Dade City Tree Removal Permits and Tree Ordinance Guide
Last reviewed October 28, 2026. Next review due April 28, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.
Do you need a tree removal permit in Dade City?
Dade City calls its approval a tree removal permit and directs an applicant to the City Building Official on city forms. (2.4.14(D)(1)) The permit sentence, its size exemption and the definitions do not give one consistent threshold; ask the Building Official to determine how they apply, subject to the local exemptions and Florida Statute 163.045. (6.2.1(E)(1))
This regional guide concerns the incorporated City of Dade City in Pasco County. For the parent resource, see our unincorporated Pasco County tree permit guide; do not select a jurisdiction from a mailing address alone.
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.
Why does the ordinance favor keeping trees?
Under Section 2.4.14(E), a local removal permit requires at least one finding: immediate safety hazard, harmful infestation, no reasonable alternative to use, or progressive damage; the full grounds are set out in the application section. (2.4.14(E)) The stated purpose is to limit tree destruction, preserve canopy and prohibit unnecessary clearing to achieve no net loss of trees. (6.2.1(A)) The rule applies to real property within the incorporated city, including public land, rights-of-way and easements, subject to its express exemptions. (6.2.1(C))
Which trees are protected, and where do the thresholds conflict?
These texts do not supply one consistent permit threshold. The exemptions and qualifying state-law route remain material.
Provision | Published wording |
|---|---|
Tree | “A self-supporting, woody perennial plant, usually with one (1) vertical stem or main trunk, which naturally develops a distinct, elevated crown and provides, at maturity, natural characteristics of the species.” (9.2, TREE) |
Permit rule | “It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or effectively remove any tree as defined herein and which is located within the City limits without first obtaining a tree removal permit from the building department.” (6.2.1(E)(1)) |
Size exemption | “Trees less than four (4) inches diameter at breast height.” (6.2.1(D)(2)) |
Regulated tree | “Any living tree which is ten (10) inches or more in diameter or two (2) feet in circumference, whichever dimension is lesser, measured at a point four and one-half (4 ½) feet above ground level. This definition shall not include any species of pine tree, or nuisance trees regardless of size. Heritage trees and champion trees are regulated trees.” (9.2, TREE, REGULATED) |
First protected-tree entry | “Includes the plant species as set forth in Appendix "A" of Article 6 and which are a minimum diameter of four (4) inches at breast height.” (9.2, PROTECTED TREE) |
Second protected-tree entry | “Any tree growing within the tree protection area.” (9.2, TREE, PROTECTED) |
Effective removal | “For the purposes of Section 6.2.1, Tree Protection Standards, the actual removal and effective removal through killing, damaging, or destroying any regulated, heritage, or champion tree.” (9.2, REMOVE) |
A tree protection area is the portion of a development site under a tree canopy area to be retained during development. (9.2, TREE PROTECTION AREA) Heritage trees are at least 30 inches in diameter or seven feet ten inches in circumference, whichever is lesser, measured 4.5 feet above ground. (9.2, TREE, HERITAGE)
Champion means a tree identified by the Florida Division of Forestry as the largest of its species in Florida or by the American Forestry Association as the largest of its species in the United States. (9.2, TREE, CHAMPION)
The editor’s note says Ordinance 2026-01 repealed the former plant-list Appendix A and renumbered the access-management appendix as Appendix A; the protected-tree definition still points to the former list. (Article 6, Appendix A, editor’s note)
TREE is defined, without a numeric size threshold or express palm exclusion in that entry. (9.2, TREE) The living-tree language belongs to TREE, REGULATED and does not settle dead trees under the broader permit sentence, hazard provisions and no-replacement provision.
How do you measure a tree under this code?
DBH means the diameter of a tree trunk measured 4.5 feet above the natural ground line. (9.2, DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT)
For arithmetic only, circumference divided by 3.14 approximates diameter: 24 inches is about 7.64 inches DBH; 94 inches, about 29.94 inches DBH; four-inch DBH, about 12.56 inches circumference. This does not select the controlling threshold.
Can a tree over 40 inches be removed?
The permit paragraph ends: “Trees in excess of 40' inches DBH may not be removed.” (6.2.1(E)(1)) The development standard separately permits trees over 12 inches but below 40 inches DBH only where a configuration or alignment preserving them would create unnecessary hardship for the developer. (6.2.1(F)(1))
No champion or heritage removal permit may issue unless the conditions in Section 2.4.14(E) are met. (2.4.14(D)(1)) The over-40 sentence supplies no express hazardous-tree or dead-tree exception and leaves exactly 40 inches outside its “in excess” wording; do not turn that silence into approval. The local hazard route and state-law limits are addressed in their own sections.
What exemptions and hazard routes change the answer?
For the local immediate-hazard exemption, the City Manager must determine that the tree endangers persons or property and requires immediate removal; verbal authorization may come from that manager or, in the manager’s absence, the Community Development Director. (6.2.1(D)(5)) During a natural-disaster emergency, the City Manager may waive the section for a definite period for damaged trees in affected areas. (6.2.1(D)(4))
Other exemptions in Section 6.2.1(D) are:
Transplant of trees is listed as exempt. (6.2.1(D)(1))
Utilities and other governmental agencies acting in the public interest are exempt, but must follow ANSI standards. (6.2.1(D)(3))
Agricultural land must be recognized by the city, with bona fide uses and practices recognized by the Pasco County Property Appraiser. (6.2.1(D)(6))
The nursery exemption concerns trees grown specifically for sale in the ordinary nursery business. (6.2.1(D)(7))
City-owned land, including right-of-way, is listed as exempt from this section. (6.2.1(D)(8))
Removal without replacement is a different question
For individual lots or residential properties, trees City staff determines are diseased, dead, severely damaged or hazardous, or trees within eight feet of a structure or improvement to be constructed, may be removed without replacement under this paragraph. (6.2.1(F)(3)(a)) The next sentence is: “Tree removal may not be done on any property other than that developed with a single-family home, for which no site plan or preliminary plan has been approved.” (6.2.1(F)(3)(b))
That sentence restricts other-property removal without approved plans. The no-replacement allowance is not permission to clear an undeveloped or commercial parcel.
City-ordered dead or diseased tree removal
The city may require removal of dead or diseased trees or branches on private land when they endanger public property or harbor insects or disease threatening other city trees; the owner bears the expense within 30 days after written notice, with noncompliance prosecuted under Chapter 162. (102-43(a))
If the owner fails to comply or an imminent public-property hazard exists, the commission may waive the notice period, remove the hazard by resolution and assess removal, cleanup, recording and legal costs, interest and reasonable attorney’s fees as a lien with the priority described in the section. (102-43(b))
Does pruning a private tree need a permit?
No separate private-tree pruning permit or operative topping prohibition was located in the two-product code search, but “remove” includes effective removal through killing, damaging or destroying regulated, heritage or champion trees; pruning that amounts to that conduct is not outside the removal rule. This finding is not permission to damage a tree or alter required landscaping, public trees or protected wetland vegetation. (Remove definition)
The code defines topping as severe cutting to stubs larger than three inches in the crown to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree, but the search located no operative rule attached to that definition. (9.2, TOPPING, TOPPED OR TOP)
Which palms, pines and nuisance species are exempt?
The published Municode text does not support a dependable species-by-species palm permit answer: no palm-specific removal exemption was found, and the referenced plant-list appendix was repealed. Do not assume only cabbage palms count or all other palms are exempt; obtain the Building Official’s determination. (9.2, Appendix A editor’s note)
For shade/canopy classification, SHADE-CANOPY TREE expressly excludes palms; that is not a removal-permit exemption. (9.2, SHADE-CANOPY TREE) TREE, CANOPY separately describes a self-supporting woody species normally reaching 30 feet at maturity; ask the city how it applies the two entries to required tree plantings. (9.2, TREE, CANOPY)
The regulated-tree definition excludes any pine species and nuisance trees regardless of size, but the broader permit sentence and protected-tree definition remain unresolved. (9.2, TREE, REGULATED) The code search did not locate a nuisance-tree species list in the current two-product export, and no reduced-fee species permit was located.
The old city Article 6 PDF lists cabbage, Chinese fan, date, European fan and pindo palms under its protected heading, not just cabbage palms. (City-posted Article 6, Appendix A) It lists longleaf and South Florida slash pines as protected. (City-posted Article 6, Appendix A) It separately lists Australian pine among exempt trees. (City-posted Article 6, Appendix A)
The old PDF does not restore the repealed list. Obtain the city’s determination before relying on a species exemption.
When does Florida Statute 163.045 limit local tree requirements?
For a qualifying residential property whose owner possesses the required documentation of unacceptable risk, the statute says: “A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on a residential property if the property owner possesses documentation from an arborist certified by the ISA or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property.” (163.045(2))
Residential property means a single-family detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes that is a conforming use or legally recognized nonconforming use under local LDRs; HOA common land, multifamily, business or institutional status alone does not qualify. (163.045(1)(b)) Documentation is an onsite assessment performed and signed by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect in accordance with the named Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). (163.045(1)(a))
A tree poses unacceptable risk under this statute only if removal is the only means of practically mitigating risk below moderate under that named standard; tree health alone is not the test. (163.045(2), risk test) The statute also says a local government may not require replanting of a tree pruned, trimmed or removed in accordance with this section. (163.045(3)) This section does not apply to delegated mangrove-protection authority under Sections 403.9321 through 403.9333. (163.045(4))
Neither code product mentions Section 163.045 in the recorded search. Its prohibition is a separate state-law limit on local requirements for a qualifying case, not a city-issued discretionary exception to the 40-inch sentence; this guide does not determine whether a particular tree or property qualifies.
What penalties and enforcement remedies are published?
The replacement paragraph warns that failure to comply may subject the applicant to civil or criminal penalties, or both. (6.2.1(G)(1)) Continuing violations of earlier LDRs remain violations subject to Ordinance 2010-27 or another city code-enforcement ordinance. (1.8.2)
The current codified enforcement provision sets ceilings of $250 per day for a first violation and $500 per day for a repeat violation, plus repair costs if any; an irreparable or irreversible violation may draw up to $5,000 per violation, with history “(Ord. No. 2018-09, § 2, 6-12-2018)”. (2-240(a)) The board or special magistrate considers the officer’s recommendation, gravity, corrective actions and previous violations when fixing the amount. (2-240(b))
Where no specific penalty is provided, the general codified penalty is up to $500, up to 90 days’ imprisonment, or both at the court’s discretion, with each continuing day a separate offense; its history is “Code 1956, § 1-8”, and no later instrument or date was found in the October 28, 2026 review of the Code history and city records. (1-7)
After noncompliance with an enforcement order, an administrative fine-and-lien order may be recorded against the violator’s real or personal property, and the fine continues accruing until compliance and payment or foreclosure judgment. (2-241(a))
After 90 days unpaid, the code provides an approval and hearing route toward foreclosure, but excludes foreclosure of a lien under this subsection on constitutional homestead property. (2-241(b))
The citation provision routes prosecution through Section 162.21 and Administrative Order 2012-028 PA-CTY, as amended, and allows the commission to establish county-court fines. (2-250(d))
The LDR’s unchanged effective-date sentence reads: “The effective date of the LDRs is August 12, 2014.” (1.8.1) That is not a statement that every retained fee or later amendment began on that date.
What replacement and fee-in-lieu rules apply?
Subject to the no-replacement exceptions and qualifying state-law route, removals beyond the allowed amount require relocation or inch-for-inch replacement, using shade/canopy trees under the Florida-Friendly Landscaping guide; replacement trees must be at least eight feet high and two inches DBH with a canopy consistent with Florida nursery grades and standards. (6.2.1(G)(1))
The applicant must “guarantee” replacement-tree survival, and the building department performs an onsite follow-up inspection six months after planting. (6.2.1(G)(1), survival) At the city’s option, approved planting on city property or a payment may substitute for replacement or relocation on the subject property; the fund supports replacement, trained-arborist or horticulturist use, education, enforcement or advancement of the section. (6.2.1(G)(2))
Removed-tree DBH | Individual single-family lot: per inch | All other development: per inch |
|---|---|---|
4 to less than 10 inches | $25 | $50 |
10 to less than 20 inches | $50 | $100 |
20 to less than 30 inches | $75 | $125 |
30 inches and greater | $100 | $150 |
Both rate tables are in 6.2.1(G)(2). Their original effective date was not established from the posted instruments reviewed October 28, 2026; confirm current charges, not a new rate date inferred from the 2026 history.
The Building Official may waive replacement where the tree or cluster is in the driveway portion within eight feet measured perpendicular to the garage or carport entrance. (6.2.1(G)(3))
How do commercial, multifamily, HOA and institutional projects differ?
Established business and single-family applicants submit a sketch showing structures, drives, walks, existing and proposed-removal trees; species and sizes to remove, retain or replant; and removal reasons. (6.2.1(E)(2)(a))
Do not treat HOA common land, multifamily or institutional property as an individual single-family lot for mitigation or Section 163.045. Obtain the city’s parcel and project classification.
Screen subdivision, multifamily, nonresidential and parking landscaping triggers under Section 6.2.2(B). (6.2.2(B)) For one year after occupancy, the landowner or tenant is jointly and severally responsible for compliant landscaping, including replacing approved-plan plants that die, suffer serious damage or are removed. (6.2.3(J))
If removal changes an approved Site and Construction Plan, its amendment, extension or modification follows the original approval procedures and standards. (2.4.8(H))
An LDR application may be filed by the landowner, a person with a recognized land interest or their authorized agent. (2.2.1(A)) A nonowner or contract purchaser must supply the owner’s signed consent affidavit; a tenant must also supply the lease or rental agreement. (2.2.1(B)) An applicant who is not sole owner must supply an affidavit from the other owners or their representative entity consenting to or joining the application. (2.2.1(C))
An authorized agent requires express written landowner consent. (9.2, AUTHORIZED AGENT)
What must a development or construction application include?
If you are developing vacant land or expanding existing nonresidential improvements on a previously platted or subdivided site, submit the tree-removal application concurrently with the preliminary site plan. (6.2.1(E)(2)(b))
The same subsection requires locations, species and sizes of trees to remove or replant and retain; planned roads, paved areas, structures, utility easements and lines; grade changes that may endanger retained trees; and reasons for removal. If you are planning demolition, an addition, a pool or clearing, obtain the city’s project classification before assuming the existing-home sketch is enough.
For development or a change of use requiring landscaping, file the landscape plan with the first site/construction, subdivision, planned-development or building-permit application. (6.2.2(C))
Identify the location, common name and size of existing regulated trees; on developments greater than ten acres, an aerial photograph or equivalent-quality print may substitute if it provides essentially the same information as the survey. (6.2.2(D))
Identify the location, common name and estimated size of trees retained in a protection zone or for preservation credit. (6.2.2(E)) Show the location and description of barriers protecting existing vegetation during and after construction. (6.2.2(I))
Subdivision final plats require a Florida-registered surveyor; preliminary plats and improvement plans require a Florida-registered engineer; subdividers certify those engagements by letter. (2.4.7(E))
Unless exempt under 2.4.8(C), site/construction plan approval precedes a building permit. (2.4.8(B))
How much can a development remove, and how are retained trees protected?
In development, building or land clearing, the percentage table applies with an exception for trees over 12 inches DBH; removals above the percentages require inch-for-inch replacement or a contribution to the city tree bank. (6.2.1(F)(2))
Average trees per acre of development | Percentage allowed to be removed under Section 6.2.1(F)(2) |
|---|---|
Above 40 | 60% |
20 to 40 | 40% |
10 to 19 | 20% |
Under 10 | None unless the trunk at breast height is within eight feet of a proposed structure or improvement such as a road or utility line, or the developer agrees to replace removed trees under the code. |
During development, construction or property improvement, placing solvents, material, machinery or temporary soil deposits within the drip line of a tree four inches DBH or larger is unlawful. (6.2.1(I)) The same paragraph requires visible physical barriers around retained trees until Building Official authorization for removal or final certificate of occupancy, and adopts the Florida Division of Forestry’s Tree Protection Manual for Builders and Developers. (6.2.1(I))
Road rights-of-way and utility easements may instead be ribboned along the outside perimeter using stakes a minimum 50 feet apart and ribbon, plastic tape or rope. (6.2.1(I)(1)) Large areas separate from construction or clearing, into which no equipment will venture, may also be ribboned as described in the preceding paragraph. (6.2.1(I)(2))
The protective barrier extends continuously around retained trees to the drip line unless the Building Official or designee instructs otherwise. (9.2, PROTECTIVE BARRIER)
FDACS says the manual was published in October 1985, went out of print years ago and would contain too much obsolete information to reproduce. (FDACS, incorporated manual) The incorporated manual’s additional instructions were not verified; ask the city which protection details it applies.
Unauthorized tree or vegetation removal requires the landowner to file the Section 6.2 tree-removal application and permit. (6.12.2(A)) On authorized-construction sites in violation or sites with unauthorized grading, stop-work orders apply; further permits and inspections, including the related certificate of occupancy, are withheld until correction or city acceptance of a tree-removal application and permit. (6.12.2(C))
Except as otherwise permitted by the section and agencies with jurisdiction, development, grading, clearing, grubbing and tree removal may not occur in wetlands or required upland and wetland buffers; applicable wetland-impact permits must reach the city before a construction permit issues. (6.7.6(E))
Clearing, fill and grading are not just tree permits
Grading is permitted only as part of site development and construction with approved construction plans, with site development commencing immediately after grading. (6.12.3) Approved final development plans followed by a development permit authorize the grading shown without a separate permit; tree-preservation measures and a preconstruction meeting addressing their implementation and inspection still apply. (6.12.6)
Use Section 6.12.7(A) for grading-permit exemptions and their limits, not as blanket tree-removal exemptions. (6.12.7(A))
Sections 6.12.5(A)(3), (5), (6) and (7) address environmental harm, significant trees, grade changes and retained tree cover. (6.12.5(A)(3)/(5)/(6)/(7))
Grading plans and specifications must be signed and sealed by a professional engineer registered in Florida. (6.12.4(A)(6)) They must show existing trees six inches or larger at 4.5 feet above existing grade, other vegetation by canopy and dimensions, and clearly identify removals. (6.12.4(A)(13)) Before grading work, the applicant must provide the code’s “reclamation bond” at 110 percent of a design-engineer-certified reclamation estimate approved by the city engineer; its effective date was not found in the October 28, 2026 review of the LDR and posted city instruments. (6.12.4(C))
For a trades contractor covered by the construction-contractor division, proof of liability and workers compensation insurance or exemption is filed with Building and renewed annually before registration renewal; confirm the contractor’s applicable classification. (22-96)
No tree-specific root-pruning method or numeric tree-contractor insurance limit was found in the two-product search; that does not remove the general construction-contractor requirements or the city’s published registration checklist.
What tree landscaping, buffer and preservation credits remain relevant?
Use under Section 6.2.3(A) | Canopy trees per acre | Ornamental or understory trees per acre |
|---|---|---|
Multifamily and townhouses | 4 front; 2 each side and rear | 8; 50% front and 25% each side |
Public and institutional | 4 front; 3 each side and rear; 4 per 100 linear feet of front facade | 8; 50% front and 25% each side |
Mixed-use and business | 3 front; 2 each side and rear; 4 per 100 linear feet of front facade | 6; 50% front and 25% each side |
The canopy figures apply per acre at the front, sides and rear of each structure, with facade additions as shown. (6.2.3(A))
An existing native canopy tree in very good to excellent health can fulfill the public or institutional site requirement if within 25 feet of the building. (6.2.3(A)(2)(a)) The same 25-foot condition applies to the mixed-use and business native-canopy credit. (6.2.3(A)(3)(a))
Parking, buffer or credit rule | Tree requirement |
|---|---|
Section 6.2.3(B)(1) | One canopy or ornamental/understory tree per 2,000 square feet or portion of total parking-lot area; no parking space over 90 feet from an interior parking tree’s trunk. General guide: one island per approximately ten spaces. Not applicable to parking structures or vehicle-display areas. (6.2.3) |
Section 6.2.3(B)(2) | Minimum five-foot exterior buffer; seven-foot average encouraged. Four canopy and two ornamental/understory trees per 100 linear feet; partial fence/wall substitution is unavailable to Large Retail Establishments and must retain the minimum canopy requirement. (6.2.3) |
Section 6.2.3(K)(3), arterial frontage | Five canopy and three understory/ornamental trees per 100 linear feet, with continuous shrub screening; alternative six-foot solid-wood fence screening retains the minimum canopy-tree count. (6.2.3) |
Perimeter buffer tables
Table 6.2-1 provides four buffer types with three alternative configurations. (6.2.3(B)(3)(i), Table 6.2-1) Table 6.2-2 cross-references proposed and adjacent uses to specify buffer type and width. (6.2.3(B)(3)(ii), Table 6.2-2)
Perimeter buffers apply at project boundaries, not internal lot lines; OUA, CBD and PD developments are excepted when a mix of uses is part of the overall development under this section. (6.2.3(B)(3)(a) through (c)) Residential/nonresidential buffering must not impede pedestrian, bicycle or vehicle movement between adjacent developments. (6.2.3(B)(3)(b))
Table 6.2-1 type | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
A: basic | 1 canopy per 60 feet and 1 understory/ornamental per 60 feet | Option 1 plus hedge | One four-foot berm or fence |
B: aesthetic | 1 canopy per 50 feet and 1 understory/ornamental per 40 feet | 1 canopy per 40 feet plus hedge | Four-foot berm or fence plus 1 canopy per 40 feet |
C: semi-opaque | 1 canopy per 30 feet plus evergreen hedge | 1 canopy per 30 feet plus 1 shrub per 8 feet | Fence or wall plus 1 canopy per 30 feet |
D: opaque | 2 canopy per 40 feet plus evergreen hedge | 2 canopy per 40 feet plus shrub hedge per 5 feet | Fence or wall plus 1 canopy per 20 feet |
Table 6.2-2 uses the same numbered use groups for proposed-use rows and adjacent-use columns: 1 detached single-family/manufactured/mobile homes; 2 attached single-family/two-to-four-family/townhouses; 3 multifamily/group living; 4 parks/open areas; 5 community services/day care/education/institutions; 6 animal services/government/health/public safety/transportation/utilities; 7 eating except drive-through, conference/training, offices, retail up to 50,000 gross square feet, indoor recreation, sexually oriented businesses and visitor accommodation; 8 drive-through eating, larger retail and outdoor recreation; 9 parking/self-storage/vehicle sales and services; 10 industrial/manufacturing/warehouse/freight/waste/wholesale. Letter is buffer type, number is width in feet, and N means none. (Table 6.2-2 use groups)
Proposed use | Adjacent 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | N | N | N | B 7.5 | N | N | N | N | N | N |
2 | C 10 | A 10 | B 10 | C 7.5 | B 7.5 | A 5 | N | N | N | N |
3 | D 10 | B 10 | A 10 | D 7.5 | C 7.5 | A 7.5 | N | N | N | N |
4 | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
5 | C 15 | B 15 | A 15 | C 10 | A 7.5 | B 7.5 | B 7.5 | A 7.5 | A 5 | A 5 |
6 | D 15 | C 15 | B 15 | D 10 | B 7.5 | A 7.5 | B 7.5 | A 7.5 | A 5 | A 5 |
7 | D 15 (1) | C 15 (1) | B 15 (1) | D 15 | C 10 | C 10 | A 7.5 | B 7.5 | B 7.5 | B 5 |
8 | D 15 (1) | D 15 (1) | C 15 (1) | D 15 | D 10 | D 10 | C 7.5 | A 7.5 | C 7.5 | B 5 |
9 | D 15 | D 15 | C 15 | D 15 | D 10 | D 10 | C 7.5 | C 7.5 | A 7.5 | B 5 |
10 | D 20 | D 20 | D 20 | D 15 | C 10 | C 10 | B 7.5 | B 7.5 | B 7.5 | A 5 |
Table 6.2-2 footnote (1): a business property containing a freestanding restaurant abutting a residential district requires a minimum 25-foot buffer. (Table 6.2-2)
Beside vacant land, a developing parcel may provide half the required buffer based on that land’s highest use under current zoning; beside an existing use it supplies the full buffer unless a compliant buffer exists, or adds material to bring an existing deficient buffer into compliance. (6.2.3(B)(3)(iii)) Within perimeter buffers, development or impervious features requiring vegetation removal are restricted, grading or disturbance needs Community Development Director approval, and permitted trails must minimize vegetation damage; utilities and stormwater facilities are allowed. (6.2.3(B)(3)(v))
Preservation and alternative-plan credits
Development requiring landscaping or perimeter buffers must maintain and preserve existing and native vegetation to the maximum extent practicable. (6.2.3(E)(2)(a))
Retained canopy or ornamental/understory trees in very good to excellent health, protected before and during development and maintained healthy afterward, may satisfy landscape requirements under the preservation-credit table. (6.2.3(C))
Table 6.2-3 retained-tree DBH at 4.5 feet | Trees credited |
|---|---|
3 to 6 inches | 1 |
6 to 12 inches | 2 |
12 to 18 inches | 3 |
18 to 24 inches | 4 |
24 to 30 inches | 5 |
30 to 36 inches | 6 |
36 to 42 inches | 7 |
42 to 48 inches | 8 |
48 inches or more | 9 |
These credit bands share endpoints; ask the city at an exact boundary. Credits are not removal permission. (Table 6.2-3)
Pedestrian-amenity landscape credits are addressed in Section 6.2.3(D). (6.2.3(D))
Plant selection, canopy/understory planting sizes and species diversity are addressed in Sections 6.2.3(G)(1), (3), (4) and (6). (6.2.3(G)(1)/(3)/(4)/(6))
An Alternative Landscape Plan approved by the Community Development Director may vary tree count, spacing or species diversity for the stated site conditions, including up to a 25 percent tree-count reduction if total planted caliper meets or exceeds the otherwise required caliper. (6.2.3(H)(2))
Where an existing site’s configuration or topography makes placement impractical, the Community Development Director may approve up to 50 percent of required landscaping on adjacent public land through the alternative-plan route. (6.2.3(A)(4))
Landscaping must be completed under the approved project plan before occupancy unless the Community Development Director grants an extreme-weather exception with an irrevocable letter of credit and a set later completion date; the text cites site plan Section 2.4.9 and subdivision Section 2.4.10. (6.2.3(I)(a))
City-approved occupancy exceptions and extensions are addressed in Section 6.2.3(I)(b). (6.2.3(I)(b))
During periodic city inspections in the first year after occupancy, dead or dying plant material must be replaced at the landowner’s expense with matching genus, species and size. (6.2.3(J)(3))
The printed cross-references are defective
The preservation paragraph misdirects site, parking and buffer cross-references to 6.2.2(D)(1) through (3), although 6.2.2(D) identifies existing trees; the standards are in 6.2.3(A), (B) and (B)(3). (6.2.2(D), 6.2.3(C)/(A)/(B)/(B)(3)) The occupancy paragraph points site plans and subdivisions to 2.4.9 and 2.4.10, which govern sign and temporary-use permits, rather than 2.4.8 and 2.4.7. (2.4.9, 2.4.10, 2.4.8, 2.4.7)
How do you apply, what does it cost, and who decides?
A tree-removal permit fee is due at application, but no current tree-specific amount was found in the posted Building and Planning fee schedules checked October 28, 2026; confirm commercial/development charges with Building. The fee is separate from mitigation and subject to the qualifying state-law prohibition. (Permit fee rule, Building fee schedule, Planning fee schedule)
Confirm city jurisdiction and project type with Building.
Request the current tree form and determination of the code conflicts.
Submit required plans, removal reasons and retained-tree information.
Confirm fees/replacement conditions and obtain the city’s decision before work.
Use the city-linked Building permit portal or request the appropriate tree form from Building; the portal link alone does not identify a dedicated tree-removal application. (City application materials) The Planning page also links to a Planning and Zoning Application; confirm which route handles your tree application. (Planning application)
For general building permits, homeowners and contractors must upload a notarized application; an owner pulling the permit must also upload a notarized homeowner disclosure. (Building application) Building requires current contractor documents and proof before expiration; confirm whether this registration applies to your tree contractor. (Contractor registration)
For a contractor on that registration route, the posted checklist calls for workers compensation and liability reflecting Dade City, a Florida state license, the home-city business tax receipt and an authorization letter when the license holder is not attending; use those records to screen the applicable permit bid. (Contractor Registration Form) The city’s contractor authorization letter names the people permitted to apply, sign or collect permits under the holder’s license number; it is not an HOA-specific owner authorization. (Contractor Authorization Form)
Within seven days of filing, except for site-plan and major preliminary-plat applications, the Building Official shall attempt to verify the information and shall either approve or deny each regulated tree’s removal or relocation. (2.4.14(D)(3)) The definition instead names a permit reviewed and approved, approved with conditions or denied by the Development Review Committee under Section 2.4.14. (9.2, TREE REMOVAL PERMIT)
In review, the Building Official considers drainage, topography, natural resources, ecology, public safety and welfare, aesthetics and reasonable site development use. (2.4.14(D)(2))
The city may approve for an immediate safety hazard to people, domestic animals, buildings or other construction, or motor, bicycle or pedestrian traffic. (2.4.14(E)(1)) Another approval ground is an unusual harmful insect or fungal infestation reasonably expected to spread to other trees. (2.4.14(E)(2))
A location preventing reasonable use or development qualifies only if no other reasonable or economical alternatives are possible. (2.4.14(E)(3)) Progressive damage from normal branch or root growth is another ground only when no reasonable correction or prevention is available other than removal. (2.4.14(E)(4))
Office contacts
The Building Department publishes [email protected]. (Building email) Its published main number is 352-523-5050. (Building phone) City Hall is at 38020 Meridian Ave, Dade City, FL 33525. (City Hall)
The department’s published office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Saturday and Sunday closed. (Building hours) Drop-offs are accepted until 5:00 PM, but payments are not processed after 4:00 PM. (Payment cutoff)
How do appeals and variances work?
Tree-permit appeals go to the City Commission under 2.4.18. (2.4.14(F)) Aggrieved or affected people have 30 days from a City Manager, Building Official or city-agent decision to file a Notice of Appeal with the Community Development Director. (2.4.18(A)) Commission hearing is due within 45 days after receipt of a duly filed notice and all its processes. (2.4.18(D)) The appeal is a de novo quasi-judicial public hearing under Section 2.3.1. (2.4.18(E))
Seek tree variances through 2.4.5, identifying the adjustment and reasons, paying the applicable fee and demonstrating the tree paragraph’s hardship; replacement costs or fees are not variance grounds. (6.2.1(H), 2.4.5(C)(2)(c)(ii))
What about right-of-way and public trees?
Planting a tree or shrub in an unpaved public right-of-way, parkway or other public place requires written permission from the Public Works Director and compliance with city placement directions. (6.2.1(J)(1)) Injuring or destroying a tree or shrub in a public right-of-way, parkway or other public place is unlawful. (6.2.1(J)(2))
Right-of-way or easement improvements may also need a Public Works permit under Section 78-151, subject to that section’s driveway, qualifying franchise and specified utility-work exceptions. (78-151(a))
How should you distinguish the city, county and conflicting publications?
The Pasco County Property Appraiser places parcel jurisdiction below Legal Description; confirm permitting jurisdiction with that office. (Pasco County Property Appraiser) Our San Antonio guide and Pinellas city-or-county comparison are related reading only.
What was not located in the published code or current records?
Search findings do not waive owner-affidavit, construction-contractor or environmental requirements.
The October 28, 2026 review did not recover a dedicated current tree application, tree-permit dollar amount, Ordinance 2010-27 or tree-specific citation schedule from the city’s application pages, fee schedules, Clerk page or commission records. The November 10 City Commission meeting showed “Final version not published” in the October 28 meeting-index check.
Sources and scope
The LDR snapshot runs through Ordinance 2026-01, February 24, 2026; the Code snapshot through Ordinance 2025-23, January 13, 2026. State-law statements use 163.045.
The February 24 commission minutes record adoption of Ordinance 2026-01 with all five listed commissioners voting for and none against. (February 24, 2026 adoption minutes)
Checked October 28, 2026: post-January 13 commission agendas and available minutes through October 27 disclosed no adopted Code amendment to Chapter 102, Chapter 2 Article V, 1-7, 22-96 or 78-151. (Commission records) Ask the City Clerk about enacted text and subsequent action.
Where does this leave your tree or project?
A tree may be a candidate for removal or pruning; ask the city to determine local applicability and project approval. This guide cannot decide hazard status or state-law eligibility.
This guide is provided as a regional resource, not an offer to perform work or an assessment in Dade City. For projects within our service area, Ken's Tree Service can be reached at 727-934-5804; for questions about the code explained in this guide, speak with our website agent, the chat on this page.