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Tree Removal Permits in Clearwater, FL
City of Clearwater tree permit rules explained in plain language, including Clearwater Beach and Island Estates - and we file the application for you.
“Fast quote and when we decided it was time to remove our Oak, they were there on time and ready to get to work. They have all the equipment necessary for this huge job and work very efficiently.”
- 462 Google reviews
- Licensed & Insured
- ISA Certified Arborist on staff
- Pinellas since 1989
Start with the fact that costs Clearwater callers the most time: Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates are inside the City of Clearwater. They are not their own beach towns for tree purposes. This page, not a beach page, is the one that governs them.
Clearwater’s rules live in the Community Development Code, principally § 3-1205 (tree protection), Article 4 Division 12 (the removal permit), § 8-102 (definitions) and § 7-103 (penalties).
What triggers a permit
The trigger is the defined term "Protected tree" (§ 8-102):
any shade tree four inches DBH or greater, and any accent tree two inches DBH or greater, and any tree or palm as part of an approved landscape plan, but excluding all hazardous and prohibited trees.
| Category | Permit needed at |
|---|---|
| Shade tree | 4" DBH or greater |
| Accent tree (ornamental/understory) | 2" DBH or greater |
| Any tree or palm on an approved landscape plan | Any size |
| Palm | § 3-1205.A says a palm with a 10-ft clear straight trunk; § 4-1201 says any palm, see below |
| Citrus | No permit (§ 3-1205.A) |
Clearwater has no homestead exemption and no 24-inch residential threshold. The 24-inch figure people quote is a Pinellas County rule for unincorporated property. A two-inch accent tree in a Clearwater front yard is a protected tree.
On palms, the code contradicts itself. § 3-1205.A limits the trigger to a palm with a ten-foot clear and straight trunk and exempts all citrus. § 4-1201 says simply "any protected tree or palm," with no size qualifier and no citrus exception. The code carries both numbers, and which one staff apply is a counter question, ask it when you file. We plan every Clearwater palm job on the narrower reading, assume a permit, and confirm with Planning & Development.
The exemption that makes Clearwater unusual
Because "protected tree" excludes all hazardous and prohibited trees, a hazardous tree is not a protected tree, and the permit sections only reach protected trees. And Clearwater’s definition of hazardous is broad (§ 8-102):
A hazardous tree shall include but not be limited to dead, diseased, broken, split, cracked, leaning and uprooted trees.
That sweeps in the whole storm-damage profile, and it is materially easier to satisfy than the state statute’s "risk below moderate" test. It is the strongest local hazardous-tree relief in Pinellas County.
But read the caution. The code does not say who decides a tree is hazardous, and The published code does not contain any Clearwater administrative procedure, form or self-certification path for making or documenting that determination, nothing in CDC Articles 3, 4, 7 or 8 says otherwise. Separately, § 7-103.D.4 shows the city treats hazardous trees as something it can order removed, which confirms they sit outside the protection scheme but also shows the city expects to be involved. We cannot tell you "no permit is needed for a hazardous tree in Clearwater" until Planning & Development confirms it. We call and ask, per address.
Prohibited trees, also outside protection, are Punk/cajeput (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum).
Specimen and historic trees cannot be removed at all. § 3-1205.B.1: "No permit shall be granted for the removal of a specimen or historic tree." Specimen status is designated by the community development coordinator, it is not a size threshold. § 3-1205.B.1 also uses the term "historic tree," but no definition of it exists in § 8-102, so we do not assert one.
Replacement
Clearwater is an inch-for-inch jurisdiction with a cash alternative (§ 3-1205.D). On a single-family detached or two-family attached property, the total DBH removed is replaced inch for inch, or the deficit is met by paying $48.00 per inch of DBH to the tree bank.
Every lot also carries a minimum tree count regardless (§ 3-1205.D.2):
| Lot size (sq ft) | Trees required |
|---|---|
| Under 5,000 | 2 |
| 5,000–10,000 | 4 |
| 10,001–15,000 | 6 |
| Over 15,001 | 8 |
Permits are valid six months (§ 3-1205.B.3, § 4-1204). An expired permit may be re-issued within 30 days with the fee waived.
Start here
Send us a photo of the tree.
You do not have to know whether it needs to come down. That is the part we are for.
- One photo, whole tree in frameTrunk base to top. A close-up of anything that looks wrong helps.
- Text us the photoThe text button below opens the right thread. Add your street and city.
- We come out and lookEvery estimate is in person, free, sometimes the answer is that it needs nothing.
Applying
For single-family and two-family property, § 4-1202.B keeps it light: a survey showing the location and size of all protected trees and palms, which ones are proposed for removal, and the reason. The CDC fee schedule (Appendix A § (2)(j)) sets the permit fee at $15.00 for removal of 1–5 trees, $3.00 per tree over five.
For multi-family, non-residential and subdivision applications it is heavier, § 4-1202.A requires a tree inventory prepared by a certified arborist and a tree preservation plan by an arborist or landscape architect. That is not optional and a general tree crew cannot sign it.
We do not publish a processing time for Clearwater. No review timeframe appears anywhere in Article 4 Division 12 or § 3-1205, and the city’s own tree permit webpage does not reliably load. Call before you plan a date.
What it costs to skip it
CDC § 7-103.D: a fine equal to $48.00 per inch of DBH, or of the remaining stump diameter, up to $5,000 per protected tree, and up to $15,000 for a specimen tree, which the code deems an irreparable violation by definition. Note the "and/or": the fine and the inch-for-inch replacement are not alternatives. General code enforcement fines run to $250/day first violation and $500/day repeat, and higher before a special magistrate.
They measure the stump. Cutting it low does not make the tree smaller.
Frequently asked questions
Does the county’s 24-inch homestead rule help me in Clearwater? No. That threshold is written for unincorporated Pinellas County. Clearwater protects shade trees from four inches and accent trees from two.
I live on Clearwater Beach. Whose rules apply? Clearwater’s. The barrier island north of the Sand Key bridge is city limits, and this page is your page.
My oak is dead. Permit or not? Clearwater’s definition of a protected tree excludes hazardous trees and hazardous expressly includes dead trees, so the code points toward no permit. But the code sets out no process for establishing that, so we confirm with the city in writing before we cut. That call is part of the job.
Where does Florida Statute § 163.045 fit here? It applies in Clearwater as it does statewide, but because the city’s own hazardous-tree exclusion is broader than the statute’s "risk below moderate" standard, § 163.045 is usually the fallback rather than the first argument. The full statute is explained here.
Verified against the City of Clearwater Community Development Code, codified through Ord. No. 9857-25 (Supp. No. 55), as of July 2026. Ordinances change, if a detail matters to your decision, confirm the current text with the city first.
Call (727) 365-1803 and we will check the parcel, file the application and schedule the crew around the approval. See also tree service in Clearwater and tree removal in Clearwater.
Google reviews
Rated 4.9 by 462 of your neighbors.
Reviews · Tree Removal Permits in Clearwater, FL
4.9
462 reviews on Google, the count on our public Google listing
“We were looking for a tree service with a certified arborist. We got just what we needed with Happy Tree Service. Steve gave an estimate and knowledgeable advice. They arrived on time did an excellent job and cleaned up all debris. We recommend them and will use them again.”
“Happy trees did an amazing job cutting my trees and providing information. Steve was really nice and knowledgeable. Great communication and pricing. Definitely will be using their service again!!”
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