Tree Removal permits across Florida
Where each city draws the line on tree removal work. Sort any column — useful if you build across several towns and need to know where the rules change.
The statewide starting point is Florida Building Code, Building, 2023, 8th edition. Cities that changed the rule are the interesting rows below.
| Where the line falls | Fee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 1,009,833 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Miami | 487,014 | Yes | You need a tree removal permit before you take down a tre… | Tree permit fees follow the city's building permit fee sche… |
| Tampa | 414,547 | Depends | You need a permit to remove a protected or grand tree, ev… | — |
| Orlando | 334,854 | Depends | From 10 | The Parks Official sets a tree removal permit fee schedule,… |
| St. Petersburg | 267,102 | Depends | removal of a protected tree or palm | — |
| Port St. Lucie | 258,575 | Depends | You need a tree removal permit to take down a protected t… | The code names a tree removal application fee but gives no … |
| Hialeah | 235,388 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Cape Coral | 233,025 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Tallahassee | 205,089 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Fort Lauderdale | 190,641 | Unconfirmed | — | Landscape and tree removal/relocation permit fee: a flat ra… |
| Gainesville | 148,720 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Miramar | 143,242 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Coral Springs | 140,808 | Yes | Removing a tree from private property needs a tree remova… | — |
| West Palm Beach | 127,744 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Lakeland | 124,990 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Clearwater | 116,811 | Yes | Removing a tree from private property needs a tree remova… | — |
| Miami Gardens | 116,173 | Yes | You need a tree preservation and protection permit to rem… | The code lists no dollar amounts. Fees are set by the city;… |
| Davie | 112,052 | Yes | A tree removal or relocation permit is required, with som… | — |
| Palm Coast | 106,729 | Unconfirmed | — | The code lists no dollar amounts. Fees are published by the… |
| Boca Raton | 102,238 | Yes | You need a tree removal permit to remove a tree from priv… | The dollar amount is set by the city's municipal facilities… |
| Plantation | 100,694 | Yes | You need a tree removal permit to take down a tree, and t… | The code sets no dollar amount. In place of replanting you … |
| Deltona | 100,513 | Yes | You cannot cut, move, remove, or destroy any regulated tr… | — |
| Sunrise | 100,128 | Yes | Removing a tree from private property needs a tree remova… | — |
| Fort Myers | 99,918 | Depends | removal of a regulated tree, unless a listed exemption ap… | — |
| North Port | 92,875 | Yes | You cannot start clearing or removing a tree until the UL… | — |
| Deerfield Beach | 90,507 | Yes | No size threshold in the code | The city sets permit fees by a separate commission resoluti… |
| Melbourne | 87,561 | Yes | You need a tree removal permit before you take down a tre… | — |
| Daytona Beach | 86,015 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Homestead | 85,796 | Yes | From 2 | — |
| Kissimmee | 84,756 | Depends | You usually need a Tree Removal Permit to take down a pro… | The code text in view names no dollar amount for a tree rem… |
| Doral | 83,625 | Yes | You need a tree removal permit before you cut down any tree. | — |
| Miami Beach | 83,251 | Yes | You need a tree work permit before you remove or relocate… | Tree work permit fees are set by city commission resolution… |
| Boynton Beach | 83,095 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Largo | 82,337 | Depends | Over 10 in across | — |
| Lauderhill | 76,627 | Yes | Removing a tree from private property needs a city tree r… | Tree removal permit fee for single-family properties is $50. |
| Tamarac | 75,147 | Yes | No size threshold in the code | — |
“Unconfirmed” means the city's code doesn't state the rule plainly enough to publish. Those city pages link straight to the ordinance section instead.
Why neighboring cities disagree
Every city starts from a model code and then edits it. One town raises the shed cutoff, the next lowers the fence height, a third exempts the structure where its neighbor only exempts repairs to it. None of that is visible from a national article — you have to read each ordinance, which is what these pages do.