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Tree Removal Permits in Dunedin, FL
Dunedin protects its trees aggressively. Here is what actually triggers a permit, what replacement is required, and where the exemptions are.
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Most Pinellas cities give you something for a dead tree. Dunedin’s code puts the point in parentheses, in the permit section itself, and it is the sentence Dunedin homeowners most often discover mid-project.
§ 105-35.9:
It shall be unlawful for any person, without first obtaining a permit as provided in this section, to remove any protected tree (including dead trees), or prune any grand tree as defined herein.
Dunedin’s tree rules live in the Land Development Code at § 105-35, sections 105-35.1 through 105-35.24, adopted by Ord. No. 15-31 on 7 January 2016 and, per the codified text, not substantively amended since. The City Arborist administers them: 727-298-3279, cityarborist@dunedin.gov.
What is protected
Any tree species 4 inches or greater in trunk diameter measured at 4.5 feet, plus anything designated a Grand Tree. The definition contains no exclusion for hazardous or dead trees.
Nineteen species are exempt from the permit entirely (§ 105-35.4), including Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, carrotwood, chinaberry, cherry laurel, Chinese tallow, citrus, ear tree, eucalyptus (except E. cinerea), figs, Indian rosewood, Norfolk Island pine, orchid tree, paper mulberry, punk, silk oak, toog, woman’s tongue, and all palm species except cabbage palm with six feet or more of clear trunk.
One caution: the City’s public "Trees that Do Not Need a Permit" webpage reproduces this list but omits Chinaberry, which the Code includes. Whether that is a webpage error or an uncodified change is a question for the city, the codified number is the one cited here. Cite the Code, and check with the City Arborist before you cut one.
Grand Trees
A Grand Tree must clear a species-and-size table and score a condition rating of at least 4.0 on the City’s own Tree Condition Rating Guidelines (§ 105-35.5). The size triggers, by species (Table 105-35.1):
| Minimum trunk diameter | Species |
|---|---|
| 36" DBH | Live oak, laurel oak, swamp laurel oak |
| 30" DBH | American elm, sand live oak |
| 28" DBH | Bald cypress, pond cypress, longleaf pine, slash pine, pignut hickory, southern magnolia, southern red cedar, sweetbay |
Grand Trees need a permit to prune, not just to remove, and canopy or root pruning must be performed by or under the direct supervision of an "Approved Arborist", defined in Dunedin’s Appendix A as ISA Certified or an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist.
The complete exemption list, all three of them
§ 105-35.10, in full: routine pruning to ANSI A300 standards (except on Grand Trees); transplanting within the same parcel, with one business day’s notice to the Parks Division; and removal of an exempt species from § 105-35.4.
That is it. No hazardous-tree exemption, no dead-tree exemption, and no storm or hurricane exemption. Nothing in the whole of § 105-35 addresses emergencies, hurricanes or storms, it contains only a stormwater reference in the purpose section.
Instead, Dunedin makes a hazard tree the owner’s affirmative problem. § 105-35.7(F) makes it unlawful to have a hazard tree on any property in the City: the City notifies you in writing, you get 15 calendar days, then a notice of violation and a Code Enforcement Board date, then another 15 days, and then the City removes the tree, charges you and may lien the property. And you still need the § 105-35.9 permit to take it down yourself.
Pruning limits that catch people
- No more than 25% of live foliage may be removed from a protected tree cumulatively in any twelve-month period (§ 105-35.8(E)).
- Topping is unlawful outright (§ 105-35.8(F)).
- Root pruning is prohibited around trees 10" DBH and larger unless approved and supervised by the Parks Division (§ 105-35.8(A)).
- Flush cuts and stub cuts are prohibited (§ 105-35.8(D)).
Replacement, and the tree bank rates
On an existing single-family lot (§ 105-35.14), if the removal still leaves you at or above the lot-size minimum, no replacement tree is required. If it drops you below, it is one replacement tree for a removal under 19" DBH and two for 19" DBH or greater.
Minimum trees by lot size (Table 105-35.2): 2 up to 6,000 sq ft; 4 from 6,001–10,000; 6 from 10,001–15,000; 8 above 15,000, plus one per 2,000 sq ft over that.
Fees in lieu of replacement, straight from the Code:
| Situation | Rate |
|---|---|
| Existing single-family lot (incl. Grand Tree) | $60 per DBH inch |
| All other property | $120 per DBH inch |
| Sabal / Cabbage Palm, any property | $20 per DBH inch |
Replacement trees: minimum 8 feet tall, 2 inches caliper, Florida Grade #1 or better, guaranteed healthy for one year with a City follow-up inspection.
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.
The penalty is literally double the permit
§ 105-35.22(A): illegal removal or effective removal costs two times the rate of the permit for such tree removal. Illegal pruning is $100 per violation. The City publishes the resulting arithmetic in its own FAQ: $120 per DBH inch for existing single-family homes and $240 per DBH inch for all other properties, payable within 30 days.
And § 105-35.22(C) turns unpaid sums into a lien "superior to all other encumbrances of record… except tax liens," which the City may foreclose.
Who may even apply
§ 105-35.11(A) limits applicants to the owner, a tenant-in-common owner with written neighbor permission, an adjacent owner exercising self-help on overhanging branches, an authorized representative with a notarized affidavit, or a tree service hired by the property owner and currently licensed with the City.
Dunedin also holds tree companies to a hard insurance standard, § 105-35.7(D): a current City of Dunedin occupational license, Workers Compensation as required by law, and a minimum of $500,000 general liability of the classification type that describes the insurer as a tree service company and insures work at height from a bucket truck or by climbing. Landscape or lawn maintenance liability expressly does not qualify. Separately, § 105-35.7(E) makes it unlawful for a paid crew to leave tree debris at the curb for City pickup, it has to be hauled off.
Submission is online through the Dunedin CSS Portal. The City publishes a $25 application/processing fee on its tree permit page and in its 2025 Tree Protection brochure. We do not publish a turnaround time, the Code sets none and the City’s page says only that a notice of approval or denial will be sent through the portal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a permit for a dead tree in Dunedin? On the face of the Code, yes, § 105-35.9 says so in parentheses. Please do not let anyone tell you otherwise; the fine is twice the permit rate and it becomes a lien.
Can I prune my big live oak myself? If it is a Grand Tree, no, pruning needs a permit and must be done by or under an Approved Arborist. If it is not, routine pruning is exempt, but you may not take more than 25% of live foliage in twelve months and you may not top it.
The county says trees under 24 inches are fine on a homesteaded lot. Doesn’t that help? No. That threshold belongs to Pinellas County’s code for unincorporated property. Dunedin protects everything from 4" DBH including dead trees, and being the more restrictive rule it is what a homeowner inside city limits has to satisfy.
What about the state dangerous-tree law? It applies here as state law, but we found no Dunedin guidance on it anywhere, not in § 105-35, not in the State Law Reference Table, not on the City’s tree page, not in the 2025 brochure. Dunedin’s Code affirmatively goes the other way in two places. If you intend to rely on § 163.045, get the signed ISA-certified-arborist assessment first, confirm the property is a detached single-family home actively used as one, and call the City Arborist at 727-298-3279 before the saw comes out. Full explanation of the statute here.
Verified against Dunedin Code of Ordinances § 105-35 (Supp. No. 48, through Ord. No. 26-01) and the City’s published tree permit guidance as of July 2026. Ordinances change, if a detail matters to your decision, confirm the current text with the city first.
Before you decide anything
In Dunedin, more than anywhere else in this county, the question worth answering first is whether the tree can be kept. Have an arborist consultation before you have a removal quote, call (727) 365-1803. See also tree service in Dunedin and tree removal in Dunedin.
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Reviews · Tree Removal Permits in Dunedin, FL
4.9
462 reviews on Google, the count on our public Google listing
“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!!”
“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.”
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