Pasco County tree removal permits: when you need one

A Tree Removal Permit is needed to remove any tree 5 inches or more in diameter at breast height (DBH), unless an exemption applies.³ DBH is measured 54 inches above the natural grade, and the trunks of a tree with several are added together. Two trees so close that harming one would harm the other count as one tree.⁴

The exemptions most homeowners meet are:⁵

• palms and pines on single-family lots, except longleaf pine, unless they're part of an adopted replanting or landscaping plan;
• exotic and invasive species, unless the tree is part of a required landscape plan or tree permit plan;
• the least clearing needed to put a fence or wall on a property line, on a path no wider than 10 feet, with nothing heavier than a one-ton pickup, hand-held power tools or a farm tractor, and never in wetlands or their buffers.

The county's checklist adds that a tree shown on an approved plan, such as a landscape plan or a house permit's site plan, needs a permit to come down, and so does a tree a developer planted, even under 5 inches. A tree you planted yourself that isn't on a plan needs no permit while it's under 5 inches DBH.⁶

On a single-family lot with a house, the code applies Florida Statutes section 163.045: you can submit an onsite assessment by an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect showing the tree poses an unacceptable risk to people or property. The county may ask for a copy after the tree is removed.⁷ Under that statute, the county can't require a permit, fee or replanting for such a tree.⁸

The county weighs whether the tree or its roots threaten a structure's foundation, whether removing it helps other trees on the lot grow, whether it's a hazard that trimming can't fix, whether it's dead, irreversibly diseased or damaged beyond saving, and whether site grading or fill would kill it. If a request is turned down, you can send more information from a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect.⁹ Allergies, leaf drop and looks aren't accepted reasons.¹⁰

Each tree removed needs a replacement tree, unless the hazard exemption above applies.¹¹ A dead or dying tree needs none once a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect has confirmed its condition on site.⁹ The permit gives you 30 days to remove the tree and plant its replacement, then upload a photo of the new tree. If the new tree dies, it has to be replanted.¹⁰

The County Commission can name a tree of special significance (historic, specimen or champion) at its owner's request. Removing one takes a permit, a site inspection and an arborist's or landscape architect's written finding that removal is needed to avoid immediate danger or that its condition warrants it, and the Commission has to approve.¹² A heritage tree is a live oak 34 inches DBH or larger, or a Southern magnolia 24 inches or larger, in good condition or better.⁴

Apply online in PascoGateway: choose Building, then Miscellaneous, then Tree removal. Give each tree's species and DBH, and upload a site plan (an aerial image or sketch with the tree marked) and photos showing why it has to come down.¹³ A tree in a county right-of-way also needs a right-of-way use permit. Building Construction Services is at 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 100, New Port Richey, (727) 847-8126.¹⁰

The code bans irreversible damage to a tree, topping any tree, and pruning that doesn't follow ANSI A300 standards, invasive trees aside. When a tree is damaged that way, each inch of its DBH can be charged as a separate violation.¹⁴