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Tree Removal Permits in Largo, FL
What the City of Largo requires before a tree comes down - thresholds, exemptions, replacement rules and how long approval takes.
“Steven was great, him and his crew got out early and was here all day taking out my four laurel oaks for me. Start to finish it was a pleasure working with happy tree service. The speed and efficiency of the work was fantastic.”
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Largo’s removals are dominated by one species doing one thing: laurel oaks planted with the 1960s and 1970s subdivisions, now reaching the end of a 50–70 year useful life all at once. So the clause Largo homeowners need explained is the dead-and-dying rule, and it is the one the city’s code handles differently from how most people assume.
The rules are in the Comprehensive Development Code, Chapter 10 (Landscape Standards), principally § 10.7.2. The Planning Division administers them; the City Arborist does the field check.
The threshold
§ 10.7.2(B)(2) requires a tree removal permit for the removal or alteration of:
- Trees measuring four (4) inches caliper or greater; or
- Palms with four and one-half feet or more of clear trunk, measured from the lowest green frond to ground level.
It applies "on any site in the City, including the public right-of-way and public properties, regardless of use or land use designation." There is no residential carve-out from the permit itself. Mangroves may not be removed at all, and mangrove trimming needs a Pinellas County Environmental Management permit.
CDC § 20.1 defines a protected tree as any species four inches or greater in trunk diameter at 4.5 feet, and for a multi-stemmed understory species the DBH is the sum of all stems. There is no hazard, dead or dying exclusion written into that definition.
The dead-tree rule, exactly as written
This is the sentence that matters, § 10.7.2(B)(3)(d):
Removal of dead, dying or diseased trees shall not require a permit fee or replacement, but shall require a permit.
Read that twice. Dead gets you out of the fee and the replanting. It does not get you out of the permit. The same is true of the invasive-species exemption at (a) and the small-tree exemption at (b), all three waive fees and replacement, not the permit. Only bona fide agriculture and nursery operations at (c) are exempted "from the provisions of this Section."
There is one narrow immediate-action provision, § 10.7.2(B)(2)(d): the Development Compliance Official may authorize the immediate removal of any tree endangering the public health or safety prior to filing an application, and a tree whose main stem or major branch is contacting a permanent living structure requires a permit but no fee and no replacement. A permit is still the required end state.
Largo has no storm waiver at all. Nothing in the whole of Chapter 10 addresses emergency, hurricane or storm removals, the only storm references are stormwater engineering. Compare St. Petersburg, which at least has a discretionary emergency waiver. The City’s own storm-preparedness page states it flatly: "If you believe a tree on your property needs to be removed due to disease, storm damage, or safety concerns, a Tree Removal Permit is required."
What the city needs to see to approve it
§ 10.7.2(B)(5)(c) gives two justifications: the tree is a threat to public safety or health through danger of falling or interference with utility services; or there is a likelihood of property damage, in which case the property owner must provide appropriate documentation demonstrating the damage.
Replacement
Largo escalates the ratio with size, Table 10-8:
| Existing tree | Replacement ratio |
|---|---|
| 4"–15" caliper | 1 inch replaced per inch removed |
| 16"–30" caliper | 2 inches per inch |
| Over 30" caliper | 3 inches per inch |
Laurel oaks are replaced at 1:1 regardless of size, a footnote in the table itself, and a real financial break in a city full of failing laurel oaks.
Replacement trees must be at least 8 feet tall and 2 inches caliper, Florida Grade #1 or better, guaranteed healthy for one year.
But on an existing house, the ratios often never bite. § 10.7.2(B)(3)(b) and § 10.5.3(C)(5): existing single-family, duplex, triplex and mobile home lots are not required to replace trees ten inches in diameter or less, and even for trees larger than ten inches, "providing that the minimum planting requirement in Table 10-6 is met, replacements shall not be required."
Table 10-6, minimum canopy trees by lot size:
| Lot size (sq ft) | Canopy trees required |
|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 2 |
| 5,001–7,500 | 3 |
| 7,501–10,000 | 4 |
| 10,001–12,500 | 5 |
| 12,501–15,000 | 6 |
One more tree per 2,500 sq ft above 15,000. Trees left standing in healthy condition count toward the number.
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.
Fees, and one figure we will not settle for you
Largo’s Code of Ordinances Appendix B, Sec. 4.B, lists:
- Tree Removal Permit: $20.00 per permit / per property
- Tree Removal Fee: $25.00 per caliper inch of tree to be removed
The CDC (§ 10.7.2(B)(7)) describes the per-inch charge as "cash-in-lieu of replacement." The fee schedule calls it a tree removal fee. They are almost certainly the same charge, but neither document says so and Nothing published verifies it, so we quote both figures exactly as published and send people to the Planning Division (727-587-6749 x7301, askaplanner@largo.com) to confirm what applies to their tree.
We also do not publish a turnaround time for Largo. None is stated in the CDC, the fee schedule, the application form or on largo.com.
Applying
The application is filed on City forms by the property owner or by a tree service with a current Business Tax Receipt on file with the City of Largo, § 10.7.2(B)(4)(a) names that explicitly, so ask any contractor whether they hold one. A sketch or site plan showing the trees requested for removal must accompany it. The City Arborist field-checks every application (§ 10.7.2(B)(5)(a)).
Note one quirk on the City’s own form: it requires a signed Certified Arborist letter to waive fees and replacement for a diseased or dying tree only for non-residential properties.
Penalties
Largo’s tree section sets no dollar fine of its own. Enforcement runs through the City Arborist’s stop-work authority (CDC § 3.8(B)), Community Standards, and the general penalty at Code of Ordinances § 1-15: a fine not exceeding $500.00 or up to 60 days, with each day a separate offense. Practical exposure for cutting first: after-the-fact replacement or fee-in-lieu at the Table 10-8 ratios, a stop-work order, and code enforcement.
Frequently asked questions
My laurel oak is dead. Do I need a permit? Yes. Largo waives the fee and the replacement for a dead, dying or diseased tree, but the permit is still required. That is § 10.7.2(B)(3)(d) in the city’s own words.
Does the 24-inch homestead rule apply here? No. That is a Pinellas County threshold for unincorporated property. Largo protects trees from four inches caliper with no residential exception.
Largo exempted itself from the county tree ordinance, didn’t it? Only from Ordinance No. 76-16, a 1976 ordinance, under Code § 19-25. The county’s current tree rules are Ordinance No. 26-3 from January 2026, and its § 58-809 says a municipal ordinance prevails only "where these provisions conflict." The published code does not confirm how those interact, so we do not tell anyone the county code has no reach in Largo. What we can say safely: Largo has its own tree code, and you apply to the City of Largo.
Does the state dangerous-tree statute work here? It is state law and it applies to Largo homeowners whether or not the City publishes anything about it, and we found nothing published. Not in the CDC, not in the State Law Reference Table, not on largo.com, not on the application. So anyone relying on it in Largo should hold the signed ISA-certified-arborist assessment and speak to the Planning Division before removal. The statute is explained here.
Verified against the City of Largo Comprehensive Development Code (Supp. No. 17, through Ord. No. 2026-01) and Code of Ordinances Appendix B 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. See also tree service in Largo and tree removal in Largo.
Google reviews
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Reviews · Tree Removal Permits in Largo, 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.”
Every one of these lives on our public Google listing, where we cannot edit or delete a word. Read them all on Google →