Checked October 22, 2026. Cities and counties are still adjusting their plans, so open the source for your town before you put anything at the curb.
Tree down or leaning? Call Josh at (850) 888-5603 and ask how the debris will leave before work starts.
After Hurricane Isaias, public trucks are collecting what homeowners pile along the road. Some towns say plainly that they will not take what a hired tree crew cuts. Others have not said either way.
Here is what each place has published, what it has not, and what to ask your tree service.
Towns that put it on the contractor
Fort Walton Beach. The city does not pick up yard waste generated by private contractors performing tree removal or trimming, and its residential services page says the contractor is responsible for removing all waste. That is the standing rule, and the copy of the page we read was archived in May 2025. We found nothing saying the city relaxed it for Isaias, so ask the city before you assume it did.
Niceville. The city requires contractors and tree services to remove all debris they generate, per its sanitation department page (archived April 2026). We did not find anything showing the city lifted that for Isaias. For debris you put out yourself, the Niceville announcement expected collection the week of October 12, with two curbside piles, one for yard debris and one for construction debris.
Santa Rosa County. The county's Isaias update says: "If you hire a contractor to cut or remove fallen trees, the contractor is responsible for hauling away all debris. Debris from contractor-performed work should not be placed on the right-of-way for county debris pickup." We read this through an archived copy of the page.
Places that have not said
Unincorporated Okaloosa County. The county's emergency page describes how residents should put out debris (loose, unbagged, visible, clear of hydrants and meters). We did not find a word about debris cut by a contractor. The county's debris hotline is 1-833-495-3664.
Destin. The city's debris notices describe loose piles on the public right-of-way, with vegetative debris kept separate from construction and demolition debris. They do not say how contractor-cut debris is handled. Destin Public Works is at 850-837-6869.
Walton County. The sheriff's Isaias page says debris should be within 10 feet of the road and sorted, and that bagged debris may be skipped. It does not address a tree crew's debris either.
When a place has not said, do not read that as a yes. Ask before work starts, and get the answer in writing from whoever you hire.
The second pass: do not count on a date
If a pile was missed or you cut after the first truck came through, the second pass matters. The dates are loose:
- Destin: the city says "a second collection pass will follow later," and that crews may return to neighborhoods multiple times. The first pass was estimated at about 17 days from October 15.
- Okaloosa County, unincorporated: pickup runs in two periods. The second date is announced after the first pickup, and none has been posted.
- Walton County: trucks make multiple passes on each road.
- Santa Rosa County: the first pass started October 14 on publicly maintained roads, and remaining debris is picked up on later passes.
A pile that waits for a second pass sits in front of your house until it comes. Cutting a tree now and hoping the truck takes it later is a bad plan in any town that has not said it takes contractor debris.
What Reed does with the debris
Josh cuts the tree and moves the debris to the roadside where pickup allows that. Where the town will not take it, the debris has to leave another way. Haul-off is quoted per job and arranged only on bigger jobs, so it is not part of every quote. Ask Josh about it on the first call.
Call Josh at (850) 888-5603. Through early November 2026, Reed's insured crew covers Destin, Niceville, Miramar Beach and Fort Walton Beach, and Josh takes calls elsewhere in Okaloosa and Walton counties.
Four questions to ask any tree service before work starts
- Does your quote say who removes the debris, in writing?
- Does it go to the road for the town's trucks, or does it leave with the crew?
- If the town refuses it, who moves it and when?
- Is haul-off in the price, or is it quoted separately?
If you live inside a gate, the debris question has a second layer. Okaloosa County services gated subdivisions only if the HOA filed a signed agreement, and we cover that in gated community debris pickup and the Right of Entry Agreement. For the rest of the pickup rules by county, see our Isaias debris pickup guide.
FAQ
Does Fort Walton Beach pick up debris a tree service cuts?
Not under its standing rule. The city's residential services page says it does not pick up yard waste generated by private contractors performing tree removal or trimming. We found no Isaias exception.
Does Niceville pick up debris from a tree service?
The city's sanitation page says it requires contractors and tree services to remove all debris they generate.
Does Destin take debris from a tree crew?
The Destin notices we read do not say. Ask Destin Public Works at 850-837-6869 before work starts.
When is the second debris pass?
Destin says a second collection pass "will follow later." Okaloosa County's second pickup date has not been announced. Walton and Santa Rosa counties describe multiple passes without dates.
Is haul-off included when Josh cuts a tree?
No. Josh cuts the tree and moves the debris to the roadside where pickup allows that. Haul-off is quoted per job and arranged only on bigger jobs.
Tree down in Destin, Niceville, Fort Walton Beach or anywhere in Okaloosa or Walton County? Call Josh at (850) 888-5603.