Redington Shores Tree Permits and Tree Protection Guide
Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Next review due April 2, 2027. By Forest, Property Intelligence Specialist, Ken's Tree Service.
Do you need a tree removal permit in Redington Shores?
Redington Shores calls its authorization a tree removal permit: the Building Official or designee decides under Section 90-140(A)(3), whose two-inch native-or-protected-tree wording must be read with the Code's separate protected-tree definition, exemptions, waiver and qualifying state-law route. (90-140(A)(3)) Start by checking jurisdiction through our city-or-county permit guide, then ask the Town to classify the tree and proposed work before arranging removal.
The ordinance favors retention: a developer must reasonably design and locate improvements to minimize native or protected tree removal, particularly preserving historic and specimen trees. (90-140(A)(1)) This is a regional reference, not an offer to perform work in Redington Shores; Redington Beach and North Redington Beach are outside this article's scope.
Which trees and palms are protected?
The authorization rule says, "No native or otherwise protected tree (two-inch diameter at breast height or larger) shall be removed without prior authorization by the town," subject to its exceptions, waiver and qualifying state-law route. (90-140(A)(3)) Separately, "Protected tree" means a tree with DBH more than six inches that is not otherwise exempt, and the definition declares all mangroves protected. (90-71 definition of Protected tree) The adjacent definition of "Tree" describes a self-supporting woody plant with one or more well-defined trunks, capable of a clear trunk and normally reaching at least 15 feet at maturity in the county, and expressly includes palms. (90-71 definition of Tree)
For a tree from two through six inches DBH, do not treat the six-inch definition as permission to cut: the authorization sentence also reaches native trees at two inches, while the Code supplies no definition of "native tree." (90-140(A)(3)) (90-71 definition of Protected tree) (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) Palm treatment is not limited to cabbage palms: the tree definition includes palms without a species restriction, so no palm species is excluded merely because it is not cabbage palm; the applicable size, species exemptions and state-law conditions still matter. (90-71 definition of Tree) (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) Palms are, however, expressly excluded from the separate shade/canopy-tree definition used in Part 2. (90-71 definition of Tree, shade/canopy)
How to measure
DBH is measured 54 inches, or 4.5 feet, above ground at the tree's base, and multiple main stems are measured by adding their diameters. (90-71 definition of DBH) For a practical approximation, measure circumference at that height and divide by 3.14: two-inch diameter corresponds to 6.28-inch circumference, and six-inch diameter to 18.84-inch circumference. These are calculated equivalents, not additional legal thresholds; the protected-tree definition says more than six inches, not six inches or more. (90-71 definition of Protected tree)
Dead, damaged, historic and specimen trees
No blanket dead-tree exemption was identified in the complete Code search; do not substitute "dead" for the actual removal grounds or the state-law test. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) The Town's disease/weakness ground requires both disease or weakness from age, abuse, storm or fire and likely injury or damage to people, buildings or other improvements. (90-140(A)(2)(e))
Historic designation requires a commission public hearing with due notice to the owner and historical interest/value based on location or association. (90-140(C)(1)) Specimen designation likewise requires official commission designation and a noticed public hearing, based on type, size, age or other relevant criteria. (90-140(C)(2)) The definitions additionally describe a professional forester, horticulturist or other professional plantsman's finding and designation by commission resolution for historic trees. (90-71 definition of Tree, historic) The specimen definition likewise adds professional judgment and designation by resolution. (90-71 definition of Tree, specimen) Removal of a designated tree requires a commission finding of hazard or economic/practical infeasibility of development without removal, a Building Official presentation and recommendation, and a decision within 30 days after filing. (90-140(C)(3))
Which exceptions change the answer?
Article XXV exempts Australian pine, bishopwood, Brazilian pepper, punk tree, ear tree, laurel fig, weeping fig, eucalyptus and willow from tree-protection requirements. (90-139(A)(1)) It also prohibits planting those nine species. (90-139(A)(2)) Check existing site-plan conditions separately.
The landscaping article has a longer list: its no-formal-authorization removal provision also names Chinese tallow, silk oak, Java plum and carrotwood, in addition to those nine, and prohibits planting all thirteen within that article's scope. (90-128(B)(1)(c)) Ask the Town which article applies; do not extend the four additions to every homeowner lot.
Utilities: Necessary removal for existing-line maintenance or new service is exempt for the specified utilities, agencies and their contracted engineers/surveyors, but unnecessary removal must be avoided and aerial electrical clearance cannot exceed the stated National Electrical Code limit. (90-139(B))
Transportation: Florida Department of Transportation is exempt from Article XXV. (90-139(C))
Surveying: A state-licensed land surveyor performing duties is exempt only for a swath three feet wide or less. (90-139(D))
Production trees: Commercial nurseries, botanical gardens, tree farms and groves qualify only for trees planted for silvicultural/agricultural purposes or ordinary-course sale. (90-139(E))
Disasters: During a hurricane or other disaster, the power to temporarily suspend these tree-protection regulations belongs to the Building Official. (90-139(F))
The codified waiver requires a notarized owner/agent statement, a verification site visit and administrative action: either no covered trees exist on the site, or the proposed work covers less than ten percent of the whole site and affects no covered tree in any manner. (90-143(A)) (90-143(B)) Despite the heading "Automatic waiver," the text says the administration "may" waive Sections 90-140 through 90-142. (90-143)
Does pruning a private tree need a permit?
No general permit requirement for ordinary private-tree pruning, or tree-specific topping/hatracking prohibition, was identified in the complete Code search, but damaging or killing a tree counts as removal, and mangrove, construction, approved-landscape and utility rules still require separate attention. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) (90-71 definition of Remove, removal, replanting or replacement) That is a bounded reading of the published text, not an approval of a proposed cut.
An owner or occupant may not leave a tree or branch threatening to fall on a public way, and shade-tree canopy must clear the roadway by at least 8.5 feet within clear-sight limits. (90-116(A)) The Gulf Boulevard overlay separately requires 14 feet six inches of roadway clearance for its required shade trees. (90-170(G)(1)(b)[3])
When the Town finds a tree, plant or hedge creating the specified underground-line or overhead-wire hazard on private property or a contiguous right-of-way/easement, it gives the owner a removal notice with a stated deadline. (90-116(B)) Service may be personal, to a household member at least 18, conspicuously affixed near the entry, or by certified mail to the owner's last known address. (90-116(C)) Failure to comply lets the Town remedy the hazard and charge the owner. (90-116(D)) Unpaid cost becomes a lien with interest 30 days after receipt of the statement. (90-116(E)) That lien has the stated priority subject to county/state taxes and may be enforced after 180 days unpaid through the specified tax/assessment-lien process. (90-116(F))
Who may apply, and what justifies removal?
The current general permit application accepts an owner, contractor or agent signature, with an authorization letter required for an agent. (Town permit form) It is not a tree-specific application; the published homeowner-versus-developer gap is identified in the research-scope section.
Section 90-140(A)(2) requires the developer to demonstrate one or more of these grounds:
Site use: A permissible use cannot reasonably proceed without removing or relocating specific trees. (90-140(A)(2)(a))
Structures: Proximity materially impairs a structure's safety, utility or structural integrity. (90-140(A)(2)(b))
Utilities: The tree materially interferes with existing utility location, servicing or functioning. (90-140(A)(2)(c))
Traffic: Proximity or impaired vision creates a substantial motor, bicycle or pedestrian hazard. (90-140(A)(2)(d))
Disease or weakness: The combined condition and likely-damage test stated in the dead-tree discussion applies. (90-140(A)(2)(e))
Legal requirement: A law or regulation requires removal. (90-140(A)(2)(f))
When does Florida Statute 163.045 apply?
Florida Statute 163.045 can remove local notice, application, approval, permit, fee and mitigation requirements for qualifying residential-tree work only when the owner possesses the prescribed documentation of unacceptable risk, meaning removal is the only practical means of reducing risk below moderate. (Florida Statutes 163.045(2)) Inconvenience or disease alone is not that test.
Property: A single-family detached building must be on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes, as a conforming or legally recognized nonconforming use under local land-development regulations; this definition does not extend the route to commercial property, multifamily property or an HOA common area merely because it serves residents. (Florida Statutes 163.045(1)(b))
Documentation: An onsite assessment must follow Best Management Practices - Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017), be performed by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect, and be signed by that professional. (Florida Statutes 163.045(1)(a))
Replanting: A local government cannot require replanting for work performed in accordance with the section. (Florida Statutes 163.045(3))
Mangroves: Specifically delegated mangrove protection is outside this section. (Florida Statutes 163.045(4))
Have the property and assessment tested against the statute's actual conditions; this article does not decide eligibility for an individual tree.
Who regulates mangroves?
Pinellas County is an FDEP-delegated mangrove regulator. (FDEP delegation listing) Its current guidance says trimming requires either a qualifying exemption or a permit. (Pinellas County mangrove guidance) For mangrove questions, contact Pinellas County, the agency named in FDEP's delegation listing, at 727-453-3385. (FDEP delegated-agency listing)
Town Section 90-142 covers mangroves and other vegetation in the specified wetlands, including single-family, duplex and multifamily owners. (90-142(A)) Its replacement rule calls for at least the same number of mangroves replaced or relocated onsite, sufficient other wetland vegetation to revegetate at least the removed area, and a Building Official-approved survival/shoreline plan made a permit condition; failure to implement it violates the Code. (90-142(B)) Its permit language calls for DEP approval for alterations in jurisdictional waters. (90-142(C)(1)) It calls for a County Environmental Management Department permit for alterations exempt from DEP permitting. (90-142(C)(2)) It cites the state Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act and County Chapter 166, Article II, Division 3. (90-142(C)(3))
Those County references are not the current administrative description: County guidance now identifies Chapter 58, Article XVI. (Pinellas County mangrove guidance) County Chapter 58, Article XVI is "Mangrove Trimming and Preservation," but Chapter 166, Article II, Division 3 is "Reserved": Town Section 90-142(C)(3) points to a reserved division, a cross-reference defect. (County Code, Chapter 58 Article XVI) (County Code, Chapter 166 Article II Division 3) (90-142(C)(3)) Environmental Management is now described as a division of Public Works, not the department title used in the Town text. (County environmental services) Florida Statute 403.9324 says no more than one mangrove alteration/trimming permit may be required within a delegated local government's jurisdiction, so the Town's two-agency wording should not be read as an automatic requirement for two mangrove permits. (Florida Statute 403.9324(2)) The delegation covers County-wide trimming not connected to work requiring a wetland-resource or environmental-resource permit under Chapter 373 Part IV; such related work needs a separate agency-jurisdiction determination. (FDEP-Pinellas County delegation agreement)
What replacement is required?
For removals governed by Section 90-140(A), replacement is at the developer's expense, subject to an applicable waiver or the state-law no-replant protection. (90-140(B)(1)) The codified replacement and credit rules are not a separate commercial tariff.
Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
Ordinary replacement under 90-140(B) | One inch DBH replaced for each inch removed; the Code's example is a 12-inch tree replaced by four three-inch trees. (90-140(B)(2)) |
Relocation | Replacement can use a tree relocated on the site or moved offsite under subsection B. (90-140(B)(3)) |
Onsite planting impracticable | Trees may be donated or a fee paid for public planting, based on purchasing the requisite replacement number and sizes; otherwise plant onsite where practicable. (90-140(B)(4)) |
Tree bank | Defined as storage of permitted-removal trees donated to the Town for future use, not a published flat-rate payment schedule. (90-71 definition of Tree bank) |
Existing landscape credit | Healthy native vegetation existing before parking/vehicular-use development may receive an adjustment preserving the article's intent; Australian pine, bishopwood, Brazilian pepper, punk tree, ear tree, laurel fig, weeping fig, eucalyptus and willow never receive credit. (90-133) |
Development and commercial properties: when do extra rules apply?
If you manage a commercial, multifamily, institutional or HOA common-area site, do not import the statute's single-family route: its property definition is narrower. (Florida Statutes 163.045(1)(b)) The removal rule has no separate nonresidential size threshold; landscape and approval conditions can add obligations. (90-140(A)(3))
Article XXIV covers vehicular-use areas and additions, excluding areas on/under/within buildings and areas servicing single-family or duplex uses. (90-120(A)) Its applicability text exempts "single-family dwellings, and duplex, and triplex dwellings on lots of 6,000 square feet or less." (90-121) Section 90-122 instead names single-family and duplex, not triplex, alongside its 90-120 exception; ask the Town about small-lot triplex applicability. (90-122(A)) Existing paved vehicular-use areas lose their stated exception when reconstruction or expansion requires site-plan approval. (90-122(B))
Redevelopment triggers
Noncompliant existing vehicular-use areas must meet full landscaping requirements when any applicable trigger occurs:
Trigger | Codified condition |
|---|---|
Parking expansion | At least 30 percent expansion requiring additional parking spaces. (90-134(A)(1)) |
Vehicular-area remodeling | Improvement value at least 30 percent of existing-use valuation on current property-appraiser records. (90-134(A)(2)) |
Structure remodeling | Improvement value at least 50 percent of current appraiser valuation of the existing structure. (90-134(A)(3)) |
Floor area | Covered floor area increases at least 20 percent. (90-134(A)(4)) |
Approval amendment | An amendment to an existing final site plan is required. (90-134(A)(5)) |
If compliance prevents minimum required parking, the Code permits adjustment of interior landscaping first, then perimeter landscaping if still necessary. (90-134(B)) For nonconforming required-yard redevelopment, have the Town apply Section 90-120(D)'s cost/value table, partial-compliance rule and cost determination to the project. (90-120(D)(1)) (90-120(D)(2)) (90-120(D)(3))
Plans, approval conditions and sequencing
For pools, additions, demolition, clearing or redevelopment, determine approvals before disturbing roots. New construction/substantial improvement requires site-plan review by Planning and Zoning and final commission action, except single-family detached houses and duplex units east of Gulf Boulevard under the stated rule. (90-237) The site plan must locate major trees over eight inches diameter; that depiction threshold is not permission to remove smaller trees. (90-237(A)(6)) Existing approval conditions become part of the site plan, must be incorporated before a building permit, and satisfied before occupancy. (90-237(D)) For changes to an approved planned unit development (PUD) plan, have the Building Official apply Section 90-167(F)(4)'s minor/major amendment procedures before assuming an existing approval permits the change. (90-167(F)(4)) (90-167(F)(4)(a)) (90-167(F)(4)(b))
Submission or approval | Requirement |
|---|---|
Landscape application | Owner-of-record signature, three plan/document copies, and payment before acceptance or review. (90-123(A)) |
Landscape-plan format | Scale and format acceptable to the Town. (90-123(B)) |
Landscape timing | Apply before the building-permit application and submit the paved-area landscape plan with the site-plan application. (90-124(A)) |
Review timing | Ten working days for completeness/appropriateness, followed by concurrent site-plan review, not a ten-day final-approval promise. (90-124(B)) |
Grounds permit | Apply to the Building Official before developing, modifying or expanding covered vehicular-use areas. (90-127) |
Vehicular-use plan | Three additional combined site/planting plans; when associated with a new structure, submit with that structure's site plan. (90-127(A)) |
Vehicular-use detail | At least one inch to 30 feet, owner/designer/date, boundaries/elevations, circulation, utilities, planting areas and existing trees. (90-127(B)) |
Completion | Inspection and compliance certificate precede related occupancy; early temporary occupancy requires a "financial guarantee" acceptable in form to the Building Official. (90-127(D)) |
Approved betterment plan | Complete the entire approved landscape betterment plan before occupancy. (90-126) |
Landscape plans identify lot dimensions, circulation, curb cuts and distances, lighting/irrigation and planting quantities, spacing, sizes and names. (90-123(C)(1)) (90-123(C)(2)) (90-123(C)(3)) (90-123(C)(4)) (90-123(C)(5)) For new buildings or alterations over $25,000, Section 63-16(A) requires three plan sets bearing the seal of a registered, certified architect/engineer or another person allowed by county/state rules. (63-16(A)) The Commercial Tourist Facilities (CTF) zoning district exception in Section 90-237(E) does not excuse new construction or second-level additions from mandatory site-plan review, and requires those drawings to carry a Florida-registered architect/engineer's seal/stamp. (90-237(E))
Development tree protection and landscaping tables
Protective barriers must surround the entire protection zone before land preparation or other development. (90-141(B)(1)) The Code defines that zone by drip-line distance from the trunk as follows. (90-71 definition of Tree protection zone)
Drip-line radius | Protection-zone radius |
|---|---|
Less than six feet | Six feet. (90-71 definition of Tree protection zone) |
More than six but less than 20 feet | Full drip line. (90-71 definition of Tree protection zone) |
20 feet or more | 20 feet. (90-71 definition of Tree protection zone) |
Exactly six feet | Omitted from the definition's stated ranges; obtain Town direction rather than inventing a boundary. (90-71 definition of Tree protection zone) |
Avoid mechanical, chemical, grade-change, excavation and paving injuries to retained protected trees. (90-141(A)(1)) No attachments except supportive wires may be fastened to them. (90-141(B)(2)) No equipment, construction material or debris belongs inside the barrier. (90-141(B)(3)) Landscaping there must use light machinery or manual labor; grubbing and similar work are prohibited. (90-141(B)(4)) An alternative undisturbed group-protection area uses linked stakes no more than 25 feet apart, outside every protected tree's zone. (90-141(B)(5)) Barriers remain until construction ends, except landscaping within the protected area. (90-141(B)(6)) Keep chemicals, materials and tools out of the protected area and do not clean equipment there. (90-141(C)(1)) (90-141(C)(2))
Grade raising requires these safeguards:
Safeguard | Codified requirement |
|---|---|
Preparation | Remove sod/vegetation/litter and loosen soil without root injury; fertilize appropriately. (90-141(D)(1)(a)) (90-141(D)(1)(b)) |
Drainage | Porous four-inch agricultural drain, at least one-eighth-inch drop per foot, designed for the existing trees; drain number depends on soil permeability. (90-141(D)(1)(c)) (90-141(D)(1)(d)) |
Aeration | Gravel-filled vertical tiles capped with heavy-duty mesh. (90-141(D)(1)(e)) |
Dry well | Allow maximum trunk growth; most large shade trees need at least 60-inch diameter, while slow-growing mature trees need 12 to 18 inches between trunk and wall everywhere. (90-141(D)(1)(f)) |
Well structure | Coping above fill; air/water-permeable walls; protective gratings/barriers at hazardous openings; regular cleaning. (90-141(D)(1)(g)) (90-141(D)(1)(h)) (90-141(D)(1)(i)) (90-141(D)(1)(j)) |
Fill layers | Large stones above tiles, smaller stones over remaining drip-line ground, then gravel and porous soil. (90-141(D)(1)(k)) (90-141(D)(1)(l)) (90-141(D)(1)(m)) |
For lowering grades, roots must be cleanly cut and retrimmed after excavation, with canopy pruning to maintain vigor. (90-141(D)(2)(a)) (90-141(D)(2)(b)) Preserve the maximum roots by terracing at original grade, a porous dry retaining wall, or both. (90-141(D)(2)(c)) Only the Building Official may approve lesser measures for a minor grade change that will not endanger the tree. (90-141(D)(3)) Route utility lines around protection zones where possible; otherwise tunnel beneath, offset from the trunk to protect main taproots. (90-141(E)(1)) (90-141(E)(2)) Porous paving inside a protection zone is allowed only without damage from grade change, compaction or any other cause. (90-141(F))
Required tree planting
Required plant material must meet Florida No. 1 or better nursery standards, or equivalent. (90-128(B)) Required trees must be suitable drought-tolerant species with average crowns greater than 15 feet and five feet clear trunk, at least 60 percent Florida-native or drought-tolerant; smaller crowns may be grouped to supply a 15-foot equivalent. (90-128(B)(1)(a)) Its nonexclusive examples are red maple, silver buttonwood, American holly varieties, yaupon holly, sweet gum, southern magnolia, southern wax myrtle, slash pine, longleaf pine, loblolly pine, cherry laurel, oaks, cabbage palm, saw palmetto and bald cypress. (90-128(B)(1)(a)) New trees must be at least two inches DBH and eight feet tall at planting; root-damaging species cannot be within 12 feet of public works unless completely contained by the specified five-foot-square, five-foot-deep barrier of four-inch reinforced concrete with No. 6 road mesh, six-by-six-by-six inches, or equivalent. (90-128(B)(1)(b))
Tree or landscape component | Requirement |
|---|---|
Street frontage on site-plan development, excluding dedicated alleys | At least three-foot-deep strip; one tree per 35 linear feet or fraction, spaced 30 to 40 feet. (90-129(C)(1)) |
Necessary frontage accessways | Driveway/accessway widths may be deducted from the tree-count length. (90-129(C)(3)) |
Unscreened vehicular-use perimeter | One tree per 50 linear feet or fraction, spaced 45 to 55 feet, under the perimeter scope and exceptions. (90-130(B)) |
Interior landscaping | Eight percent of vehicular-use area; excess perimeter may count, and qualifying structure-adjacent landscaping can earn no more than half the required interior area with official review. (90-131(A)) |
Terminal islands | Rows of at least 15 spaces: both ends, average width at least five feet, full parking-space length, with a deciduous tree, palm or qualifying group. (90-131(B)(1)) |
Interior islands | One per 18 spaces or major portion, at intervals of six to 18; average width at least five feet and full space length, with a deciduous tree or qualifying group, not an express palm substitution. (90-131(B)(2)) |
Interior tree count | At least one per separate planter and at least one per 200 square feet or fraction of required interior landscaping. (90-131(B)(3)(a)) |
Functionally constrained parking | Interior landscaping may move near the perimeter only where strict application seriously limits function, and remains additional to required perimeter landscaping. (90-131(B)(3)(b)) |
Perimeter screening covers vehicular-use areas not screened by an intervening structure, for new construction, changed use or expanded use/structure. (90-130(A)) (90-130(C)) Dedicated-alley boundaries are excepted. (90-130(D)(1)) An existing neighboring barrier may count if compliant and, for hedges, protected from vehicles. (90-130(D)(2)) Against nonresidential use, only trees and planting areas are required except that full perimeter standards still apply within the front setback. (90-130(D)(3))
Buffer matrix
For new construction, changed use or expanded use/structure, these directional buffer distances are in feet; blank cells do not erase other landscape duties. (90-130(E)(3)) (90-130(E)(4))
Proposed use / Abutting use | Single- or two-family | Multifamily | Nonresidential | Public recreation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Single- or two-family | Blank | Blank | Blank | Blank (90-130(E)(4)) |
Multifamily | 5 | Blank | 15 | 15 (90-130(E)(4)) |
Nonresidential | 15 | 10 | Blank | 15 (90-130(E)(4)) |
Public recreation | Blank | 15 | 15 | Blank (90-130(E)(4)) |
Buffers may contain only drainage, utilities and landscaping, not mechanical equipment, storage or parking. (90-130(E)(2)) Site-plan criteria can also require planted buffer strips up to 20 feet for compatible design, privacy and noise control. (90-237(B)(1))
Street yards, special districts and maintenance
For street-yard green space and site-layout adjustments, have the Town apply Section 90-120(B), (C), (E) and (F) to the parcel. (90-120(B)) (90-120(C)) (90-120(E)) (90-120(F)) For plantings in RM-15 side-setback open areas, obtain the Planning and Zoning review required by Section 90-163(F). (90-163(F)) Outside the Gulf Boulevard overlay, PUD street planting uses a deciduous shade tree on each side per 100 feet, or a palm on each side per 30 feet; planting within Gulf Boulevard/SR699 right-of-way in the overlay needs prior written FDOT approval. (90-167(E)(8)(a)) The overlay requires new development to install and maintain street trees along primary streets. (90-170(G)(7)) Its spacing should be no more than 30 feet on center, with a possible FDOT variance within clear-sight limits. (90-170(G)(7)(a)) Planting strips must be at least five feet wide. (90-170(G)(7)(b)) Tree wells must be at least five by five feet and use pedestrian-access grates. (90-170(G)(7)(c)) Palms and shade trees there must maintain four feet from the curb face. (90-170(G)(6)(c)[1]) For landscaping near intersections, have the Town apply Sections 90-132 and 90-251's sight-visibility geometry, clear-height range and infrastructure exceptions. (90-132) (90-251(A)(2)) (90-251(B)(1)) (90-251(B)(2)) (90-251(B)(3)) (90-251(C))
Owners, tenants and/or agents are jointly and severally responsible for landscape maintenance, including contiguous parkways outside the property line. (90-129(A)) That contiguous parkway/right-of-way maintenance obligation also applies to existing developed properties. (90-134(C)) Maintenance failures expose owners or tenants to ordinance penalties. (90-129(B)) Have the Town apply the full landscaping article for non-tree plantings, irrigation and design.
Clearing, contractors, penalties and appeals
Floodplain development within Section 63-39's scope needs the required floodplain/building approvals before work, including activities outside ordinary Building Code coverage. (63-39(A)) Vegetation stripping and grading must prevent erosion, with natural vegetation retained, protected and supplemented where feasible. (63-67(B)(2)(a)) (63-67(B)(2)(d)) Violating construction, excavation, fill or major grading can receive a stop-work order until erosion is controlled and damage remedied. (63-67(C)) The Town can charge actual drainage/property cleanup and repair costs. (63-67(D)) The responsible owner, occupant, developer, contractor or subcontractor must pay the assessed cost within 30 days after the specified certified-mail invoice. (63-67(E)(1))
Screen the work proposal
Section 63-16(C) requires the pertinent state and/or County credential for its named construction trades, not necessarily every tree-only business. (63-16(C)) The current Building Department instructions require contractor portal registration. (Town published guidance) For a permit, they request state-credential validation. (Town published guidance) They also request general liability and workers' compensation coverage or exemption, naming the Town as certificate holder. (Town published guidance) Tree-trimming debris generated by a contractor or commercial trimmer must be disposed of by that contractor, not left for the Town's solid-waste contractor. (127-17) Ask the proposal to identify debris disposal, required approvals and retained-tree protection before comparing prices.
Penalties are not just a permit surcharge
Where no specific penalty applies, Section 1-16 authorizes, upon conviction, a fine up to $500, up to 60 days' imprisonment, or both. (1-16(A)) Separate acts and continuing days are separate violations, and violating conditions may be abated as public nuisances. (1-16(D)) (1-16(C)) The administrative-enforcement route uses its own compliance-order/repeat-violation procedures, with due notice and hearing before an irreparable/irreversible finding. (70-8(A)) Under that route, fines may reach $250 per day for a first violation, $500 per day for repeat violations, or $5,000 per irreparable/irreversible violation, with applicable repair costs. (70-8(B)) A recorded certified fine order can become a lien on the violation property and other property of the violator. (70-8(G)) After three months unpaid, the Town may pursue foreclosure or a money judgment, subject to the stated constitutional property protections. (70-8(H))
The current building-fee Code says five times the standard after-the-fact fee, notwithstanding a contrary fee schedule and subject to its narrow disaster exception. (63-20(E)(1)) Effective January 1, 2025, that exception is 2.5 times only if the owner occupied the home before the declared disaster, used no contractor/subcontractor, began applying within 120 days of the presidential/gubernatorial local disaster declaration, could not obtain the permit within 30 days, performed only necessary safe/sanitary/secure work allowed by FEMA, and continued actively pursuing the application. (63-20(E)(2)) Contractor work is excluded from that reduction and may trigger all available remedies, including referral to credential authorities. (63-20(E)(3)) The grounds-permit rule independently imposes five times its normal filing fee for starting covered vehicular-area work before permitting, plus Code penalties. (90-127(C))
Appeals
A building-department decision can be appealed to the commission on a Town Hall form with written notice to the Town Clerk within ten calendar days after the hearing or order, whichever is later, and the schedule fee unless initiated by an elected/appointed Town official. (90-77(A)) An appeal ordinarily stays further proceedings, except the certified imminent-peril situation, where a court restraining order is needed. (90-77(C)) Board, Planning and Zoning and special-magistrate decisions have a circuit-court route under Section 90-78. (90-78) Separately, Chapter 70 administrative enforcement orders have a 30-day circuit appeal measured from execution of the order. (70-11) Variance requests require the special magistrate's Section 90-76 findings; they are not automatic permission to remove a tree. (90-76(B))
How do you apply, and what does it cost?
A standalone tree-removal fee was not identified in the Code or current posted schedules checked October 2, 2026; ask the Building Department to classify the work before paying, because its sitework schedule lists grubbing/landscape at $35 plus $10 per $1,000 rather than a clearly identified tree-permit price. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) (Town fee schedule) The posted permit charges are not a quote for a particular tree removal.
Posted charge | Amount and qualification |
|---|---|
General permit application | $35 for every permit; do not assume it is added twice to a sitework line already including $35. (Town fee schedule) |
Plan review | Nonrefundable 20 percent of subtotal if project exceeds $5,000 or requires a plan or product approval, due at submission. (Town fee schedule) |
Right-of-way fee | $45; Town must determine applicability. (Town fee schedule) |
Single-family site plan | $1,000 when required. (Town fee schedule) |
Other site plan | $1,500 when required. (Town fee schedule) |
Administrative-official appeal | $250. (Town fee schedule) |
Appeal allowed to commission | $250. (Town fee schedule) |
The planning schedule identifies adoption by Resolution 09-19 on October 9, 2019. (Town fee schedule) Its December 11, 2024 Resolution 13-24 note is specifically a variance-fee update, not a new adoption date for every row. (Town fee schedule) It also provides for applicable applicant-caused additional advertising and consultant/other submittal costs. (Town fee schedule) Fees require commission resolutions and website posting; original effective clauses for these posted rates were not found October 2, so confirm the applicable total with the Town. (63-20(D))
Classify the work: Check the County jurisdiction lookup, species, DBH, mangroves, designation, existing plans and statutory route.
Start with the Building Department: The Town offers online permit submission through its permit portal. (Town published guidance)
Prepare the application: The current general permit form asks for project/site address, legal description and parcel number. (Town permit form)
Describe scope and cost: Give the required work description and project cost; ask the Town what inventory, photographs or plans it needs. (Town permit form)
Establish authority: For a company or HOA, confirm signatory and owner/board authority separately from contractor agent authority.
Confirm the plan product: The hearing/site-plan form asks for 15 copies; ask how that and the separate landscape/vehicular-use requirements apply online. (Town site-plan application)
Use the correct office: The permit form identifies Town Hall at 17425 Gulf Boulevard, Redington Shores, FL 33708. (Town permit form)
It lists permit assistance at 727-262-2218. (Town permit form)
Contact the named unit: The Building Department also publishes 727-397-5538, option 1, and bldgdept@redshoresfl.com. (Town published guidance)
Where do the official texts disagree?
These are reasons to obtain a Town determination, not reasons to choose whichever rule is easier.
Adoption date: Town minutes confirm approval of Ordinance 2025-05 on November 12, 2025, notwithstanding the older Municode banner. (Town adoption minutes)
Effective clause: The adopted ordinance takes effect immediately upon adoption; its reenactment date does not establish when every unchanged threshold first became law. (adopted Ordinance 2025-05)
Barrier figure: Codified Section 90-141(B)(1) says Figure 90-170-A, but its own caption says Figure 90-141-A. (90-141(B)(1))
Adopted barrier reference: The adopted attachment uses Figure 90-141-A. (adopted ordinance)
Grade-change figure: The codified reference says Figure 90-170-B while the caption says Figure 90-141-B. (90-141(D)(2)(c)[3])
Adopted grade reference: The adopted attachment uses Figure 90-141-B. (adopted ordinance)
Waiver official: Municode names the town manager, while the adopted attachment names the town administrator; confirm current routing. (90-143) (adopted ordinance)
County ordinary-tree rules: Section 90-117 excludes County tree/vegetation planting and removal ordinances. (90-117)
Development cross-reference: Section 90-149(D) nevertheless requires new development/redevelopment to be consistent with the County Tree Protection Ordinance; neither provision should be silently discarded. (90-149(D))
Penalty sheet: The posted calculation sheet says five times for an initial unpermitted job and ten times for a second offense, unlike the controlling Code route described in the penalties section. (Town fee schedule)
Site-plan processing: The current form cites Section 90-73, whereas Section 90-237 routes processing through 90-124. (Town site-plan application) (90-237)
Gulf easement: The form says properties on Gulf Boulevard's west side, whereas the Code says any property fronting Gulf Boulevard, with the ten-foot utility easement required before a building permit. (Town site-plan application) (90-237(A)(5))
Right-of-way trees and utilities
Utility tree work in a right-of-way must comply with applicable state/local protection law. (129-20(A)) For wire-clearance trimming, the utility must give Town staff at least 24 hours' notice; Town-supervised work is limited to cable passage, excludes major structural branches materially altering appearance/growth, and cannot distort natural growth, with utility responsibility for resulting tree, property and personal injury damage. (129-20(B)) Temporary removal for utility construction needs a restoration plan with the permit application, or at least 48 hours before work under an annual general permit, and unacceptable plans can delay or prevent work. (129-20(C)) Permit-required utility greenery must continue to be maintained to permit and landscaping standards. (129-20(D)) Deep-root planting is prohibited in the described ten-foot areas near paved Town rights-of-way/easements and underground Town sewer lines, and widespread roots that could affect pavement are prohibited. (90-115) Do not treat adjacent public land as part of a private yard or use ordinary tree authorization as a substitute for utility/roadway approval.
What does the Code not say, and what remains unconfirmed?
The whole-Code search found no reference to Florida Statute 163.045, no general private-tree pruning/topping/hatracking rule, no blanket dead-tree exemption and no definition of "native tree"; the specific qualifications and overlapping duties discussed in this guide still apply. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) It also did not yield a flat tree-removal tariff, per-inch dollar payment or tree-bank deadline in the tree-bank and tree-fee searches. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances)
Records searched but not found
The October 2 Building Department page and general, agent and hearing/site-plan form review found no dedicated tree application or Town 163.045 notice. (Town permit form) It did not establish application of developer-only removal grounds to standalone homeowner work. (Town permit form) No HOA-specific authority form was identified there; confirm association authority separately. (Town permit form) That day's posted-schedule review found no separate commercial-tree tariff. (Town fee schedule) No individual historic/specimen designation was located in the supplied Code, Town ordinance searches and reviewed agenda/minute records; ask the Town for the subject property's designation and prior approvals rather than assuming none exist. (Redington Shores Code of Ordinances) Rechecked October 3, 2026, the October 14 commission meeting page still had no agenda and said information would be posted approximately five days before the meeting. (October 14 meeting page) Proposed Ordinance 2026-05 concerns construction activities/noise, not an identified tree-article rewrite; its adoption was not confirmed in the October 3 recheck, so confirm status before relying on construction-hour rules. (proposed Ordinance 2026-05)
Sources, jurisdiction and your next step
This guide uses the supplied full Municode Supplement 16 text, the adopted ordinance and Town records, current forms/fee schedules, Florida statutes and County/FDEP mangrove materials checked October 2, 2026. The County lookup distinguishes a municipal address from unincorporated Pinellas. (County jurisdiction lookup) For related reading only, see our unincorporated Pinellas guide, Seminole guide and St. Pete Beach guide; those pages are not authority for Redington Shores.
If the tree may fall within the native/protected wording, a designation, an approved landscape plan, a wetland area or the documented-risk statute, take that specific question to the office responsible for deciding it. Ken's Tree Service has worked since 1996 from Tarpon Springs, across approximately 20 miles covering north Pinellas County, west Pasco County and the northwest corner of Hillsborough County. This Redington Shores guide is a regional reference, not an offer of work or assessment there; for projects within our service area, our number is 727-934-5804. For questions about the code, continue with our website agent, the chat on this page.