broward County

We are a connection service, not a utility. We connect you with a local tree crew, and we can be on the FPL call with you if it helps. Local city pages:

Call (954) 754-6673 and tell us where the tree is and which wire it is near.

Sources: FPL, Trees and power lines FAQ; FPL, Right Tree, Right Place; FPL, Project Portal job aid: scheduling disconnect and reconnect appointments. Check FPL for current rules, since they can change.