Town of Belleair Tree Permits: Homeowner and Development Guide
Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Next review due April 2, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.
Do you need a tree removal permit in Belleair?
Belleair calls it a tree removal permit: its tree division requires permission before removing a protected tree, subject to its species and emergency exceptions and the qualifying residential state-law route. (Sections 74-381 and 74-382, Florida Statute 163.045) Start with the Town's Building Department, identify the tree and property, and obtain the applicable authorization before work. (Building Department)
This guide concerns the Town of Belleair, not Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs or Belleair Shore. If the jurisdiction is uncertain, start with our city-or-county tree permit guide and the Pinellas County address lookup.
Preservation comes before permission
Belleair's rule is to minimize protected-tree removal, not simply process a removal request: authorization must be refused when the applicant has not taken reasonable measures to design and locate improvements to minimize removals, particularly of specimen and historic trees. (Section 74-383(a)(1)) The general permit section nevertheless says “nor shall any tree be removed,” whereas the tree division says “protected tree”; Section 66-9(k) directs that specific provisions prevail over conflicting general provisions, and Section 66-9(b) assigns code interpretation to the town manager. (Section 66-207(b)(1), Section 74-381, Section 66-9)
Which trees and palms are protected?
Subject to the species exemptions, emergency suspension and qualifying state-law route, Belleair protects trees measuring more than four inches DBH, all mangroves, and all palms with at least 4½ feet of clear trunk between ground level and the lowest branch. (Section 66-10, protected tree, Section 74-382, Florida Statute 163.045) Every palm species meets that palm criterion once it has 4½ feet of clear trunk; none below that height meets the palm criterion, and it is not limited to cabbage palms. (Section 66-10)
There is no separate general “tree” definition in the Land Development Code definitions; the maintenance article does define a tree as a woody plant with a single erect perennial trunk at least three inches DBH at maturity, most having formed foliage crowns and heights exceeding 13 feet. (Section 66-10, Section 26-142) That maintenance definition expressly belongs to Chapter 26, Article V, not a substitute three-inch removal threshold. (Section 26-142)
Dead trees are not expressly exempted by the tree division; a protected dead tree must be considered through an applicable removal ground or state-law route, rather than assumed exempt solely because it is dead. (Sections 74-381 through 74-383, Florida Statute 163.045)
How to measure
DBH means diameter measured 54 inches above the ground at the plant's base, and multiple main-stem diameters are added together. (Section 66-10, DBH) For a roughly circular single trunk, circumference at that height divided by 3.14 estimates diameter; the more-than-four-inch criterion corresponds to more than approximately 12.56 inches around, not exactly 12.56 inches, and does not replace the separate palm and mangrove tests. (Section 66-10)
What exceptions and removal grounds change the answer?
The species exemption names only Brazilian pepper and “Malaleuca (punk tree),” using the code's spelling; during a hurricane or other disaster, the town manager may suspend tree protection regulations, but an emergency does not automatically suspend them. (Section 74-382(a), (b)) The exemption is from tree-protection requirements, not merely a waiver of a fee. (Section 74-382(a))
Outside an applicable exemption or state-law route, the applicant must demonstrate at least one of these grounds. (Section 74-383(a)(2))
Ground | What must be shown |
|---|---|
Site use | A permissible site use cannot reasonably occur without removing or relocating specific trees. (74-383(a)(2)a) |
Structure | Proximity materially impairs a structure's safety, utility or structural integrity. (74-383(a)(2)b) |
Utilities | Material interference with the location, servicing or functioning of existing utility lines or services. (74-383(a)(2)c) |
Traffic | A substantial motor, bicycle or pedestrian hazard from proximity or impaired vision. (74-383(a)(2)d) |
Condition and threat | Disease or weakening from insects, abuse, storm, fire or another cause presents a threat to persons or property, as determined by the town manager or designee. (74-383(a)(2)e) |
Required removal | A law or town regulation requires removal. (74-383(a)(2)f) |
Historic trees and historic stands require Town Commission designation for historical interest or association; specimen trees require Commission designation for value based on type, size, age or other relevant criteria, each after a public hearing with notice to the owner. (Section 74-383(c)(1), (2)) Their removal requires a Commission finding of hazard or economic or practical infeasibility of development with retention, the applicant's detailed explanation and the manager's presentation and recommendation; the Commission must decide within 30 days after filing. (Section 74-383(c)(3))
Does private-property pruning need a permit?
Belleair publishes no distinct ordinary private-tree pruning permit or topping, hatracking or canopy-percentage rule in the reviewed code, but pruning that destroys a protected tree is removal, and mangrove alteration, construction protection, maintenance duties, approved-permit conditions and public-way utility work have separate controls. (Section 66-10, Sections 74-384 and 74-385, Section 26-143, Section 66-204, Appendix A, electric distribution franchise, Section 7(7)) This is not a blanket no-permit assurance: Section 66-207 broadly screens maintenance activities, so ask Building how it applies to the proposed work. (Section 66-207(a), (b), (e))
“Removal of tree” includes relocation, cutting down, poisoning, or otherwise destroying or causing destruction. (Section 66-10) No pruning permission authorizes the construction injuries prohibited by Section 74-384. (Section 74-384)
Maintenance and dangerous trees
Owners must maintain private trees and vegetation; branches above sidewalks and rights-of-way need eight feet of clearance, and branches above streets and alleys need 15 feet. (Section 26-143(a), (e)) Visibility-triangle trees have a separate ten-foot branch clearance and minimum 20-foot separation, with greater separation possible for public safety. (Section 74-153(g)(3))
Section 26-143(g) prohibits retaining a diseased or weakened tree or branch posing the specified danger “as determined by the town's arborist,” whom it describes as “a certified and current member in the International Association of Arboriculture (ISA).” (Section 26-143(g)) Those are the code's words, distinct from Section 74-383(a)(2)e's town-manager-or-designee determination for removal. (Section 74-383(a)(2)e)
For the vegetation-notice procedure, the written notice requires correction within ten calendar days; appeals go in writing to the town clerk within seven calendar days after posting, or five for a repeat violation, and the hearing occurs within two working days after filing. (Section 26-144(a), (b)) Failure to correct by the notice deadline without appeal, or within five days after an unsuccessful appeal, permits town correction and assessment of the work and administrative costs. (Section 26-144(c)) Unpaid assessments can become liens after 30 days past due, with 12 percent annual interest from the day after the due date; Section 26-145(d) also provides foreclosure after its stated 30-day period. (Section 26-145(b), (d))
Who can use Florida Statute 163.045?
The state route requires a single-family detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, as a conforming or legally recognized nonconforming use; the owner must possess an onsite assessment signed by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect using Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017), finding removal the only practical means of reducing risk to persons or property below moderate, and the route excludes specifically delegated mangrove protection. (Florida Statute 163.045(1), (2), (4)) It is a documentation-and-risk test, not a rule that a tree must be unhealthy. (Florida Statute 163.045(2))
For work meeting the statute, local government cannot require notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation for pruning, trimming or removal, or require replanting. (163.045(2), (3)) Commercial sites, multifamily property, HOA common areas and institutional grounds do not qualify merely because people live nearby; the property itself must satisfy the detached single-family test. (163.045(1)(b))
The 2022 amendment took effect July 1, 2022; Belleair's reviewed code contains no reference to 163.045, so its townwide permit wording must be read alongside the statute without treating this article as a decision on any particular property. (2022 enrolled SB 518, Section 2, Section 74-381)
What are the penalties?
Unless another law or code provision provides otherwise, Section 1-15(b) allows a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day a separate offense; the code-enforcement route separately allows a fine of up to $250 per day that the violation continues past the compliance date and a fine of up to $500 per day for repeat violations after notice and an opportunity to be heard. (Section 1-15(b), Section 66-414(a)) These are codified sanctions, not a tree-specific fine schedule or a price for removing a tree without permission. (Section 1-15, Chapter 66 enforcement division)
Normally an inspector gives notice and reasonable correction time, but serious threats, irreparable or irreversible violations, and repeat violations have expedited routes. (Section 66-412) Recorded fine orders can attach to the affected land and other property of the violator. (Section 66-415(a)) Three months after an unpaid lien is filed, foreclosure or a money judgment may be pursued, but a lien under this article cannot be foreclosed on homestead property protected by Section 4, Article X, of the Florida Constitution. (Section 66-415(b)) A lien lasts no longer than 20 years after the fine order is recorded unless a foreclosure action is started within that time. (Section 66-415(c)) Injunctive relief and related permit suspension or revocation remain available, and county-court prosecution is an optional additional route. (Section 1-15(c), (d), Section 66-418)
The sanction histories identify Ordinances 460 and 549 for Section 1-15, Ordinance 475 for the Chapter 66 sanctions, and Ordinance 498 for vegetation assessments; their figure-specific effective dates were not established in the October 2 review of the code histories and town records. (Section 1-15, Section 66-414, Section 26-145)
What replacement trees or payments are required?
Under the ordinary local removal route, replacement or payment in lieu is required, except removal under the manager-determined diseased-or-weakened threat provision in Section 74-383(a)(2)e requires neither; qualifying Section 163.045 work also cannot carry local mitigation or replanting requirements. (Section 74-383(b)(1), Florida Statute 163.045(2), (3)) Canopy-road removals have an additional rule, described separately here. (Section 74-386(c))
Situation | Replacement or payment |
|---|---|
Ordinary required replacement | One DBH inch replaced per DBH inch removed, following the town landscaping master plan at planting. (74-383(b)(3)) |
Onsite planting impracticable | Trees donated for town property or payment to the tree replacement fund; the manager chooses, and the town controls donated species and location. (74-383(b)(2)) |
Payment in lieu, when required | $50 per inch in Appendix B, used with Section 74-383's exceptions; original rate-setting instrument and effective date not located in the reviewed records. (Appendix B) |
Onsite relocation | May substitute for replacement where onsite replacement is practicable; the manager may require consultation with a horticulturist or other tree professional. (74-383(b)(5)) |
Palm | Another listed palm or tree may replace it, except a palm removed from a protected tree-lined road must be replaced with a like variety in the same location. (74-383(b)(6)) |
Replacement stock must be state Department of Agriculture Nursery Grade No. 1; onsite trees showing signs of nonsurvival within 90 days must be replaced, and donated trees need the supplying nursery's “90-day guarantee.” (Section 74-383(b)(3)) Only the following replacement species are listed, with the code's names retained. (Section 74-383(b)(3))
Replacement class | Listed species |
|---|---|
Large street and median shade trees | Live oak; Weeping elm; Laurel oak; Sycamore; Red cedar; Pignut hickory; Slash pine; Bald cypress; Southern magnolia. (74-383(b)(3)) |
Smaller street and median shade trees | East Palatka holly; Weeping holly; Weeping bottlebrush; Rigid bottlebrush; Wax myrtle; Crape myrtle. (74-383(b)(3)) |
Palms for street and median | Canary Island date palm; Wild date palm; Cabbage palm; Washingtonian palm; Pinto palm. (74-383(b)(3)) |
Protected tree-lined and canopy roads
Section 74-386 protects protected species within 50 feet on either side of these segments and requires permitted removals to be replaced at one and one-half times their DBH inches. (Section 74-386(b), (c)) Its text does not expressly repeat Section 74-383(b)(1)'s hazard exception; ask the manager how those provisions interact for a road-area hazard removal, rather than assuming one cancels the other. (Section 74-386(c), Section 74-383(b)(1))
Road | Protected segment |
|---|---|
Indian Rocks Road | Belleview Boulevard south to town limits. (74-386(b)(1)) |
Belleview Boulevard | Druid Road east to Ft. Harrison Road. (74-386(b)(2)) |
Druid Road | Clearwater city limits south to Belleview Boulevard. (74-386(b)(3)) |
Bayview Drive | Manatee Road to Indian Rocks Road. (74-386(b)(4)) |
Mangroves: old town text and current authority
The town text requires onsite relocation of at least an equal number of mangroves sufficient to revegetate an equal or larger area, plus an approved survival and shoreline-stabilization plan. (Section 74-385(b)) It calls for a permit from “the state department of environmental regulation” in jurisdictional waters, a town permit for alteration exempt from that department's permit, and standards from rule 62-321. (Section 74-385(c)(1), (2), (3))
That is not a reliable current agency checklist: the Florida Administrative Code's 62-321 chapter page reports “No Rules were found,” and current law makes the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act and lawfully delegated local regulation the controlling mangrove regime. (Florida Administrative Code chapter 62-321, Florida Statute 403.9324(1), (3)) Section 403.9324(2) bars requiring more than one mangrove alteration or trimming permit within a delegated government's jurisdiction. (403.9324(2))
Pinellas County is a currently listed FDEP delegate, and its delegation covers mangrove trimming throughout the County, including incorporated territory, subject to the agreement's retained state wetland and environmental-resource jurisdiction. (FDEP delegated-government list, Pinellas delegation agreement) For Belleair mangrove questions, contact Pinellas County Environmental Management Division, Water and Navigation, at 727-453-3385; its guidance requires an applicable exemption or permit before trimming. (Pinellas County mangroves)
There is also a species-text mismatch: Section 66-10 includes buttonwood in its mangrove definitions, while Section 74-385(a) names black, white and red mangroves only. (Section 66-10, Section 74-385(a)) Obtain the applicable County and town classifications rather than treating that mismatch as permission to alter a shoreline tree.
Existing commercial, multifamily, HOA and institutional property
If you manage an HOA common area, business site or institutional grounds, the townwide protected-tree rule and ordinary replacement provisions do not create a separate ownership-class threshold or per-inch rate. (Section 74-381, Section 74-383(b), Appendix B) Section 163.045 does not extend to these property types merely because the proposed work resembles residential tree work. (163.045(1)(b))
An independent protected-tree removal on an already developed site can receive a development permit without a development order, but still must satisfy the tree division. (Section 66-203(4)) A tree shown for retention in an existing permit cannot simply be removed contrary to that permit: modifications must be obtained first, while additional clearing in environmentally sensitive or restricted development zones requires an amended development order. (Section 66-204, Section 74-415(2))
Permits go to the owner or authorized representative, who is responsible for permitted work; corporate development-review applications need the authorized signer's office and corporate seal, and signatures by other parties need notarized authorization. (Section 66-207(b)(1), (c)(2), (3), Section 66-171(a)) The town's homeowner-associated-user form is not evidence that an HOA or company has authorized a signer, so confirm the entity's documentation with Building. (Associated User Homeowner form)
Development, redevelopment, additions, pools and clearing
If you are building a pool, adding to a building, demolishing, clearing, grading or redeveloping, development review and tree protection must be coordinated; “development” includes soil disturbance, construction, demolition and regulated tree removal. (Section 66-10) Development approval precedes the building permit, subject to the specific development-order exceptions, and a tree removal permit tied to development cannot precede the appropriate building permit. (Sections 66-201 through 66-203, Section 74-383(a)(2))
For major development, Section 74-383(a)(2) also requires a “cash bond” equal to the replacement value of trees permitted to be replaced before the removal permit is issued. (Section 74-383(a)(2)) The manager classifies a proposal as major when any listed criterion applies. (Section 66-162(a), (b))
Major-development criterion | Trigger |
|---|---|
Area | Five acres or more, land and water combined. (66-162(b)(1)) |
Housing | Ten or more dwelling units per acre of land and water, or 50 or more units. (66-162(b)(2)) |
Nonresidential floor space | More than 10,000 square feet. (66-162(b)(3)) |
Zoning | Parcel rezoning. (66-162(b)(4)) |
Larger project | Anticipated aggregate development exceeds the area, housing or floor-space limits. (66-162(b)(5)) |
Wireless facility | Provider support facility on town-owned property under the section's wireless cross-reference. (66-162(b)(6)) |
Plans, credentials and sequencing
A development application for a site with protected trees needs a tree survey. (Section 74-381) Preliminary plans identify protected trees by location, size and common name, allow clusters with estimated numbers and sizes, and summarize them in a table; the tree plan states removals and reasons, grade changes affecting retained trees, protection measures, relocations and replacements. (Section 66-171(c)(1)c, (c)(2)e) Final plans include preliminary-plan information, and the application must be signed and notarized as required by Section 66-171(a). (Section 66-171(a), (d))
For major development, the tree-protection provision requires consultation with “an arborist” and a copy of that contract to the manager upon issuance of the development order; it does not add an ISA credential to that particular requirement. (Section 74-384(a)(2)) The current tree checklist separately requests an arborist report for a dead, diseased or structurally problematic tree. (Town tree checklist)
Before clearing or construction, applicable stormwater permit coverage and proof must be obtained, and permitted sites need an erosion and sediment-control plan; the town provision expressly reaches one-acre disturbance or participation in a larger one-acre construction activity for its referenced state coverage. (Section 74-212(b)(1), (4), (c)) The code calls grading and clearing permits development permits, rather than making tree approval a substitute for land-alteration approval. (Section 66-10)
Tree protection during construction
Developers must avoid mechanical, chemical, grade-change, excavation and paving injuries; the Commission may impose additional reasonable protection, including a “cash bond” for trees at risk. (Section 74-384(a)(1), (2)) Before land preparation, visible barriers must enclose the entire tree protection zone. (Section 74-384(b)(1))
Dripline distance from trunk | Section 66-10 protection-zone radius |
|---|---|
Less than six feet | Six feet. (Definition, item (1)) |
More than six but less than 20 feet | Full dripline. (Definition, item (2)) |
20 feet or more | 20 feet. (Definition, item (3)) |
The definition omits exactly six feet, while Figure 1's caption says the dripline or a 20-foot radius, whichever is less, without the definition's six-foot minimum. (Section 66-10, Section 74-384, Figure 1) Have the manager resolve those drafting differences on the protection plan before site work.
Barrier controls: No equipment, materials or debris inside; no fastening signs, permits or wires to protected trees except supportive wires; only light machinery or manual landscaping inside, with grubbing prohibited. (74-384(b)(2), (3), (4))
Protected-area alternative: An untouched area may be marked by connected stakes no more than 25 feet apart, outside every protected tree's zone; barriers remain until construction other than protected-area landscaping ends. (74-384(b)(5), (6))
Chemicals: Construction chemicals, materials and tools cannot be stored in or enter the protected area, and equipment cannot be cleaned there. (74-384(c)(1), (2))
Grade changes: For raising the grade within the protection zone, the code requires its protective measures, including root-safe soil preparation, fertilization, four-inch porous drain tiles with at least one-eighth-inch fall per foot, drainage and vertical-tile aeration, suitable dry wells, permeable walls and pedestrian safeguards; most large shade trees require a 60-inch well, while slow-growing mature trees need 12 to 18 inches between trunk and wall. (74-384(d)(1) through (9))
Utilities and paving: Route lines around protection zones where possible, otherwise tunnel beneath and offset from the trunk; porous paving or turf block is allowed within the zone only without tree damage. (74-384(e)(1), (2), (f))
Landscaping, retention and buffer tables
Single-family residential lots are exempt from Division 6 landscaping rules, but not residential developments needing Commission-approved development plans; this is not an exemption from the tree division. (Section 74-231, Section 74-381) Where landscaping rules apply, existing native vegetation should be preserved and used, and 40 percent of each plant category must be native. (Section 74-233(a)(4), (c))
Vehicle-use areas exceeding 1,000 square feet require landscaping, with proportional amounts for fractional areas; for differently sized vehicles or undesignated parking, 4,800 square feet substitutes for 24 spaces. (Section 74-232(a)(1) through (4)) Figure 2 gives 1,500 square feet of planting area with five canopy trees, one understory tree and 12 shrubs; Figure 3 controls countable areas, excluding buffers and covered areas rather than allowing automatic double-counting. (Figures 2 and 3, Figure 3)
For developing existing parcels larger than one acre, the code supplies this adjacency matrix; it uses “N” without defining it in the table, and the same-district cells contain dash marks, reproduced here as “none listed” rather than as an additional standard. (Section 74-232(b)(4))
Developing use | RE/R-1/R-2 | RM-15 | H | C-1 | C-2 | C-3 | C-4 | C-5 | GC | P | SPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single-family | none listed | B | B | B | B | C | D | D | C | D | D |
Multifamily | A | none listed | A | A | A | C | C | D | B | C | C |
Hotel | A | A | none listed | A | A | C | C | C | B | C | C |
Professional services | A | A | A | none listed | N | N | B | C | N | C | B |
Professional products | A | A | A | N | none listed | N | B | C | N | C | B |
Commercial products | C | C | A | N | N | none listed | B | C | N | C | B |
Commercial services | C | C | C | B | B | A | none listed | C | N | A | A |
Open storage | C | C | C | B | B | A | A | none listed | A | A | A |
Golf-course structures | A | A | A | N | B | N | C | C | none listed | A | C |
Utilities/public | B | B | B | A | N | A | A | A | A | none listed | A |
Semipublic/medical | A | A | B | B | A | A | A | C | N | A | none listed |
The matrix is reproduced from Section 74-232(b)(4); the figures provide these plants per 100 linear feet at the corresponding widths. (Section 74-232(b)(3))
Standard and width in feet | Canopy | Understory | Shrubs |
|---|---|---|---|
A: 20 / 15 / 10 | 1.2 / 1.8 / 2.4 | 0.4 / 0.6 / 0.8 | 4 / 6 / 8. (Figure 4) |
B: 25 / 20 / 15 / 10 | 3.5 / 4 / 4.5 / 5 | 1.4 / 1.6 / 1.8 / 2 | 14 / 16 / 18 / 20. (Figure 5) |
C: 35 / 30 / 25 / 20 | 4.8 / 5.4 / 6 / 6.6 | 2.4 / 2.7 / 3 / 3.3 | 19 / 22 / 24 / 28. (Figure 6) |
D: 60 / 50 / 40 / 30 | 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 | 4 / 4.5 / 5 / 6 | 24 / 27 / 30 / 36. (Figure 7) |
Five-foot buffer | 2.4 | Not specified | 24; shrubs must reach six feet and 90 percent opacity within two years. (Figure 8) |
The five-foot buffer applies to developing existing parcels smaller than one acre; the text's “in excess of” and “less than” wording leaves exactly one acre unstated. (Section 74-232(b)(4), (5)) Multiply each boundary's length divided by 100 by the illustrated plant count and distribute plants reasonably evenly. (Section 74-232(b)(3))
Arterial frontages use C, collectors B, residential streets A, and a principal structure abutting its own vehicle-use area needs A; mixed uses use the more intense use, while planned mixed-use parcels have the subsection (b)(1) qualification. (Section 74-232(b)(1), (6), (7), (8)) Native-buffer retention may support a variance only when needed to prevent harm and buffering and aesthetic purposes remain substantially fulfilled. (Section 74-232(b)(9)) When residential and nonresidential uses meet and the existing use lacks a compliant buffer, the proposed use generally supplies 80 percent of the combined requirement, with the stated reduction when existing qualifying buffering produces the full combined requirement. (Section 74-232(b)(10)b)
Residential-development street trees are one shade tree per 50 linear feet within five feet of the right-of-way, alternating sides unless the developer lacks ownership on one side, selected from the approved canopy list at the stated minimum overall planting height of ten to 12 feet. (Section 74-232(c)(1), (2)) Street approval also requires the town's planting easement. (Section 74-153(i))
Additional setting | Tree-related requirement |
|---|---|
Restricted zone beside shoreline protection zone | Minimum 50 percent natural vegetation retained, or existing trees replaced at a minimum 2:1 ratio; native Standard C buffering where natural vegetation is absent. (74-414(b)(4)c, h) |
Restricted zone beside wetlands | Retain natural buffers where possible or create equivalent buffers, minimize vegetation removal and restore construction damage to prior functioning within five years. (74-414(b)(3)) |
Hardcourt facility | Standard A on sides facing adjoining property. (74-290(c)) |
Wireless support facility | Where the Commission requires its landscape buffer, the code's example uses shade trees at least three inches DBH every 30 feet, with evergreen landscaping. (74-283.7(7), (8)) |
Required landscape plants must be maintained and replaced within six months of the manager's dead, severely damaged or diseased determination; punk tree, Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, eucalyptus, ear tree and “Chinaberrry tree” (the code's spelling) are prohibited planting material, not six removal exemptions. (Section 74-233(d), (g)) Planting after a certificate of occupancy requires the code's “performance bond” for uninstalled landscaping; other plant installation, irrigation and material standards remain in Section 74-233. (Section 74-233(b)(2), (e), (f))
Fees, enforcement and appeals for a project
Appendix B does not separately price residential and nonresidential tree permits; its general development and review fees may still apply, and the $50-per-inch replacement payment is not a universal permit charge. (Appendix B, Section 66-207(e)) For budgeting, the codified permit formula is two percent through $1 million plus $5 for each $1,000 above it; non-major residential or commercial plan review is $20 or 25 percent of the building permit fee, whichever is greater, capped at $200, while major plan review is $1,000 or five percent of the building permit, whichever is greater. (Appendix B)
The code lists an $89 nonfloodplain building-project administrative fee, $2,150 for a variance and $200 for an appeal to the Commission. (Appendix B) Ordinance 580, adopted and effective September 17, 2024, changed the $5 increment, ordinary and major review charges, $89 administration and $2,150 variance amounts; its markup leaves the $50-per-inch and $200 appeal rows unchanged, and their originating instruments and effective dates were not found in the October 2 review of code histories, Town fee materials and Legistar ordinance records. (Ordinance 580 and Exhibit A, adoption record) These are not a total project quote: ask Building which rows apply.
Work without a required permit or beyond its scope can be stopped immediately, and Section 66-207(g) requires an after-the-fact permit at twice the otherwise applicable fee; its subsection (e) excludes tree removal from the low-cost general permit exception. (Section 66-207(e), (g)(1), (2)) Major deviations can also stop work or occupancy, and occupancy approval requires inspection and conformity with the approved plan. (Sections 66-391 and 66-392, Section 66-392) Paid residential yard-work providers must remove their resulting yard waste at their own expense. (Section 46-64) A checkable bid question is who holds the permit and who removes the debris, rather than assuming either is included.
The Town's contractor-registration guidance lists a Florida DBPR or PCCLB contractor credential, liability insurance naming the Town as certificate holder, workers' compensation insurance or an exemption (or both), and federal or state-issued picture ID; the Authorized Agent Form is optional, and the page does not identify a tree-specific credential. (Building Department contractor registration) Ask Building which registration category applies to the actual activity; do not mistake these administrative instructions for an arborist qualification in Section 74-384. (Section 74-384(a)(2))
Tree preservation can support a variance, not assure one; Sections 66-253 and 66-254 govern hardship relief and clustering around protected sensitive land. (Section 74-387, Section 66-253, Section 66-254) Manager decisions on permits, development orders or minor/major classification may be appealed to the Commission within 30 working days; variance judicial review has a 30-day filing period, while a code-enforcement order follows Section 66-416 and the statutory 30 days after execution. (Section 66-281, Section 66-253(c), Section 66-416, Florida Statute 162.11)
How do you apply, and what does it cost?
Apply through Belleair's Building Department and its Tree Permit application; no standalone tree-permit application price was found in the code, posted fee page or accessible portal screens, and the published $50 per inch is payment in lieu of required replacement, not a fee for every removal. (Town tree checklist, Tree Permit application, Appendix B, Town fee page) Confirm applicable general permit charges and the removal route with Building before relying on a cost assumption. (Section 66-207(e))
Identify jurisdiction and approval history. Use the County address lookup, and have Building identify existing permit or plan conditions relevant to the tree.
Establish applicant authority. Owners or authorized representatives may apply; owner representatives need written or otherwise acceptable authorization, and development-review signatures have the notarization and corporate requirements described earlier. (Section 66-207(c), Section 66-171(a))
Prepare the tree information. The Town checklist asks for a survey marking the removal location, removal reason, species, DBH, an arborist report for dead, diseased or structurally problematic trees, and replacement information where applicable. (Tree Removal Permit Checklist)
Use the correct Town portal path. The permitting homepage links a Tree Permit application; the variance path is marked under construction and directs applicants to Building. (Town permitting portal)
Complete applicable reviews and inspections. Coordinate development and building approvals before the removal permit; the tree checklist calls for a final building inspection with photos of the cleared ground after removal, while missing outside-agency inspections can hold up final inspection or occupancy approval. (Section 74-383(a)(2), Tree checklist, Section 66-207(d)(3))
The named contact is Town of Belleair Building Department, 901 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Belleair, FL 33756, telephone 727-588-1477, email building@townofbelleair.net. (Building Department) Use that office for a tree, survey or project-specific determination, rather than the article's chat.
Where guidance and the code differ
The Town fee webpage's general building-permit formulas and administrative charges differ from Appendix B, although both identify the tree payment as replacement-related; the codified schedule is the legal schedule, not the webpage summary. (Town fee page, Appendix B) Ask Building for the applicable current authority and calculation, not simply the older webpage amount.
The checklist's arborist-report and final-photo instructions supplement the code's process but do not create a dead-tree exemption or amend the statutory residential route. (Tree checklist, Section 74-382, Florida Statute 163.045) The portal homepage labels the tree application correctly but its adjacent description mistakenly includes “Pod/Portable Storage”; the linked application itself is headed “Tree Permit.” (Town permitting portal, Tree Permit application)
The codifier's Supplement 30 is not the end of the inquiry: the Town adopted Ordinance 595 on May 19, 2026, adding right-of-way utility rules, including tree protections, effective immediately upon adoption. (Ordinance 595, adoption record) The Town's Code webpage still quotes a 30-day delay for ordinances, but the codified Charter now says ordinances become effective on their specified date or as state law provides. (Town Code webpage, Charter Section 2.11(a)(1))
Jurisdiction and public rights-of-way
A postal city name is not a jurisdiction decision; the Pinellas County address lookup distinguishes incorporated municipalities from unincorporated areas. If the parcel is outside town boundaries, our unincorporated Pinellas reference, Clearwater guide and Largo guide are related reading, not Belleair legal authority.
Public right-of-way landscape development follows the town master landscape plan; the code says that plan is on file with the clerk and town work cannot deviate without Commission approval. (Section 74-234, Section 50-11) The electric-distribution franchise specifically requires prior written town approval before removing or substantially trimming a public-way tree and makes the franchisee responsible for resulting damage. (Appendix A, Article V, Section 7(7))
Under Ordinance 595's new Section 61-11, utility trimming or removal of protected trees in or from the right-of-way must comply with state and local protection laws. (Ordinance 595, Section 61-11(a)) Before trimming to prevent wire or cable contact, the utility must notify Town staff at least 24 hours ahead; the Town controls whether it performs the work at utility expense or the utility works under Town supervision. (61-11(b)) Trimming is limited to clear cable passage, must not remove major structural branches that materially alter appearance or natural growth, and leaves the utility responsible for resulting tree, property and personal injury damage. (61-11(b))
Temporary removal for utility construction requires a plan to restore the previous condition, or as close as possible, with the permit application or, for annual-permit work, at least 48 hours before construction; staff can consult a qualified arborist and delay permits or construction until identified defects are corrected. (61-11(c)) Greenery required as a permit condition must be maintained to the permit and landscaping-code standards, and communications-provider and cable/electric-utility annual general permits authorize trimming only in compliance with Section 61-11. (61-11(d), 61-5(a)2(xv), (a)4(xii))
A utility permit denial follows Section 61-6's specific appeal route: file with the town clerk within 30 days; the Commission hears it at its next regular meeting and issues a written decision within ten days afterward, with circuit-court review under applicable law and rules. (61-6) Emergency utility repairs may proceed without usual permits, but require Town notice within 60 minutes of arrival; Section 61-7 does not list Section 61-11 among its emergency exceptions. (61-7)
What Belleair's reviewed code does not publish
A whole-code search found no 163.045 reference, no separate tree-removal application fee line, no tree-bank or tree-credit formula, no express dead-tree exemption, and no standalone ordinary pruning, topping, hatracking or percentage-canopy rule. (Belleair Code of Ordinances) These are bounded findings, not permission to disregard general permits, required-landscape maintenance, public-way rules, protected-tree destruction or state law. (Section 66-207, Section 74-233, Section 66-10)
Items searched for but not found
On October 2, 2026, the Town's tree checklist, Building and Forms pages and targeted official-site searches yielded no town-specific Section 163.045 notice or form. (Tree checklist, Building Department, Forms and Applications) Legistar searches that day for “historic tree,” “specimen tree” and “tree designation” identified discussion items and proclamations, but no adopted individual designation; older unindexed records could contain one. (Town legislative records) The tree application's fee fields could not be inspected beyond its public heading because the form presented a verification gate; no application was submitted. (Tree Permit application)
Sources and scope
This reference uses Belleair's Municode Supplement 30, codified through Ordinance No. 594 adopted January 20, 2026, the Town records discussed here, and the linked Florida and Pinellas authorities, checked October 2, 2026. (Municode) Older codified provisions retain their published text here; unknown original effective dates are not relabeled with Supplement 30's cutoff, and no finding in this guide decides a specific tree's status.
Where this leaves your tree or project
A tree interfering with a structure or utilities, or presenting a documented risk, may be a candidate for removal or pruning, but the deciding office must assess the applicable route and conditions. (Section 74-383(a)(2), Florida Statute 163.045) For Belleair, route property-specific questions to the Town Building Department, and mangrove questions to Pinellas County Environmental Management Division, Water and Navigation.
Ken's Tree Service has worked since 1996 from Tarpon Springs, across approximately 20 miles covering north Pinellas County, west Pasco County and the northwest corner of Hillsborough County. This Belleair guide is a regional reference, not an offer to perform work in Belleair; for projects within our service area, our number is 727-934-5804. For questions about the code explained in this guide, talk with our website agent, the chat on this page.