Landscaping Rules in Walton County, FL (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Walton County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
Inside the Point Washington Neighborhood Plan Overlay District in South Walton, utility companies and government agencies may trim or remove protected trees for line maintenance without the tree-clearing permit the plan otherwise requires. For CHELCO's overhead power lines specifically, the plan sets the clearance at ten feet on either side of the pole line, ground to sky, with all pruning done to National Arborist Association standards.
Walton County Utility Tree-Trimming Clearance Rule
Light RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code, Appendix NP-5 (Point Washington Neighborhood Plan) Section B.2.c
c.Utility Operations. Excavation, tree pruning and removals by duly constituted communication, water, sewer, electrical or other utility companies or federal, state, or County agencies, or engineers or surveyors working under a contract with such utility companies or agencies shall be exempt, provided the activity is limited to those areas necessary for maintenance of existing lines or faciliti...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
A land clearing and alteration permit is required before removing or altering vegetation on most land in unincorporated Walton County under LDC § 1.13.09(F), to control stormwater, wetland, and habitat impacts, though south of Choctawhatchee Bay it must be bundled with a development application.
Land Clearing Permits, Walton County
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 1.13.09(F)
F.Land Clearing and Alteration.1.Clearing and alteration permits regulate clearing and removal of vegetation, within unincorporated Walton County. These regulations protect public health, safety and welfare by minimizing stormwater impacts, wetland and floodplain impacts, aquatic and wildlife habitat loss from adverse impacts generated by the removal of vegetation and alteration of landforms. O...
Weed Ordinances
Unincorporated Walton County caps weeds, grasses and shrubbery at 18 inches on residential and mixed-use lots, improved or vacant alike. Land Development Code Section 7.02.02 declares an excessive accumulation above that height a public nuisance when it can shelter vermin, breed mosquitoes or create a fire hazard, and exempts land that must stay in a natural vegetative state, such as conservation easements or coastal dune lake buffers.
Weed and Grass Height Limit, Walton County
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 7.02.02
A.Prohibited Conditions. The excessive accumulation of weeds, grasses, and shrubbery, except for intentionally designed native landscapes, upon any lot or parcel of land improved or unimproved within the unincorporated areas of the County for any residential or mixed use zoning district, which exceeds 18 inches in height, to the extent that such portion of the lot or parcel of land is or may re...
Native Plants
Walton County's landscaping code requires that seventy-five percent of the plant material in any required landscape plan be native species, under Land Development Code § 5.01.01(C), with no single species exceeding fifty percent of the plan and palm trees capped at twenty-five percent except for three named native palms. The rule applies to development needing a development order; a single-family home or duplex is exempt under § 5.01.01(B).
75% Native Plant Rule in Walton County
Some RestrictionsWalton County Land Development Code § 5.01.01(B)-(C)
B.Exemptions. Lots or parcels of land on which a single-family home or duplex is used as a residence shall be exempt from the provisions of these landscaping regulations. This exemption shall not be construed to apply to residential subdivisions or other residential developments that require a development order. ... C.Landscape Material. Diversity of plantings should be strived for in all requi...
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