Hillsborough County 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.
Section 4.01.03.A calls the authorization a Natural Resources Permit: land alteration in unincorporated Hillsborough County requires it unless specifically exempted. (Section 4.01.03)
The county accepts tree removal applications through HillsGovHub; first confirm jurisdiction, identify the applicable property and tree rules, and then use its application checklist. (Tree removal application)
Our Pinellas city-or-county tree permit guide is related reading, not Hillsborough authority.
Does a Tampa mailing address mean Tampa tree rules apply?
No. A Tampa mailing address does not decide which rules apply: Hillsborough County’s Residential Tree Removal Guide covers unincorporated property only, not property within Tampa, Temple Terrace or Plant City. (Residential Tree Removal Guide)
A mailing city is not the jurisdiction test: use the county Map Viewer to identify the parcel and the government regulations that apply. (County parcel lookup)
Search by address or folio in the viewer, then review the parcel information rather than relying on the postal city name. (Map Viewer instructions)
If the boundary or parcel result is unclear, take that question to Natural Resources using the office details in this guide. Near the northern county line, our unincorporated Pasco County guide is related reading only.
Why is removal not simply a fee-and-permit transaction?
Section 4.01.06.A.1 and A.2 establish a retention-first design rule for development: minimize removal of native vegetation and trees at least five inches DBH, while recognizing reasonable use and the specified access, improvement, vegetation-health, utility, solar and other-regulation exceptions. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.14.A.4 requires code compliance and a listed reason for approval, such as unhealthy or damaged vegetation, property damage with no other remedy, solar interference, prior-disturbance vegetation, feasible transplanting, proper improvements, access, essential grading, drainage or utilities, other county rules or public welfare. (Section 4.01.14)
Which trees are regulated, and what is the homeowner threshold?
Part 12.01.00 defines Tree as a self-supporting woody perennial with a main stem or trunks normally attaining at least 15 feet at maturity, includes all trees in environmentally sensitive areas regardless of size and palms meeting the size criteria, and adds a separate minimum-landscaping palm qualification. (Section 12.01.00)
Part 12.01.00 separately defines Shade Tree as producing an average mature canopy spread of at least 25 feet and overall mature height of at least 40 feet, also called a canopy tree; this is not the general Tree definition. (Section 12.01.00)
Part 12.01.00 defines Tree Removal as actual removal of a tree five inches DBH or greater, or effective removal through potentially fatal damage, including noncompliant pruning. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.03.C.9 applies to residentially zoned land used for single-family or two-family residences where the allowed principal structure was previously permitted and constructed; its three conditions are connected by “or,” not “and.” (Section 4.01.03)
Land alteration activities on residentially zoned land for single-family or two-family residential use where the principal structure allowed pursuant to the zoning regulations has been previously permitted and constructed, provided: a. The activities do not impede or divert the flow of surface water entering or leaving the lot or parcel in a manner that adversely impacts offsite property; or b. The activities do not adversely impact an environmentally sensitive area; or c. The activities do not involve the removal of any tree having a DBH of 12 inches or greater or adversely impact the health of such trees. Section 4.01.03
Read literally, any one condition could satisfy that sentence. It does not establish a universal 12-inch line; do not treat its ambiguity as removal permission.
The county FAQ’s 12-inch DBH developed-residential permit line is the yard-tree line for qualifying residence types, subject to exemptions and the state-law route; street, right-of-way, wetland-setback and conservation-area trees differ in its Residential Tree Removal Guide chart, and trees near the listed rivers also require the Section 4.01.06.A.6 check in the development section. (County developed-lot guidance; Section 4.01.06.A.6)
The county’s Residential Tree Removal Guide gives these property-and-location rows; its species exemptions and stricter grand-oak rules remain separate. (County location-and-property chart, page 3)
Residence type | Street or right-of-way tree | Yard, lot or property tree² | Wetland setback | Conservation area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Single-family home, not in a subdivision | 5 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Single-family home in a subdivision or PD | Any size¹ | 12 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Mobile home on owned land | 5 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Mobile home on a rented park lot | Any size¹ | 5 inches DBH and larger | Any size | Contact EPC |
Condominium common areas | Any size¹ | 5 inches DBH and larger | Any size | Contact EPC |
Townhomes on owned land | Any size¹ | 12 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Townhome common areas | Any size¹ | 5 inches DBH and larger | Any size | Contact EPC |
Duplex, garden home or patio home | Any size¹ | 12 inches DBH and larger | 12 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Vacant residential lot, not in a subdivision | Right-of-way: 12 inches DBH or larger | 5 inches DBH and larger | 5 inches DBH and larger | Contact EPC |
Chart note 1 requires replacement of required street trees from the approved street-tree list and two palms per removed tree when palms are used for replacement; this note is not the meaning of every “Any size” entry. (Residential chart note 1)
Chart note 2: “When trees are located within 100 feet of the Hillsborough River, Palm River, Little Manatee River or Alafia River, removal may be prohibited per Hillsborough County Land Development Code 04.01.06.” (Residential chart note 2)
Even if a tree does not need a removal permit, planting may still be necessary to meet the lot’s minimum number of lot or shade trees; qualifying work under Florida Statute 163.045 has its separate replanting protection. (Continuing lot-tree requirement; Florida Statute 163.045(3))
How do you measure DBH?
Measure circumference approximately 4.5 feet above ground and divide by 3.14 to estimate DBH; 12 inches DBH corresponds to approximately 37.68 inches around, and five inches DBH to approximately 15.70 inches around. (County DBH measurement method)
Part 12.01.00 measures DBH at 4.5 feet above grade and sums the individual stem diameters for a multi-stem tree at that height. (Section 12.01.00)
These are screening conversions, not exemption decisions. Give uncertain measurements and photographs to Natural Resources rather than rounding to an exemption.
Which exceptions change the permit answer?
Section 4.01.03.C.1 exempts removal of dead or naturally fallen vegetation from this permit, except within an environmentally sensitive area. (Section 4.01.03)
Section 4.01.03.C.3 makes the public-health, safety or welfare exception dependent on consultation and the Administrator’s determination that the code provides no other remedy. (Section 4.01.03)
Section 4.01.03.C.16 allows the Administrator to suspend the regulations for up to 30 days during or after a listed disaster only after finding a waiver necessary and defining the affected area. (Section 4.01.03)
Section 4.01.03.C also has specific survey, plant-farm, transplanting, utility, limited installation or fill, agricultural, mining, excavation, waste, public-works and aviation exceptions; their own conditions control, not the fact that work is small or urgent. (Section 4.01.03)
Does pruning need a permit?
Part 12.01.00 does not treat compliant ANSI A 300 pruning as Tree Removal, and no general permit requirement for ordinary compliant pruning or trimming was found in the supplied four-product code; effective removal or noncompliant pruning remains regulated, Section 4.01.06.A.14 separately controls grand-oak work, approved-plan conditions still apply, right-of-way authorization is separate, and mangrove trimming goes to EPC. (Tree Removal definition; pruning and grand-oak rules; approved-plot-plan conditions; separate right-of-way authorization; EPC mangrove applications)
The county’s Residential Tree Removal Guide also answers its ordinary-pruning question “No,” while warning that excessive pruning can bring enforcement. (County pruning guidance)
Section 4.01.06.A.13 uses ANSI A 300 for all tree pruning and warns that noncompliance may be prosecuted as effective removal unless a land alteration permit authorizing removal has been obtained. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.B.5 independently requires protected-tree trimming to follow ANSI A 300. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.A.14 prohibits grand-oak pruning other than minor pruning unless ANSI A 300 work is performed by an ISA-certified arborist or ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist, and requires a notarized advance affidavit that one will conduct or onsite supervise the pruning. (Section 4.01.06)
Part 12.01.00 defines Minor Pruning as ANSI A 300 pruning of branches no greater than three inches diameter at their connection to a supporting branch. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.06.A.14 makes the contracted ISA-certified or ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist responsible for grand-oak pruning that fails its specified standards. (Section 4.01.06)
The county’s Grand Oak Pruning Affidavit records the arborist’s certification or registration number, property owner and pruning address, and is signed and notarized. (County pruning affidavit)
For a grand-oak bid, identify the required professional and advance affidavit. A promise to “trim lightly” does not answer those requirements.
Which species are exempt, and what about palms?
Section 4.01.03.C.4 exempts removal of Exempted Trees as defined in the code from this permit requirement; it is a permit exception, not merely a fee waiver. (Section 4.01.03)
Part 12.01.00 lists these Exempted Trees, with the scientific names and spellings shown in the code. (Section 12.01.00)
Scientific name | Common name |
|---|---|
Acacia auriculiformis | Earleaf Acacia |
Albizia lebbek | Woman's Tongue |
Auracaria araucana | Monkey Puzzle |
Bauhinia veriegata | Orchid Tree |
Broussonetia papyrifera | Paper Mulberry |
Casuarina spp. | Australian Pine |
Citrus spp. | Citrus Tree |
Dalbergia sissoo | Indian Rosewood |
Enterolobium contortisiliquum | Earpod Tree |
Eucalyptus spp. | Eucalyptus |
Eugenia uniflora | Surinam Cherry |
Grevillea robusta | Silk Oak |
Jacaranda acutifolia | Jacaranda |
Leucaena leucocephela | Lead Tree |
Melaleuca quinquenervia | Punk Tree |
Melia azedarach | Chinaberry |
Mimosa pigra | Catclaw Mimosa |
Prunus caroliniana | Cherry Laurel |
Sapium sebiferum | Chinese tallow |
Schinus terebinthifolius | Brazilian Pepper |
Syagrus romanzoffiana | Queen Palm |
Part 12.01.00 includes palms meeting the Tree size criteria, not only cabbage palms; queen palm is expressly on the exempt list, while other qualifying palms remain subject to the applicable removal trigger and exceptions, including the separate landscaping rules. (Section 12.01.00; Section 12.01.00)
Section 6.06.03.D.4 separately counts three palms as one landscaping tree except multi-stem palms and Phoenix species other than roebelenii, whose single specimens count as one; planting requires at least six feet of clear trunk. (Section 6.06.03)
What makes an oak a grand oak?
Part 12.01.00 requires every element of the Grand Oak test: genus Quercus, at least 34 inches DBH, good-or-better condition under DRPM 4.1.6.1.9, and at least 175 points under the Tree Point System. (Section 12.01.00)
Part 12.01.00 awards one point per inch of trunk circumference at 4.5 feet above grade, one per foot of overall height and one per four feet of crown spread, averaging the longest and shortest canopy diameters, with the specified nearest-inch and nearest-foot measurements. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.06.A.3 requires preservation of grand oaks unless the Administrator authorizes removal, with a specific road sight-distance, recovery and maintenance-area exception subject to the County Engineer’s preservation determination. (Section 4.01.06)
How does Florida Statute 163.045 change the answer?
Section 163.045(1)(b) applies only to a single-family detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes that is conforming or legally recognized nonconforming; it does not supply an exemption for a duplex, HOA common area, commercial or institutional site merely because a tree is risky. (Florida Legislature, subsection (1)(b))
Section 163.045(1)(a) requires a signed onsite assessment by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect using Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). (Florida Legislature, subsection (1)(a))
Section 163.045(2) states what a local government may not require when the owner possesses the qualifying documentation. (Florida Legislature, subsection (2))
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. Florida Statute 163.045(2)
Section 163.045(2) defines unacceptable risk by removal being the only practical means of mitigating risk below moderate under that named assessment standard, not simply poor tree health. (Statutory risk test)
Section 163.045(3) prohibits a local replanting requirement for work complying with the section. (Statutory replanting protection)
Section 163.045(4) excludes exercise of specifically delegated mangrove-protection authority. (Statutory mangrove limit)
The county guide asks for a copy of the documentation as an official record; that request should not be confused with the statute authorizing a mandatory local notice or application. (County documentation request)
Ken's Tree Service does not sign this documentation itself. Where a homeowner wants it, the signed report is something we arrange as part of the job.
What penalties and restoration can follow unauthorized removal?
Section 11.06.01.F separates Code Inspector notices, citations, orders and determinations from the remaining Part 11.06.00 procedures and remedies; those actions must follow Florida Chapter 162 and County Ordinance No. 05-5, as amended. (Section 11.06.01)
Section 11.06.01.B makes participating owners, occupants, contractors, agents and other responsible parties subject to enforcement, not only the person who filed the application. (Section 11.06.01)
Section 11.06.03 provides, upon conviction, a fine not exceeding $500, county-jail imprisonment not exceeding 60 days, or both; this is the codified criminal penalty, not a universal per-inch tree charge. (Section 11.06.03)
Section 11.06.05.B.6 allows ISA Shade Tree Formula monetary-value restoration for protected trees nine inches DBH and larger. (Section 11.06.05)
Section 11.06.05.B.7.b provides native-tree inch-for-inch restoration for trees five inches DBH and larger, with similar canopy potential and replacement if restoration trees die within two years. (Section 11.06.05)
Part 12.01.00 distinguishes a restoration tree from a replacement tree: restoration stock is nursery-grown and containerized, with equivalent growth potential, at least one-inch DBH, eight-foot height and Florida Grade No. 1 or better. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 11.06.05.B.1 through B.5 also authorize injunctions and damages, prosecution, permit revocation or changed conditions, and withholding construction approval, building permits, occupancy certificates or inspections. (Section 11.06.05)
Section 11.06.04.D authorizes a stop-work order where a code violation threatens life or public or private property; the stated work must stop, with oral notice sufficient in an emergency. (Section 11.06.04)
Section 14-27(e) permits recording an enforcement fine or fine-plus-repair-cost order as a lien after an unchallenged noncompliance finding or an upheld contest; the lien reaches the violation land and the violator’s other real or personal property. (Section 14-27)
The Residential Tree Removal Guide separately describes paying $65 per DBH inch, equivalent-inch replanting, or both as enforcement exposure, but it does not identify the adopting instrument or effective date for that figure. (Guidance figure, not the criminal maximum)
The brochure’s $65 figure is neither Section 11.06.03’s criminal maximum nor an established universal charge. Ask the county for the applicable calculation and authority.
What replacement is required?
Section 4.01.06.A.7 requires developers to replace 50 percent of total DBH for a removed tree at least 24 inches DBH or a qualifying clump, except irreparably unhealthy or damaged trees or undesirable or freeze-susceptible species as determined by the Administrator; authorized grand-oak removal uses its separate table. (Section 4.01.06)
Part 12.01.00 defines a clump as trees spaced five feet or less trunk to trunk with combined DBH at least 36 inches. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.06.A.7 sets these grand-oak replacement ratios in DBH inches; when the Administrator applies 4.01.14.A.4.b for property damage with no other remedy, replacement instead cannot exceed 20 percent of trunk DBH and may be less. (Section 4.01.06)
Grand oak DBH | Replacement DBH ratio |
|---|---|
34 inches to less than 48 inches | 1:1 |
48 inches to less than 60 inches | 1.5:1 |
60 inches and greater | 2:1 |
Part 12.01.00 requires replacement trees to provide equal-or-greater mature shade, at least one-inch DBH and six-foot height, and Florida Grade No. 1 or better unless the Administrator determines otherwise; grand-oak replacements require at least two-inch DBH. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.06.A.8 places replacements on the permitted property where possible, using site-suited species and encouraging natives. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.14.C.4 makes the current owner replace a required planted tree that dies within two years, inch for inch. (Section 4.01.14)
Section 4.01.15 creates the Restoration Fund as an onsite-restoration alternative and accepts contributions in lieu of or as part of tree replacement; it does not itself state a per-inch price. (Section 4.01.15)
The county’s replacement guide directs installation within 90 days of removal; confirm that timing and any payment or planting conditions on the issued permit. (County replacement timing)
What changes for commercial property, HOA common areas and development?
For common land, demolition, an addition, pool or redevelopment, check both land-alteration rules and continuing landscape approvals; do not borrow the existing-home exemption.
Part 12.01.00 defines Land Alteration to include vegetation removal or topographic change by grubbing, tree removal, clearing, grading, filling or excavation, except maintenance of existing grounds. (Section 12.01.00)
Part 12.01.00 defines grubbing as mechanical understory removal including trees below five inches DBH, outside the driplines of trees at least five inches DBH and outside environmentally sensitive areas; natural-community grubbing is limited to parcel access. (Section 12.01.00)
Section 4.01.03.C.8 has a limited pool, utility, septic, sprinkler and minor-fill exception whose text says activities must not involve tree removal “or” must not occur within an environmentally sensitive area; it also prohibits pools and septic facilities in the specified wetland or waterbody setbacks. (Section 4.01.03)
Section 4.01.14.A.6 and A.7 require protective barriers before Natural Resources Permit issuance and the required Natural Resources Permit before the building permit. (Section 4.01.14)
Section 4.01.14.A.1 requires EPC review and approval before permit issuance for a parcel containing a wetland or natural waterbody. (Section 4.01.14)
Submittals and the credentials actually specified
DRPM 4.1.6.1.1.C requires the applicable fee, application, Natural Resources Information Form, aerial, surveys and management material, scaled site plan and deed for subdivision, commercial, no-construction alteration and grubbing applications. (Section 4.1.6.1.1)
DRPM 4.1.6.1.1.D.1 generally requires a tree location survey at no more than one inch to 30 feet for trees five inches DBH and greater outside preserved sensitive areas, with species, DBH, disposition, clumps and specifically located grand oaks; subdivision exceptions and conditional inventory substitutions do not eliminate grand-oak identification. (Section 4.1.6.1.1)
For alteration without construction, the county’s NRO application requires a registered HillsGovHub account and conditionally requires a report, management plan, wildlife and plant survey and invasive-removal plan; it is not the construction application. (Natural Resources Other application)
DRPM 4.1.6.1.1.D.1 requires a professional-engineer seal for its conditional de minimis tree-canopy site-plan substitution. The full survey alternatives must be checked against the project, especially the small-lot inventory and grand-oak exceptions. (DRPM 4.1.6.1.1)
Section 6.06.07.A.1 requires a landscape plan prepared by a Certified Landscape Designer, a Florida-registered Landscape Architect or another person authorized under the cited Chapter 481 provisions. (Section 6.06.07)
DRPM 4.1.6.1.3.C.3 requires a scaled single-family or duplex plot plan showing improvements, sensitive areas, grades and drainage and surveyed trees five inches DBH and greater, including their type, DBH and removal marks. (Section 4.1.6.1.3)
Preservation and construction protection
Section 4.01.06.A.4 retains native vegetation on at least 50 percent of specified pervious open space, excluding stormwater basins and conveyances; if the existing natural plant community is smaller, retain all of it, with the stated individual single-family or two-family principal-construction exception. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.A.6 prohibits removal of native trees five inches DBH and greater within 100 feet of the Hillsborough, Alafia or Little Manatee River, measured from EPC’s jurisdictional line, except where reasonable property use is otherwise impossible or overriding public interest applies. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.A.11 separately prohibits native-vegetation clearing or filling along the Little Manatee in urban or suburban land-use categories within the greater of 50 feet from EPC’s wetland line or 100 feet from mean and ordinary high water, except when reasonable property use is not possible. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.12.B.2 requires onsite-preservation management-plan approval before the Natural Resources Permit; sensitive-area and listed-species projects also need applicable habitat procedures, not just a tree tally. (Section 4.01.12)
Wetland, upland-habitat and adjacent-preserve controls remain in LDC 4.01.07 through 4.01.13 and DRPM habitat and listed-species guidance; use those project-specific review paths rather than treating tree replacement as habitat mitigation.
The county’s barrier guidance places a physical barrier at the canopy dripline, at least three feet high, except where work inside the dripline is approved. (County protective-barrier specifications)
Section 4.01.06.B.1 through B.4 restrict attachments, soil disturbance, deposits, equipment and paving at retained trees, subject to the stated Administrator approvals, and require clean severing of protected-tree roots at the approved preservation boundary. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.A.10 allows approved work within retained-tree driplines only with damage-minimizing design, and requires tunneling where underground utilities cannot practically be routed around the dripline. (Section 4.01.06)
Replacement credits, required landscaping and buffers
Section 4.01.06.C.1 and C.3 allow credit for approved-method transplants and retained trees below five inches DBH if they are at least one inch, Grade No. 1 or better, and protected from damaging work. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 6.06.03.B sets these minimum tree counts, subject to greater parking and screening requirements; at least half the required single-family or two-family lot trees must be shade trees. (Section 6.06.03)
Development or lot size | Minimum trees |
|---|---|
Single-family or two-family: greater than 43,560 sq. ft. | 8 |
Greater than 21,780 and less than 43,560 sq. ft. | 6 |
Greater than 10,890 and less than 21,780 sq. ft. | 4 |
10,890 sq. ft. or less | 2 |
7,000 sq. ft. or less, or lot width below 75 feet | 1 shade tree, only subdivision lots also requiring street trees |
Multifamily, mobile-home or RV park, 12 units per acre or less | 8 per gross acre |
Residential support use; recreational facilities | 8 per gross acre |
Multifamily, mobile-home or RV park, above 12 units per acre | 6 per gross acre |
Office and neighborhood, general or regional commercial | 6 per gross acre |
Intensive or heavy commercial, industrial, wastewater treatment | 6 per gross acre |
The codified lot-size rows leave exact intermediate boundaries awkwardly expressed; do not silently substitute the brochure’s rounded acreage ranges. Ask the county which row applies at a boundary. (Section 6.06.03)
Section 6.06.03.A.3 requires at least half of required trees to be native species or native hybrids or cultivars. (Section 6.06.03)
Section 6.06.03.A.4 requires the stated species diversity, with each species at least ten percent of required trees. (Section 6.06.03)
Required trees | Minimum species |
|---|---|
10 through 19 | 2 |
20 through 29 | 3 |
30 and over | 4 |
Section 6.06.03.C.1.a gives retained-tree credits using crown spread or DBH. (Section 6.06.03)
Crown spread, feet | DBH, inches | Credits |
|---|---|---|
90 or greater | 35 or greater | 7 |
60 through 89 | 30 through 34 | 6 |
50 through 59 | 25 through 29 | 5 |
40 through 49 | 20 through 24 | 4 |
30 through 39 | 15 through 19 | 3 |
20 through 29 | 10 through 14 | 2 |
5 through 19 | 1 through 9 | 1 |
Section 6.06.03.C.1.b and C.1.c condition credits on protection, health, location and quality, exclude exempted species and preserved natural-area trees, and require replacement of credited trees damaged or killed by the work within one year after work ends. (Section 6.06.03)
Section 6.06.06.A sets the buffer and screening matrix in feet and screening types, using the stated adjacent-use and vacant-land rules. (Section 6.06.06)
Groups: 1 single-family and outdoor or passive agriculture; 2 multifamily at most 12 units per acre; 3 denser multifamily; 4 cultural or institutional; 5 office, commercial and public or emergency service; 6 industrial, mining, regional business or entertainment, solid waste and correctional uses. Zoning and mixed-use details remain in the cited classification table. (Classification table)
For vacant PD, IPD, CPV, BMS or TND land allowing multiple uses, the least-intensive permitted use determines its group. Developed nonconforming residential neighbors have a separate post-October-1-2007 rule, with a written-owner-consent waiver option. (Buffer applicability)
Proposed group against adjacent group | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | None | 5/A | 20/B | 10/A | 20/B | 30/C |
2 | 5/A | None | 5/A | 10/A | 20/B | 30/C |
3 | 20/B | 5/A | None | 10/A | 20/B | 30/C |
4 | 10/A | 10/A | 10/A | None | 10/A | 20/B |
5 | 20/B | 20/B | 20/B | 10/A | None | 15/B |
6 | 30/C | 30/C | 30/C | 20/B | 15/B | None |
Section 6.06.06.C.4 and C.5 make Types B and C tree-bearing screens: evergreen shade trees at least ten feet high and two-inch caliper, no more than 20 feet apart and within ten feet of the property line; B adds the Type A screen and C requires the specified masonry wall and ground treatment. (Section 6.06.06)
Section 6.06.04 requires 75 percent shade trees for vehicular-use landscaping, perimeter trees generally every 40 feet or part, terminal-island trees, and interior shade-tree islands or the permitted median or design alternatives. (Section 6.06.04)
Type A screening choices, special mobile-home buffering, noise and storage screening and alternative designs remain in Section 6.06.06; irrigation, groundcover and other non-tree specifications remain in Section 6.06.03. These are separate from Natural Resources replacement, not substitutes for it. (Landscape and buffer standards)
Street trees and district preservation rules
Section 6.06.05.A requires subdivision street trees along local or collector roads, generally one per lot plus additional frontage trees; cul-de-sac, small-lot and non-lot-frontage rules modify placement and count. (Section 6.06.05)
Section 6.06.05.B permits approved palms at two palms per shade tree, no more than 20 percent of street trees, with single trunks, at least eight feet clear trunk and eight-inch DBH; other street trees are at least six feet high and Grade No. 1 or better. (Section 6.06.05)
Section 6.06.05.D credits qualifying retained street trees and specified replacement inches, while E requires common-area street trees before improvements acceptance and lot-adjacent trees before each residence’s occupancy certificate. (Section 6.06.05)
Sections 3.08.11 and 3.10.11 protect Historic Trees in the Keystone-Odessa Community Activity Center Overlay District and Citrus Park Village respectively: native oak, maple, elm, sweet gum, hickory or magnolia at least 24 inches DBH, good-or-better condition, with development-area assessment and canopy-dripline protection unless special design techniques are used. (Section 3.08.11; Section 3.10.11)
Sections 3.08.11 and 3.10.11 require two-for-one main-trunk DBH replacement for removed Historic Trees with like species, planting onsite as far as practical; offsite planting is limited to the respective district and Restoration Fund contributions must be earmarked for native plantings strictly within that district, not treated as the grand-oak replacement ratios. (Section 3.08.11; Section 3.10.11)
Both district definitions still refer to Exhibit 4.1.6.1.4 for the condition form, whereas the supplied DRPM labels 4.1.6.1.4 Tree Removal Permits and 4.1.6.1.9 Tree Condition Evaluation Form. That cross-reference mismatch does not justify dropping the condition test. (DRPM condition-form section)
Sections 3.09.11.F.1 (Lutz Downtown Center Zoning District) and 3.11.06.1 (Restricted Business Professional Office Overlay) require preservation of protected-species trees at least five inches DBH within 25 feet of property boundaries abutting rights-of-way, excluding trees within the existing or future right-of-way, subject to their hazard exception and Administrator discretion for vehicular access and disabled parking. (Section 3.09.11; Section 3.11.06)
Both provisions except trees “classified to be a hazard as determined by a Certified Arborist, a Registered Consulting Arborist or other qualified plantsman” from preservation, but retain “Appropriate permitting as specified in Section 4.01.03”; hazard classification is not automatic removal permission. (Lutz roadway rule; Restricted Business Professional Office roadway rule)
Section 3.01.06.F.1 through F.3 requires a minimum 40-foot North Dale Mabry parkway buffer and retention of existing trees and underlying vegetation except for the pedestrian trail and essential utility crossings; detention or retention is limited to the inner 25 feet and 25 percent of the buffer, minimizing tree cutting and replacing cut trees one for one at facility fringes or suitable basin depths for cypress. (Section 3.01.06)
Section 3.01.06.G requires, where natural forest is not retained, one tree per 40 linear buffer feet in activity centers and two per 40 feet in parkways outside them, each at least two-and-one-half-inch caliper and ten feet high. (Section 3.01.06)
Section 6.01.01, note 30, allows the Administrator to reduce a zoning setback up to ten percent to retain qualifying trees by adjusting structures, only where it is not also an incompatible-use buffer and after considering adverse effects on affected properties. (Section 6.01.01)
Section 6.01.01 requires the retained tree to be outstanding for its species or one of the minimum required trees, have its normal canopy not significantly altered by construction and be in good, viable condition with desirable canopy formation. (Section 6.01.01)
Completion, invasive removal, donations and existing approvals
Section 4.01.06.E.1 and E.2 require Brazilian pepper, Melaleuca and Australian pine removal during development, generally before occupancy or improvements acceptance for the permitted project portion, with the stated unaltered-lot timing exception. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.E.3 and E.4 allow specified incentives for conservation or preservation-area invasive removal but let the Administrator, after agency consultation, avoid removal that would adversely affect habitat, listed species, natural communities or erosion. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 4.01.06.D allows county-arranged tree relocation with owner permission and at county or participating-city expense, generally within 15 working days after issuance, or an agreed survival-related root-pruning timeframe. (Section 4.01.06)
Section 6.06.07.D.1 requires an additional Natural Resources application when a residential building application under a Master Subdivision Landscaping Permit needs additional tree removal, with any issued permit and revisions appended to the master permit. (Section 6.06.07)
Section 6.06.07.D.6 requires the owner to replace landscaping found deficient on reinspection within 45 days after written notification. (Section 6.06.07)
Section 4.01.14.C.1 through C.3 require the permit onsite and compliance before occupancy, subject to the authorized residential self-certification process; a contractor or engineer improperly certifying a lot loses that privilege for one year and must correct deficiencies. (Section 4.01.14)
For a bid, identify responsibility for consent, permit conditions, protection and correction. Confirm separate business, contractor and insurance requirements with the county; tree authorization does not establish them.
For an existing HOA, business or institution, give the county the approved landscape plan and prior permit conditions and ask what revision and authorization your proposed removal needs. Do not read the explicit master-subdivision rule as an automatic amendment procedure for every other property.
DRPM 3.5 requires an Additional or Revised Information Sheet detailing any requested application modification; that application rule does not itself decide whether an already-approved landscape plan needs amendment. (Section 3.5)
How do you apply, and what does it cost?
The posted Natural Resources fee schedule, effective January 1, 2020, lists $81.65 for Tree Inspection and Removal Permit and $24.93 for each acre over five; the application page applies the same figures to residential or non-residential removal, subject to the exemptions and state-law route described here. (Posted Natural Resources fee schedule)
The schedule’s adopting resolution number was not established from the posted document; verify the billed amount for your application rather than treating this dated schedule as a quote for every project. Other tree-related process rows are distinct, not automatic add-ons to every removal.
DRPM 2.1 directs applicants to the separately adopted fee schedule, rather than publishing the removal price in that section. (Section 2.1)
The same schedule lists these separate land-alteration and landscape process fees, effective January 1, 2020. (Natural Resources fees)
Process | Posted fee |
|---|---|
Grubbing | $215.94 |
Natural Resources Other Projects | $272.47; marked possible additional EPC review fee |
Grand Oaks Protection under land-alteration process | $150.00 |
Single-family or duplex Natural Resources | $60.00 |
Single-family or duplex self-certification | $32.30 |
Single-family or duplex blanket landscape | $89.29 |
Grand Oaks Protection beneath the blanket-landscape row | $55.00 |
The two Grand Oaks Protection entries retain their schedule contexts, not a combined price. Other review charges depend on the application.
Confirm jurisdiction and the removal, alteration or construction application type.
Start from the current county checklist and HillsGovHub entry page.
Prepare the applicable plans, forms and owner authorization described here.
Obtain the written decision before starting.
Follow its barriers, planting, work limits and inspection conditions.
The application checklist asks for a scaled plan, owner-signed agent consent when applicable, optional photographs and any available repair receipts. (County application checklist)
DRPM 4.1.6.1.4.C.3 and C.4 require the Natural Resources Information Form and a scaled site plan identifying structures, proposed improvements and removal trees by size and species. (DRPM tree-removal submittals)
The county’s Natural Resources Authorized Agent Consent identifies all owners and the property and folio, appoints the agent to execute permit documents and requires owner signatures; an association or company applicant should establish the owner’s authorization rather than treating a contractor’s portal account as consent. (Owner or agent consent form)
DRPM 3.4 requires current-ownership deeds and authorization from every listed owner; E and F require all owners to sign and documentary authority for anyone signing for a company. (Section 3.4)
DRPM 4.1.6.1.4.D describes processing for field evaluation within two working days and a written approval or denial determination within 15 working days. (Section 4.1.6.1.4)
The application page instead describes a staff inspection within 15 business days and notification taking up to 3.5 weeks from receipt; it excludes grand oaks from its optional expedited affidavit route. (County operational timing)
Section 4.01.14.D makes the permit effective for two years unless it says otherwise, with an Administrator-granted two-year extension on written justification and review; an unused expired permit becomes void. (Section 4.01.14)
Section 10.05.01.A and C.1 generally allow appeal of an Administrator decision to the Land Use Hearing Officer unless another procedure applies, with notice filed within 30 calendar days after signature or other written decision. (Section 10.05.01)
Section 11.04.02.A.1 and F.1 route grand-oak preservation variances to the Land Use Hearing Officer on the required hardship and findings and reasonable-use test, not owner preference alone. (Section 11.04.02)
Where do county guidance and the code differ?
Use the adopted code and current statute as the legal texts, while treating the county’s application instructions as its operating guidance. These specific differences deserve confirmation rather than an assumed correction.
Issue | What the published materials actually say |
|---|---|
Existing-home exemption | LDC 4.01.03.C.9 joins its conditions with “or”; county guidance uses a residence-and-location chart, not a universal 12-inch rule. (LDC exemption; county FAQ; residential location chart) |
Non-residential threshold | The FAQ says greater than five inches; the Tree Removal definition and design preservation rule include five inches. (Tree definition; FAQ) |
Pruning | The guide recommends a 25-percent maximum and describes grand-oak onsite supervision as recommended; A.13 and A.14 prescribe standards and an advance affidavit. (Pruning requirements; guide) |
River list | The residential guide includes Palm River in its warning; A.6 names Hillsborough, Alafia and Little Manatee. (River rule; guide) |
Extra acreage fee | The guide says $24.95; the application page and posted schedule say $24.93. (Fee schedule; guide) |
Palm planting | General landscaping uses three palms for one tree with exceptions; street trees use two for one and separate specifications. The replacement guide’s broader two-for-one direction is not the general code ratio. (Landscape palms; street palms; replacement guide) |
Historic Tree form | Both district texts cite Exhibit 4.1.6.1.4; the DRPM condition form is 4.1.6.1.9. (Keystone-Odessa; Citrus Park Village; DRPM form) |
Other stale cross-references | Section 4.01.06.C.2 points landscaping credits to 6.07.02, the fence section. Section 6.07.02 contains fence regulations, not the landscaping tree-credit table. E.3 points replacement to A.6 rather than A.7. (Tree provisions; fence section) |
These differences create no new exemption. Ask Natural Resources for a written determination when one affects proposed work.
What about right-of-way trees, utilities, wetlands and mangroves?
The county guide warns that right-of-way work may need a separate authorization from the right-of-way use team, apart from tree review. (County right-of-way guidance)
Section 4.01.03.C.7 exempts specified new utility rights-of-way and easements only if sensitive areas are not adversely affected, excludes new electrical transmission corridors over 100 feet wide, and describes existing-utility maintenance separately. (Section 4.01.03)
Section 4.01.16.F.3 separately prohibits new overhead utilities within 250 feet of river shorelines, except transmission lines in existing approved corridors or where underground placement is demonstrated environmentally or technically unsound. (Section 4.01.16)
Section 6.06.03.H requires right-of-way landscaping not to create traffic, drainage or utility conflicts and requires written FDOT approval for proposed planting on state highway rights-of-way. (Section 6.06.03)
EPC’s published wetlands instructions distinguish nuisance-vegetation removal, noticed maintenance-mangrove exemptions and new mangrove-trimming permit applications; route those activities to EPC, not the ordinary yard-tree answer. (EPC wetlands and mangrove applications)
Who answers the county permit question?
Development Services, Natural Resources, handles tree-permit help at 813-272-5600 and [email protected]. (Natural Resources permit contact)
For digital-submittal help, the Development Services Tech Center is on County Center’s 16th floor, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (County permit-office hours)
The county lists County Center at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602. (County office address)
EPC’s published contact number for its wetlands and mangrove programs is 813-627-2600. (EPC contact information)
What does the supplied county code not address?
The supplied four-product code export contains no reference to Florida Statute 163.045; that absence does not displace the state statute quoted here. The search covered all 3,844 supplied document nodes, not just the tree chapter.
Part 12.01.00’s Tree definition cites Section 6.06.02.D for its landscaping-palm proviso, while the supplied Section 6.06.02 ends at C; the cross-reference cannot be followed as written. This defect does not erase the definition’s express inclusion of palms. (Tree definition; landscaping applicability)
What was searched for but not established?
As of October 28, 2026, the posted fee schedule and residential guide did not establish the adopting authority for the guide’s $65-per-inch figure, and the original instrument fixing the criminal figures was not located. These amounts should not be assigned an invented effective date.
On October 28, 2026, the county LDC amendments page said there were no currently proposed 2026 Round 1 amendments and that new text and hearing dates would be posted there; no Round 2 text or tree item was posted on that page. (County LDC amendment notices checked October 28)
The October 21 BOCC agenda lists a November 12, 2026 LDC Round 2 hearing, but the amendment text was not established in this review; a pending tree amendment cannot be ruled out from that calendar entry. Recheck the county LDC amendment notices and October 21 agenda before relying on this reference after that hearing.
Sources and scope
This reference uses the county’s LDC Natural Resources provisions, DRPM procedures, linked support provisions, county and EPC guidance and Florida’s statute. It concerns unincorporated property only.
Permit exemptions do not settle every other applicable approval or continuing landscaping duty. Section 4.01.03.B expressly preserves other agencies’ requirements. (Other-agency requirements)
Where does this leave your tree or project?
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.
Only that northwest corner of Hillsborough County is within our service footprint, not the whole county. A tree may be a candidate for removal or pruning, but this reference does not determine whether a specific tree qualifies or will receive approval.
For a residential property within our service area, an on-site residential tree assessment can be the next conversation; 727-934-5804 is available for projects within that area. For a property outside our area, take the permit question to county Natural Resources at the office listed above.
Our Pasco County reference is related reading, not a Hillsborough rule. For an in-area residential tree, speak with our website agent, the chat on this page.