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Tree Removal Permits in Madeira Beach, FL
What Madeira Beach's own code says about removing a tree, what the county adds, and where the dune rules take over.
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Madeira Beach answers the permit question on its own FAQ, in one sentence: "You must get a permit from the City of Madeira Beach before you remove any tree, including a tree on private property." The trigger is 4 inches DBH and the permit is, in the code’s own words, a "no fee permit" (§ 106-69(a)). You still have to get it. It just costs nothing.
The rules live in Chapter 106, Article III, sections 106-61 through 106-72 of the city’s Land Development Regulations, codified through Ordinance No. 2025-20 (Supp. No. 34). The Building Department administers them: 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, FL 33708, 727-391-9951, Buildingdept@madeirabeachfl.gov, Monday–Friday 8:30–4:30.
The county’s tree code does not apply here, the city says so in writing
Most Pinellas cities leave you guessing about how the county’s January 2026 tree ordinance interacts with their own code. Madeira Beach does not. Section 106-67, in full: "County tree regulations shall not be applicable to real estate within the city limits of the city." Inside Madeira Beach you deal with one rulebook, the city’s, and you apply to the city. The county’s 24-inch homesteaded threshold, its grading tables, its per-inch penalties: none of it operates here. Outside the city limits, start instead with our Pinellas County permit guide.
One carve-out to that single-rulebook picture is a big one: mangroves.
What needs a permit
Any tree 4" DBH or larger, anywhere in the city. § 106-69(a) makes it "unlawful for any person to remove or cause to be removed any tree having a diameter at breast height of four inches or greater without first having procured a no fee permit." DBH is measured single-stemmed at 4½ feet above grade (§ 82-2). The code protects trees by size, not species, there is no protected-species list, and no separate rule for backyard versus street.
"Removal" is broader than cutting. Under § 82-2 it includes effective removal, damaging, poisoning, or other indirect actions that cause a tree to die. § 106-65 backs that up: it is unlawful to "remove, cut down, damage, poison or in any other manner destroy" any tree or mangrove except in accordance with the article. Girdling an oak and waiting is a violation, not a workaround.
Mangroves of any size need three permits. § 106-69(b): no mangrove, regardless of size, may be removed "without first having procured the required city, county and state permits." Red, black and white mangroves plus buttonwood all count (§ 82-2). This is the one place where the county comes back into the picture, alongside the state.
The seven trees you can remove without a permit
§ 106-64 exempts seven exotic species from the permit requirement entirely: punk (melaleuca), Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, chinaberry, ear tree, eucalyptus, and silk oak. If your tree is on that list, no permit, the code merely says replacement with native species is "encouraged," not required. Everything else at 4" DBH goes through the permit.
What is not in this code, and it matters
Two absences shape everything about how Madeira Beach works.
There is no dead-tree or hazardous-tree exemption. The article simply does not contain one. A dead tree at 4" DBH needs the same free permit as a live one. Since the permit costs nothing, that is less painful than it sounds, but it is not optional.
The word "arborist" appears nowhere in the city code. No arborist report is required with an application (§ 106-70), and no provision lets an arborist letter substitute for a permit. Anyone telling you "our arborist signed off, so we can skip the city" is describing a code Madeira Beach never wrote, with one narrow statutory exception covered below.
Storms relax the clock, not the requirement. § 106-66 lets the city manager allow "a reasonable time" for removal and replacement after hurricanes and similar disasters. That is a timing accommodation. It does not waive the permit, and no homeowner can invoke it unilaterally.
Applying
Applications go through the Building Department, with an online portal at mgoconnect.org/cp/portal. § 106-70 sets out what the application must show: a site plan locating all trees and mangroves on the property, the ones proposed for removal, and existing structures, walks, drives and parking. Where mangroves exist, an aerial photograph at 1" = 50' or better is acceptable in lieu of a drawn plan. No arborist report is required by code.
The fee is zero. The code calls it a no fee permit, and the city’s Appendix A fee manual contains no tree line items at all.
We cannot tell you how long review takes. The city publishes no review timeline, and The published code does not confirm whether a dedicated tree form exists or whether you apply through the general portal application, the city’s 60+ published permit checklists include none for trees. Call the Building Department, or have us handle it as part of the job.
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.
Replacement rules
Removal comes with replanting. Under §§ 106-71 and 106-72, replacement trees must be the same species removed or a species from the § 106-62 list, 20 named natives, "all species of palm trees," and species rated Florida Native or "Okay" on the UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping list. Every replacement must be at least 8 feet tall at planting and Florida nursery grade No. 1 or better (§ 106-71(b)); the city may waive those specs if qualifying stock is unavailable.
On residential property, § 106-72(a) sets a minimum tree count by lot size:
| Lot size (sq ft) | Minimum trees |
|---|---|
| 3,500–6,000 | 2 |
| 6,001–7,500 | 3 |
| 7,501–10,000 | 4 |
| 10,001–16,000 | 6 |
| Over 16,000 | 8 |
You are never required to plant more trees than existed on the lot at the time of the permit. Nonresidential property replaces one-for-one where removals exceed 25% of the naturally existing protected trees, or meets the landscaping minimums of §§ 106-33–106-36, whichever is greater. There is no tree fund and no pay-in-lieu option, in Madeira Beach, replacement means trees in the ground.
If you are building, § 106-68 also requires protective barriers during construction: at least a 6-foot radius around mangroves and cabbage palms, the full dripline for native pines, at least two-thirds of the dripline for other protected trees, and nothing may be nailed or attached to a tree.
Penalties
§ 106-65 makes unpermitted removal or destruction unlawful, and because the article carries no penalty of its own, the city’s general penalty at § 1-16 applies: a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense, plus nuisance abatement. For a permit that costs nothing, that is an expensive corner to cut.
The dune line is its own jurisdiction
On a barrier island, the vegetation rules do not stop at trees. § 106-42: removal or relocation of sea oats or sand dunes anywhere landward of the county Coastal Construction Control Line must be coordinated with the building and zoning director before work starts. § 42-38(b) is blunter: "The removal or disturbance of vegetation of a dune is prohibited," and any dune planting must be suitable for stabilization. And in the Zone V / Coastal A flood zones, §§ 94-52 and 94-124 allow alteration of sand dunes and mangrove stands only with FDEP approval plus a sealed engineering analysis by a licensed engineer using FEMA methodology. If a job touches the beach side of a Gulf-front lot, we treat the dune as off-limits until the city says otherwise.
The state statute Madeira’s code never mentions
Florida Statute § 163.045 lets a qualifying owner of a single-family detached home remove a tree without a local permit when a qualified professional documents, in a signed on-site assessment, that the tree poses an unacceptable risk. The statute is real, we verified it at leg.state.fl.us, and it is state law, so it operates whether or not a city writes it into its code.
Here is the honest picture: the Madeira Beach code does not acknowledge § 163.045 anywhere, our search hits only an unrelated State Law Reference Table, and Nothing published verifies how the city counter treats a statutory claim. We will not tell you the city "recognizes" it, because nothing we can cite says so. If you intend to rely on the statute, get the signed on-site documentation in hand first, keep it, and call the Building Department at 727-391-9951 before anyone cuts, a five-minute call is cheaper than a § 1-16 citation. Read our full statute guide first.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a tree in my own backyard? Yes. The city’s FAQ says it directly: a permit is required "before you remove any tree, including a tree on private property." At 4" DBH or larger the permit is required, and free.
My tree is dead. Is there an exemption? No. Chapter 106, Article III contains no dead-tree or hazardous-tree exemption, and the storm provision (§ 106-66) only extends timing after a disaster, it does not waive the permit. The only route around the permit is F.S. § 163.045, and the city’s code is silent on how its counter handles that statute, so call 727-391-9951 first.
Does the Pinellas County tree ordinance apply to my Madeira Beach property? No. § 106-67 states county tree regulations "shall not be applicable to real estate within the city limits of the city." The one exception in practice is mangroves, where § 106-69(b) requires city, county and state permits.
Can I take out a Brazilian pepper without asking? Yes. Brazilian pepper is one of the seven exempt exotics in § 106-64, along with melaleuca, Australian pine, chinaberry, ear tree, eucalyptus and silk oak. Replacing it with a native is encouraged, not required.
How much does the permit cost, and how long does it take? It costs $0, the code names it a "no fee permit," and the fee manual has no tree line items. Turnaround is the honest gap: the city publishes no review timeline. Ask the Building Department, or ask us and we will find out for your job.
Can Happy’s pull the permit for me? Yes. We prepare the § 106-70 site plan, file through the city, and schedule the work around approval, including the triple-permit process when mangroves are involved. Call (727) 365-1803.
Verified against the Madeira Beach Code of Ordinances, codified through Ord. No. 2025-20 (Supp. No. 34), and the city’s published FAQ and Building Department pages, as of July 2026. Ordinances change, if a detail matters to your decision, confirm the current text with the city first.
See also tree service in Madeira Beach and tree removal in Madeira Beach.
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Reviews · Tree Removal Permits in Madeira Beach, FL
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“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.”
“This was the second time I'd hired Happy's to take down some dead trees and I couldn't be happier with the job they did. First off they gave me a great price for the amount of work I needed done.”
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