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

Section 122.04(A) requires the City to first determine there is no alternative to removal, such as canopy trimming, root pruning, or root barriers, before it can even consider a permit; it then must find one of seven conditions, including that the tree is diseased, injured, or in danger of falling, obstructs safe vehicular sight lines, materially interferes with a utility line, or blocks a permitted structure that cannot be sited around it. The property owner applies (§ 122.04(B)), attaching a notarized application, a site map, a start date and duration, a work description with a certified site plan, and, for most properties, a tree survey performed within six months and sealed by a landscape architect (§ 122.04(B)(1)-(5)).

Projects that will disturb a tree's dripline also need a Dripline Encroachment Plan describing the affected trees, the reason for the encroachment, and protective measures (§ 122.04(B)(6)). The application fee, set by City Commission resolution, is non-refundable and cannot be transferred to another application (§ 122.04(C)). An approved permit runs for six months from issuance, or one year for a relocation, with one six-month extension available on written request (§ 122.04(F)), and it must be posted conspicuously on site (§ 122.04(G)). Certain trees are exempt from the permit, including trees the City has determined are dead (§ 122.03(B)(5)) and, on single-family or duplex lots with an existing structure, most trees other than specimen trees.