Tree removal permit rules in Palm Coast, FL — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing a tree of 6-inch caliper or greater (or 4-inch caliper if surveyed for credit) in Palm Coast requires a permit under Land Development Code Chapter 11. Applications go to Building Services at 160 Lake Avenue (386-986-3780). Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the City permit on a single-family residential lot when the owner has ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree is dangerous. SFR/DPX/EST-zoned owners may also remove specimen or historic trees within the buildable area without mitigation when shifting the footprint cannot save the tree.
Per the City's Help Center, a permit is required to 'cut down, remove, damage or destroy by pruning' any tree with a caliper of 6 inches or greater at 4.5 feet above grade, or 4 inches if previously surveyed for credit. Land Development Code Chapter 11 (Tree Protection, Landscaping, Buffering and Irrigation) provides the substantive standards, classifies protected trees and specimen trees, and sets mitigation requirements. The City's 2016-6 amendment to Chapter 11 provides that owners of lots assigned to the SFR, DPX, and EST zoning districts may remove any specimen or historic tree within the buildable area of the lot with no mitigation, provided that all reasonable efforts to shift or flip the building footprint cannot save the tree. Applications and inspections are handled by Building Services at 160 Lake Avenue, Palm Coast FL 32164 (386-986-3780; Monday-Friday 8am-5pm). FS 163.045 preempts the City permit when (a) the property is a single-family detached residence actively used as such, (b) the owner has on-site written documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect, (c) the assessment follows ANSI/ISA BMP — Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017), and (d) the tree is documented to pose a danger to persons or property.
Unpermitted removal of a regulated tree outside the FS 163.045 exemption is enforced by Code Compliance under Chapter 11 with mandatory mitigation (replacement plantings) and potential Special Magistrate fines. Knowingly mis-certifying a tree as hazardous can subject the certifying arborist or landscape architect to professional discipline.
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