Port Richey 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 Port Richey?
Section 115-57(b)(4) requires a Type IV tree removal permit for a tree ten inches DBH or larger on single-family property, or five inches DBH or larger on nonsingle-family property, when Types I, II and III do not apply, subject to the exemptions and state-law route in this guide. (Section 115-57(b)(4))
This guide concerns the City of Port Richey, not the separate City of New Port Richey; for property outside municipal limits, use our unincorporated Pasco County tree permit guide, not a mailing-city name alone.
Section 115-57(b)(3) instead uses five inches DBH for removal with a building permit when a related development permit has not already reviewed tree removal or replacement, subject to the exemptions and state-law route. (Section 115-57(b)(3))
Under Section 115-58(d)(2), Type IV removal is the exception: a permit may be granted only when at least one listed criterion is met. (Section 115-58(d)(2))
Section 115-57(a) requires the appropriate permit before nonexempt removal and treats irreversible damage as removal. (Section 115-57(a))
The city’s FAQ answers this differently; see the section on where published guidance and the code differ.
What counts as a tree, and how do you measure it?
Section 115-55 defines a tree as “a perennial, woody plant.” (Section 115-55)
Section 115-55 measures DBH in inches at 54 inches above natural grade and adds the diameters of multiple trunks together. (Section 115-55)
For a round single trunk, circumference measured at that height divided by 3.14 gives an approximate diameter: 31.4 inches around corresponds to ten inches DBH, and 15.7 inches around to five inches DBH. These are screening conversions, not city standards.
Death is not a blanket permit exemption; condition is one of the Type IV criteria in Section 115-58(d)(2)e. (Section 115-58(d)(2)e)
Are palms, pines and invasive species exempt?
Section 115-56(f) says: “Any tree of the palm family or of the pine family, except long leaf pine, located on that portion of a lot which is more than 20 feet from a street right-of-way, including an approved private street or other access easement, or more than ten feet from any other property line shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter.” (Section 115-56(f))
Section 115-56(f) covers the entire palm family, not just cabbage palms; it is not an unconditional exemption for palms beside streets or property lines. (Section 115-56(f)) In Section 115-56(f), the word “or” leaves a mixed-distance situation unresolved, so neither a blanket exemption near a boundary nor an invented requirement to satisfy both distances is a safe reading; ask Development Services how it applies the exact sentence. (Section 115-56(f))
Section 115-56(a) exempts the Section 115-72 list from Article III and also exempts Section 115-73 species from Article III, except for Type I removal requirements. (Section 115-56(a))
Section 115-72 lists the following exempt/nonapproved trees. (Section 115-72)
Common name | Botanical name as codified |
|---|---|
Australian pine | Casuarina spp. |
Bishopwood | Bischofia javanica |
Brazilian pepper | Schinus terebinthifolius |
Camphor | Cinnamomum camphora |
Carrotwood | Cupaniopsis anacardioides |
Catclaw mimosa | Mimosa pigra |
Cherry laurel | Prunus caroliniana |
Chinaberry | Melia azedarach |
Chinese tallow | Sapium sebiferum |
Citrus | Citrus spp. |
Earpod tree | Enterolobium contortisilquum |
Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus spp. |
Guava | Psidium cattleianum; Psidium guajava |
Jacaranda | Jacaranda acutifolia |
Jambolan | Syzygium cumini |
Laurel fig | Ficus microcarpa |
Melaleuca (punk) | Melaleuca quinquenervia |
Orchid tree | Bauhinia variegata |
Paper mulberry | Broussonetia papyrifera |
Schefflera | Schefflera actinophylla |
Seaside mahoe | Thespesia populnea |
Silk oak | Grevillea robusta |
Silk tree, mimosa, woman's tongue | Albizia julibrissin; Albizia lebbeck |
Section 115-73 incorporates Florida Administrative Code Chapter 5B-57, as amended, for prohibited or regulated species. (Section 115-73)
Section 115-56(c) exempts registered commercial growers on qualifying nursery, botanical-garden or sponsored tree-farm premises, except special-significance trees. (Section 115-56(c))
Section 115-56(d) exempts bona fide agricultural-tax land, except special-significance trees; water-management, environmental and silvicultural requirements remain. (Section 115-56(d))
Section 115-56(b) requires city compliance except for road projects providing off-site upland preservation. (Section 115-56(b))
Section 115-56 exemptions remove Article III requirements, or Chapter 115 requirements where subsection (f) states, within their stated conditions and exceptions. (Section 115-56)
See the separate discussions of approved-plan trees under Section 115-57(a), mangroves and public-land trees. No conclusion is drawn here about whether an approved-plan requirement overrides a Section 115-56 exemption.
Does pruning a private tree need a permit?
Under Section 115-62, the reviewed Port Richey code does not establish a separate permit for ordinary private-tree pruning, but irreversible damage is treated as removal and Section 115-62 prohibits nonstandard pruning and topping, subject to the chapter’s exemptions and applicable state law. (Section 115-62) Mangroves, public-land trees and trees in an approved plan need their separate controls considered.
Section 115-62(a) treats irreversible damage as removal and penalizes it when the required tree removal or development permit was not obtained first. (Section 115-62(a))
Section 115-62(b) prohibits pruning inconsistent with ANSI A300-2001, “as amended”; the text does not name a later numbered edition. (Section 115-62(b))
Section 115-62(c) prohibits topping of any tree. (Section 115-62(c))
Section 115-55 defines topping as cutting branches to stubs or laterals too small to assume the terminal role, including heading, tipping, hat-racking and rounding over. (Section 115-55)
Section 115-62(f) allows topiary pruning only for trees not planted to meet Article III requirements. (Section 115-62(f))
When does Florida Statute 163.045 change the city permit answer?
Section 163.045(2) prevents a local government from requiring notice, an application, approval, a permit, a fee or mitigation for pruning, trimming or removal on qualifying residential property when the owner possesses the required documentation that the tree presents an unacceptable risk to persons or property. (Florida Legislature)
Section 163.045(1)(a) requires an onsite assessment performed in accordance with the tree risk assessment procedures in Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017), by an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect, signed by that professional. (Statutory documentation definition)
Section 163.045(1)(b) limits residential property to a single-family detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes that is a conforming use or a legally recognized nonconforming use under the local land development regulations. (Statutory residential-property definition)
Section 163.045(2) defines unacceptable risk by whether removal is the only practical means of mitigating the risk below moderate under the named assessment procedures, not simply whether a tree is dead, diseased or healthy. (Statutory risk test)
Section 163.045(3) prevents a local government from requiring replanting when the tree was pruned, trimmed or removed in accordance with that section. (Statutory replanting protection)
Section 163.045(4) excludes the exercise of specifically delegated mangrove-protection authority under the statute’s cited Sections 403.9321 through 403.9333. (Statutory mangrove exclusion)
City Type IV criteria do not replace the statute’s documentation and risk test. 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.
When can the city approve a Type IV permit?
Section 115-58(d)(2) allows a Type IV permit only when at least one of its six criteria is met. (Section 115-58(d)(2))
Section 115-58(d)(2)a allows intended-use removal after reasonable minimization efforts, including design changes and variance requests for trees ten inches DBH or larger. (Section 115-58(d)(2)a)
Section 115-58(d)(2)b requires a finding that the tree or roots harm the structure’s foundation integrity. (Section 115-58(d)(2)b)
Section 115-58(d)(2)c allows thinning where removal benefits enhanced growth of other trees on site. (Section 115-58(d)(2)c)
Section 115-58(d)(2)d states the safety criterion as “The tree poses a hazard.” (Section 115-58(d)(2)d)
Section 115-58(d)(2)e treats death or specified poor condition as a possible reason to grant a Type IV permit, not as a blanket dead-tree exemption from the permit thresholds. (Section 115-58(d)(2)e)
Section 115-58(d)(2)f covers an owner’s sale, exchange or transfer for installation elsewhere. (Section 115-58(d)(2)f)
Section 115-59(4) makes a Type IV permit valid for 30 days unless the applicant requests and receives an extension from the city manager or designee. (Section 115-59(4))
Section 115-57(a) requires the tree removal or development permit to be visible from the nearest public right-of-way before removal starts and until it is complete. (Section 115-57(a))
What replacement trees does a homeowner owe?
Section 115-60(f)(1) requires one replacement for each Type IV tree removed when removal leaves fewer trees than the table on agriculturally zoned lots or residentially zoned single-family lots not requiring a site development permit, subject to applicable exemptions and Section 163.045. (Section 115-60(f)(1))
Lot size | Trees required to remain or be replaced |
|---|---|
6,000 square feet and less | 2 per lot |
6,001 to 9,500 square feet | 4 per lot |
9,501 to 20,000 square feet | 6 per lot |
20,001 square feet to under 1 acre | 8 per lot |
1 acre to under 2 acres | 8 per developable acre |
2 acres to under 5 acres | 6 per developable acre |
5 acres and larger | 4 per developable acre |
Section 115-60(f)(2) requires Type IV planting within 30 days of issuance unless an extension is requested and granted. (Section 115-60(f)(2))
Section 115-64 permits homeowner assistance based on the community development division’s assessment of property value and income level. (Section 115-64)
What penalties and special-tree protections apply?
Section 115-68 makes each Article III violation a separate offense and routes penalties through Sections 115-63, 115-67 and 115-69 and the city uniform citation schedule. (Section 115-68)
Section 1-45(b) places the violation-classification schedule in the city clerk’s office; its tree-specific classification was not located in the published records reviewed for this guide. (Section 1-45(b))
Section 1-45 supplies a general city-ordinance fine schedule, not a tree-specific class assignment; the applicable Chapter 115 classification was not located in the reviewed records. (Section 1-45) No dollar fine is selected here; ask for the current classification and its adopting instrument.
Section 115-63 adds replacement obligations to other penalties: unlawful removal must meet Section 115-60 and double the otherwise-required replacement ratio, while each DBH inch of an unlawfully topped tree requires one two-inch-caliper replacement meeting Section 115-60(b). (Section 115-63)
Section 115-63 requires the violator to pay for a tree plan prepared by a registered landscape architect or another professional approved by the city manager or designee, and permits the city to require mitigation-fund payment using the doubled replacement ratio and a council-set rate. (Section 115-63)
Section 115-67 can make both people with an interest in the property and people with an interest in the facility or instrumentality causing or contributing to the violation liable. (Section 115-67)
Section 1-38 permits written notice with a reasonable correction period of no more than 30 days before citation. (Section 1-38)
Section 1-39 permits citation after failure to correct and permits immediate citation for repeat, seriously threatening, irreparable or irreversible violations. (Section 1-39)
Section 1-44 gives the cited person a right to contest the citation before a code enforcement special magistrate. (Section 1-44)
Section 1-101 authorizes the special magistrate to conduct hearings and impose fines, liens and other noncriminal penalties. (Section 1-101)
Section 1-125(f) permits recording an unpaid fine-and-cost order as a lien against the violation land and other property of the violator, with statutory interest. (Section 1-125(f))
Section 1-125(h) permits authorization of foreclosure after a lien remains unpaid for three months but excludes foreclosure of constitutionally protected homestead property under that provision. (Section 1-125(h))
Section 115-69 allows the city manager or designee to suspend enforcement temporarily after a Chapter 252 emergency declaration to expedite damaged or destroyed tree removal, but removing undamaged trees during that suspension remains a violation. (Section 115-69)
Trees of special significance
Section 115-65(a) requires designation by council resolution initiated by the owner, or by staff on city land, and a recorded preservation easement extending at least 15 feet from the trunk in all directions. (Section 115-65(a))
Section 115-65(b) requires a Type IV permit, site inspection, the code’s written certified-arborist evaluation showing the stated immediate-peril or condition grounds, council approval and council-determined replacement to remove a designated tree of special significance. (Section 115-65(b))
What changes for commercial, multifamily and HOA property?
If you manage an HOA common area, multifamily site or business property, do not substitute the single-family detached-home state-law route for that property’s actual use. Section 115-60(f) sets Type IV replacement for agriculturally zoned and residentially zoned lots for single-family dwellings that do not require a site development permit; no separate Type IV formula is supplied for other property, so do not import Type I. (Section 115-60(f))
Section 115-57(a) bars tree removal on commercial or industrial zoning without an approved site or preliminary plan and bars removing trees required to remain or be replaced by a development approval without the required permit or permit modification. (Section 115-57(a))
Section 115-25(a) requires installation to the approved landscape plan, inspection before the certificate of occupancy, and approval and plan notation of changes before notification for final inspection. (Section 115-25(a))
Section 115-25(i) makes the owner and any tenant jointly and severally responsible for continuous maintenance and protection of required landscaping and irrigation in healthy condition. (Section 115-25(i))
For a company or association application, establish who is authorized to act for the owner rather than assuming the person ordering the work can bind the entity. A tree-specific company or association authorization form was not found in the public application materials reviewed.
How do development, additions, pools and clearing change the rules?
Section 115-57(b)(1) uses a Type I permit for trees five inches DBH or larger removed with a Chapter 105 development plan, subject to applicable exemptions. (Section 115-57(b)(1))
Section 115-57(b)(2) uses a Type II permit for trees five inches DBH or larger removed with a right-of-way use or driveway connection permit, subject to applicable exemptions. (Section 115-57(b)(2))
For a pool, addition, redevelopment or demolition with site work, identify the underlying permit and tree impacts; the project name alone does not determine permit type.
Section 115-57(a) prohibits clearing or grubbing for any reason before the required tree removal or development permit. (Section 115-57(a))
Section 105-31(a) makes preliminary-plan approval authority only for conforming clearing and grubbing, with other required governmental approvals obtained first. (Section 105-31(a))
Section 105-31(b) prohibits grading, filling, excavating or installing improvements on preliminary-plan approval alone. (Section 105-31(b))
Section 105-56(a) makes approved stormwater plans authority for conforming clearing, grubbing and grading, including cut and fill, after other required governmental approvals. (Section 105-56(a))
Section 105-370 requires review and a development-permit amendment before modifying an approved development. (Section 105-370)
Submittals and preservation
Section 105-27(13) includes code-compliant tree data in that preliminary site plan. (Section 105-27(13))
Section 105-90(1)i includes proposed landscaping and required buffers in construction plans. (Section 105-90(1)i)
Section 115-58(a)(1)a requires a Type I tree location survey identifying trees ten inches DBH or larger and all trees two inches DBH or larger that will remain. (Section 115-58(a)(1)a)
Section 115-58(a)(1)b requires a Type I tree plan prepared or approved by a registered landscape architect under Chapter 481, or another professional approved by the city manager or designee. (Section 115-58(a)(1)b)
Section 115-58(a)(2) makes Type I review concurrent with Chapter 105 development-plan review. (Section 115-58(a)(2))
Section 115-58(b)(1)a requires a Type II sketch describing trees five inches DBH or larger, or a tree location survey for projects larger than one single-family dwelling. (Section 115-58(b)(1)a)
Section 115-58(b)(1)b requires a registered landscape architect or city-approved professional to prepare or approve Type II tree plans for projects larger than one single-family dwelling. (Section 115-58(b)(1)b)
Section 115-58(c)(1)a requires a Type III sketch showing and describing trees five inches DBH or larger. (Section 115-58(c)(1)a)
Section 115-58(c)(1)b requires a Type III tree plan if applicable. (Section 115-58(c)(1)b)
Section 115-58(c)(2) requires reasonable efforts, including design changes and variance requests, to minimize removal of trees ten inches DBH or larger before removal may be granted where the tree prevents the intended use. (Section 115-58(c)(2))
Section 115-59(1) ties Type I duration to the related development order. (Section 115-59(1))
Section 115-59(2) ties Type II duration to the related right-of-way use or driveway connection permit. (Section 115-59(2))
Section 115-59(3) ties Type III duration to the related building permit. (Section 115-59(3))
Protection while work is underway
Section 115-61(a) requires Type I and II applicants to mark removal trees and establish protection barriers before clearing, grubbing or tree removal. (Section 115-61(a))
Section 115-61(a)(1) extends protection at least two-thirds of the dripline from the trunk in every direction. (Section 115-61(a)(1))
Section 115-61(a)(2) requires three-foot-high barriers outside the zone throughout development and building work. (Section 115-61(a)(2))
Section 115-61(a)(3) allows equivalent perimeter barriers for separated tree stands. (Section 115-61(a)(3))
Section 115-61(a)(4) prohibits equipment, storage, fill, excavation, washing and waste materials in the protected zone and prohibits fire or burning within 30 feet of it. (Section 115-61(a)(4))
Section 115-61(a)(5) allows final-grading barrier removal, mowing or hand clearing inside, and light rubberwheeled machinery only as necessary for landscaping there. (Section 115-61(a)(5))
Section 115-61(b) requires erosion barriers where erosion or siltation may harm retained trees, root protection before fill disposal in the protected zone, and retaining walls, drainage tile or other approved measures for elevation changes there unless impractical. (Section 115-61(b))
Section 115-22(f) prohibits underground irrigation within existing driplines unless root-protection measures are provided. (Section 115-22(f))
Section 103-1(b) authorizes discontinuance of illegal work and other lawful corrective action. (Section 103-1(b))
The city’s contractor-registration FAQ asks for its Competency-and-Insurance-Registration and copies of the state license, workers compensation insurance and liability insurance. (City contractor-registration instructions)
When screening a bid, identify the permit holder, code-required preparer, protection barriers, debris disposition and applicable city registration documents.
How are replacement, credits and mitigation calculated for projects?
Section 115-60(b)(1) requires retained or planted Article III trees to be alive, healthy, approved species and Florida Grade No. 1 or better, with at least two-inch caliper, or at least three-inch caliper and three trunks for multitrunk trees. (Section 115-60(b)(1))
Section 115-71 supplies the approved-tree table. (Section 115-71)
Common name | Botanical name as codified |
|---|---|
Ash | Fraxinus spp. |
Bay | Persea borbonia; P. palustris |
Cypress | Taxodium spp. |
Dogwood | Cornus florida |
Elm | Ulmus spp. |
Fringe tree | Chionanthus virginicus; Chionanthus retusus |
Hawthorn | Crataegus spp. |
Hickory | Carya spp. |
Holly | Ilex spp. |
Hophornbeam | Ostrya virginiana |
Hornbeam | Carpinus carociniana |
Loblolly bay | Gordonia lasianthus |
Long-leaf pine | Pinus palustris |
Magnolia | Magnolia grandiflora |
Mangrove | Avicennia germinans; Laguncularia racemosa; Rhizophora mangle |
Maple | Acer rubrum; A. barbatum |
Oak | Quercus spp. |
Plum | Prunus angustifolia; Prunus Americana; Prunus umbellata |
Redbud | Cercis Canadensis |
Red cedar | Juniperus silicicola; Juniperus virginiana |
River birch | Betnula nigra |
Sourwood | Oxydendrum arboreum |
Sugarberry, hackberry | Celtis laevigata; Celtis occidentalis |
Sweet bay | Magnolia virginiana |
Sweet gum | Liquidambar styraciflua |
Sweet osmanthus | Osmanthus fragrans |
Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis |
Tuliptree | Liriodendron tulipifera |
Walter viburnum, black haw | Viburnum oboratum; Viburnum rufidulum |
Section 115-55 defines caliper for trees up to and including four inches diameter as trunk diameter measured six inches above ground. (Section 115-55)
Section 115-60(b)(1)d sets minimum species variety, with each species providing at least ten percent of the total trees. (Section 115-60(b)(1)d)
Total trees | Minimum species |
|---|---|
1 to 9 | 1 |
10 to 19 | 2 |
20 to 29 | 3 |
30 to 49 | 4 |
50 and over | 5 |
Section 115-60(b)(3) denies credit for environmentally sensitive-land trees and trees required by other agencies or other Land Development Code provisions. (Section 115-60(b)(3))
Section 115-60(b)(4) requires a designated non-city person or entity for tree maintenance. (Section 115-60(b)(4))
Section 115-60(b)(5) requires the incorporated Florida Chapter ISA planting standards, good-condition maintenance and space for mature canopy development. (Section 115-60(b)(5))
Section 115-60(b)(6) requires replacement of a tree that dies within one year of the applicable construction, occupancy, inspection, first-use or Type IV issuance trigger, with planting within 30 days unless an extension is requested and granted. (Section 115-60(b)(6))
Section 115-60(b)(7) prohibits planting that interferes with an easement, planting under existing or planned overhead utilities, or planting in rights-of-way without city approval. (Section 115-60(b)(7))
Section 115-60(b)(8) requires on-site planting, allows approved right-of-way or public-land planting with necessary agreements and permits, and lets the city require council-rate mitigation payment instead. (Section 115-60(b)(8))
Section 115-60(b)(9) requires council-rate mitigation payment for a variance, based on permit requirements. (Section 115-60(b)(9))
Section 115-60(c)(1) sets Type I minimum planting on property with an existing or proposed single-family dwelling, two-family dwelling or mobile home on an individual lot. (Section 115-60(c)(1))
Lot size in square feet | Type I dwelling-lot minimum |
|---|---|
3,500 to 6,000 | 2 |
6,001 to 7,500 | 3 |
7,501 to 9,500 | 4 |
9,501 to 16,000 | 6 |
Over 16,000 | 8 |
Section 115-60(c)(2) permits removal of trees ten inches DBH or larger only where a development configuration or alignment cannot reasonably be accommodated, with the replacement rules that follow. (Section 115-60(c)(2))
Section 115-60(c)(2)a requires live-oak replacement caliper equal to live-oak caliper removed, rounded up to a whole number. (Section 115-60(c)(2)a)
Section 115-60(c)(2)b requires other-tree replacement caliper equal to one-third of caliper removed, rounded up to a whole number. (Section 115-60(c)(2)b)
Section 115-60(c)(2)d credits minimum-planting trees against Type I replacement requirements. (Section 115-60(c)(2)d)
Section 115-60(c)(2)e requires council-rate mitigation payment if the city accepts demonstrated insufficient planting area. (Section 115-60(c)(2)e)
Section 115-60(c)(3) requires removal of all Section 115-73 species in the project area. (Section 115-60(c)(3))
Section 115-60(c)(4) requires lot and frontage trees before occupancy, final inspection or first use as applicable, and other trees with infrastructure construction; one approved right-of-way street tree per lot may satisfy the minimum planting requirement. (Section 115-60(c)(4))
Section 115-60(d)(1) sets the complete Type II replacement table, which stops at 34 inches DBH. (Section 115-60(d)(1))
DBH of removed tree in inches, as codified | Replacement trees |
|---|---|
5 to 9 | 1 |
10 to 14 | 2 |
15 to 19 | 3 |
20 to 24 | 4 |
25 to 29 | 5 |
30 to 34 | 6 |
Section 115-60(d)(2) requires all Type II replacement trees before final inspection of the work. (Section 115-60(d)(2))
Section 115-60(e)(1) uses the same lot-size table published for Type IV for agriculturally zoned lots and residentially zoned single-family lots not requiring a site development permit. (Section 115-60(e)(1))
Section 115-60(e)(2) requires Type III lot trees before occupancy, or final inspection or use where no occupancy certificate is required. (Section 115-60(e)(2))
Under Section 115-60(c), the Type I minimum table has no row below 3,500 square feet, while its permit trigger starts at five inches DBH and its specific removal-replacement provision starts at ten inches DBH. (Section 115-60(c)) Under Section 115-60(d)(1), the Type II table has no row above 34 inches and no explicit fractional-DBH instructions; these gaps need a city determination, not extrapolated numbers. (Section 115-60(d)(1))
What landscaping requirements can change a redevelopment plan?
Section 115-20(a) applies landscaping standards to new uses and changes of use and brings existing lots into compliance after a substantial plan or zoning amendment, renovation exceeding 25 percent of appraised structure value, or qualifying vehicular-area changes. (Section 115-20(a))
Section 115-21(1) establishes these tree planting and equivalency standards for required landscaping, subject to the size-modification provision in subsection (6). (Section 115-21(1))
Material | Size and quality | Tree-count conditions |
|---|---|---|
Shade tree | 10 feet high; 2.5-inch caliper; Florida Grade No. 1 | At least 5 feet from impervious area; at least 10 percent conspicuously flowering species; species diversity preferred |
Accent tree | 8 feet high; 2-inch caliper; Florida Grade No. 1 | Two equal one shade tree; generally at most 25 percent of required trees; text includes overhead-line exception |
Palm | 10 feet clear, straight trunk; Florida Grade No. 1 | Up to 75 percent of tree requirements on beach, 25 percent elsewhere; staggered clusters of three equal one shade tree; Canary Island date, edible date and Senegal date specimen palms count one-for-one |
Section 115-21(2) provides credit against Article II requirements for required landscaping that incorporates existing trees, particularly native material. (Section 115-21(2))
Section 115-21(4) uses the species-diversity table already given for Article III planting, while Article II’s tree sizes and palm equivalencies remain distinct. (Section 115-21(4))
Section 115-21(6) allows the official to modify required tree sizes only on a showing that the size is not readily available locally and the proposed treatment is equal or superior. (Section 115-21(6))
Section 115-23(a) sets the perimeter-buffer table by proposed and adjacent use. (Section 115-23(a))
Adjacent use | Proposed nonresidential | Proposed multifamily |
|---|---|---|
Single-family | 12-foot buffer | 10-foot buffer |
Nonresidential | 5-foot buffer | 10-foot buffer, or 7 feet with decorative fence or wall |
Multifamily of equal or greater density | 10-foot buffer | 10-foot buffer |
Multifamily of less density | 12-foot buffer | 10-foot buffer |
Arterial or major collector right-of-way | 15-foot buffer | 15-foot buffer |
Local or minor collector right-of-way | 10-foot buffer | 10-foot buffer |
Under Section 115-23(a), each populated buffer cell says “One 35 foot tree” and “100 percent shrubs”; the single-family-adjacency cells specify six feet within three years. (Section 115-23(a)) Confirm the table’s unusual wording during project review.
Section 115-23(b) allows qualifying retention-area front slopes to supply up to half the required buffer width only with a slope of 4:1 or flatter, shrub planting no more than six inches below bank top, and at least five feet of buffer. (Section 115-23(b))
Section 115-23(c) requires a minimum ten-foot perimeter buffer on parcels exceeding one acre despite the table. (Section 115-23(c))
Section 115-23(d) allows increased perimeter-buffer landscaping where topography or unique circumstances leave the prescribed landscaping with little buffering value for a less intensive adjacent use. (Section 115-23(d))
Section 115-24(a) establishes the parking-island tree and landscape table. (Section 115-24(a))
Parking-island requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
Landscape share | 10 percent of gross vehicular use area; 12 percent if parking spaces are at least 110 percent of required spaces |
Island size and width | At least 150 square feet; 8 feet of green space curb-back to curb-back |
Trees | At least 1 per island unless retained trees meet the interior requirement; 1 per 150 square feet of required green space |
Other planting | Shrubs on 50 percent of required green space; groundcover instead of turf |
Parking row | Generally no more than 10 spaces; staff flexibility up to 15 |
Sections 115-22 and 115-25 also govern irrigation, installation, maintenance and protection of required landscaping. Include these standards in project landscape review.
For related site-plan, foundation-landscaping, visibility, parking and special-district standards, review Sections 105-27, 115-24(b), 127-90(e), 127-94(i), 127-93(b)(10), 127-95, 127-94(b)(3)u, 127-98(i) and 127-55(i)(1) and (2). (105-27) (115-24) (127-90) (127-94) (127-93) (127-95) (127-98) (127-55)
How do you apply, and what does it cost?
A current tree-specific application charge, nonresidential tree charge and appeal charge could not be verified from the city’s published application materials and Resolution 20-08 fee schedule reviewed October 28, 2026; do not treat that gap as a no-charge permit. (Posted fee schedule)
Development Services is at 6333 Ridge Road, Port Richey, FL 34668. (Development Services address)
The Development Services page publishes 727-835-1099 for Permitting. (Permitting office phone)
The city footer lists Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Published city hours)
The posted application gives [email protected] for building services. (Building services email)
Use the office, not an individual reviewer; our city-or-county permit reference is related reading.
Identify the property, permit category, tree species, DBH and any existing approved landscape or development plan.
Prepare the appropriate sketch, survey and tree plan, including any code-required professional preparation.
The city’s FAQ routes oak tree removal through the Building Application with an arborist letter. (City FAQ application route) This is the nearest city tree-form route found; it is city guidance, not the code’s permit rule. Ask Development Services how that guidance applies to the code-required permit category and whether to submit through the city permit portal.
Obtain the required decision before nonexempt removal or clearing, post the permit and observe its expiration and planting deadlines.
Section 115-58(d)(1) requires two copies of the Type IV application materials to the city manager or designee. (Section 115-58(d)(1))
Section 115-58(d)(1)b requires a Type IV sketch describing trees ten inches DBH or larger, or five inches DBH or larger for nonsingle-family property. (Section 115-58(d)(1)b)
Section 115-58(d)(1)c requires a Type IV tree plan if applicable. (Section 115-58(d)(1)c)
The posted building application requests the job address, parcel and zoning information, work description, owner name and phone. (Published building application fields)
The posted building application has signature lines for the owner or agent and contractor of record. (Application signature lines)
The city permit portal’s public instructions say each uploaded file must be under 25 MB and ask applicants to compile like documents into one PDF. (City permit portal) Association authority and the tree submission category remain unresolved.
Appeal or variance
Section 115-66 requires a sworn, notarized appropriate-expert affidavit stating that removal is necessary when appealing a Type IV denial. (Section 115-66)
Section 103-7(a) provides an administrative appeal to the board of adjustment but excludes an official’s act specifically directed by a board or council order or resolution. (Section 103-7(a))
Section 103-7(b) requires filing within 30 days after written notification, with both the official and board, stating the grounds and paying any established processing fee. (Section 103-7(b))
Section 103-66(1) describes board recommendations to council for final appeal approval, distinct from citation appeals under the special magistrate. (Section 103-66(1))
Section 103-66(2) governs hardship zoning variances; inconvenience alone does not satisfy its unnecessary-and-undue-hardship standard. (Section 103-66(2))
What changes for right-of-way, utilities and mangroves?
Section 115-62(d) prohibits damaging a tree on public land in any manner. (Section 115-62(d))
Section 119-48 requires written city-engineer approval and detailed drawings before aboveground or underground construction of a facility in city rights-of-way. (Section 119-48)
Section 119-55 makes the installation sketch part of the permit and places other-utility notification and prior-installation damage responsibility on the applicant. (Section 119-55)
Section 119-57 requires the right-of-way permit holder to post the code’s “cash or surety bond” in the city-determined amount for repairs, performance and one-year maintenance. (Section 119-57)
Section 115-56(e)(1) retains the ANSI pruning restriction for otherwise exempt utility work. (Section 115-56(e)(1))
Section 115-56(e)(2) requires telephone notice to the city before removal of trees at least 18 inches DBH within corridors or easements, plus owner or occupant notice at least three business days before removal. (Section 115-56(e)(2))
Section 115-56(e)(3) preserves Section 115-65 controls on utility removal of special-significance trees. (Section 115-56(e)(3))
Section 26-9(2) excludes commercially removed fronds, limbs and brush, and construction debris, from the city’s collection program. (Section 26-9(2))
Mangrove trimming and alteration are governed by the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act, which DEP’s page cites as Sections 403.9321 through 403.9334 rather than the range ending in 403.9333 cited by Section 163.045(4). (Florida DEP mangrove guidance) (Statutory range)
Florida DEP’s published delegation list includes neither Port Richey nor Pasco County; DEP administers the Act here rather than a city delegated program. (DEP delegated governments) (DEP program administration)
Section 109-369 requires DEP approval and the referenced engineering analysis demonstrating no increased flood-damage potential for dune or mangrove-stand alteration in coastal high-hazard and Coastal A zones. (Section 109-369)
Section 109-130(8) requires flood-hazard application information on proposed dune or mangrove-stand alteration, with DEP approval. (Section 109-130(8))
Where do published guidance and the code differ?
The city’s published FAQ answers “No” to whether a tree-removal permit is needed, but says it requires an arborist’s letter for protected trees and identifies oaks as the most common. (City tree-removal FAQ)
The same FAQ also places “Oak Tree Removal- require arborist letter” under its construction-permit list linked to the Building Application. (City FAQ permit list)
The FAQ contradicts itself as well as Section 115-57’s conditional permit rule. The ordinance is the local law; the FAQ’s letter instruction is city guidance, not a codified requirement for every oak. (Section 115-57)
The city FAQ uses the Pasco Property Appraiser’s address or parcel-ID search to verify jurisdiction. (City boundary-check instructions)
Use the Pasco Property Appraiser parcel search rather than a mailing-city label.
Section 115-60(a) refers to development plans required by Chapter 119, while Section 115-57(b)(1) routes Type I development plans through Chapter 105. (Section 115-60(a))
Section 115-58(d)(1)a points an application to criteria in (d)(1)b and c, which are the sketch and tree-plan items, while the six approval criteria actually appear in (d)(2). (Section 115-58(d)(1)a)
What was not found in the Port Richey code and published records?
Whole-code searches found no reference to Florida Statute 163.045 and no separate ordinary private-tree pruning permit or city mangrove-trimming permit; the removal, damage, ANSI and state-law provisions still matter. The search does not establish that an approved site plan or another authority can be ignored.
Searches of city forms, pages, portal, fees and council records on October 28, 2026 did not locate a dedicated tree application, tree or appeal charge, tree-offense class assignment, mitigation-rate resolution, Section 115-72 amendment resolution or special-tree designation. These searches do not prove absence.
For a location outside the City of Port Richey, return to the unincorporated Pasco County guide only after confirming that the parcel is unincorporated.
Sources and scope
This guide uses Municode’s Supplement 7 Update 1, codified through Ordinance No. 26-743 enacted February 10, 2026. (Port Richey code publication)
Municode lists uncodified Ordinances 26-744, 26-746 and 26-749, and city minutes record adoption of 26-750 and 26-751 on October 13, 2026; none amends Chapter 115 as of October 28, 2026 based on the searched records. (Municode newer ordinances) (October 13 adoptions)
This documentary reference covers Chapter 115, related administration and right-of-way rules, state law and DEP guidance. It does not decide any tree’s risk, eligibility or approval.
Where does this leave your tree or project?
A tree may be a candidate for removal or pruning, but the useful next step is to clarify the species, dimensions, condition and site context without presuming the permit answer. An on-site residential tree assessment offers a way to clarify what is on the lot.
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.
Port Richey is within our service area. You can reach Ken's Tree Service at 727-934-5804; to talk through where to start with this guide or an assessment conversation, use our website agent, the chat on this page.