Dade City, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

14(D)(1). The Building Official reviews the request against the tree's effect on drainage, topography, natural resources, area ecology, public safety, and the reasonable use of the site for development, and the Community Development Director must act on most applications, approving or denying each tree, within seven days of filing (site plan and major preliminary plat applications follow a different track). 1(E)(1), which separately makes it unlawful to remove or 'effectively remove' any regulated tree without a permit from the building department. That same section caps removal outright: no tree in excess of 40 inches diameter at breast height may be taken down, permit or not.

For a routine residential removal, the application needs a sketch showing structures, drives, walks and the trees to be removed or retained, the species and size of each, and the reason for the request; a development-related removal instead files with the preliminary site plan and must show retained trees, planned grading, easements and paved areas. Removal beyond the LDR's per-acre percentage allowances triggers inch-for-inch replacement or a payment into the city's tree bank fund, with a required six-month survival check by the building department on any replacement tree. 16 by filing a written Notice of Appeal with the Community Development Director within 30 days of the decision.