Palm Beach Gardens, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Nonresidential uses, planned-development common areas
- Crown reduction limit
- Barred until canopy reaches 15 feet
- Hatracking
- Prohibited outright, defined by three cut types
- First fine
- $250 per hatracked tree
- Repeat fine
- $500 per hatracked tree
- Enforcer
- City code enforcement board
Summary
Section 78-328 of the Palm Beach Gardens Code applies its pruning standards to nonresidential uses and common areas in planned developments, and it bans crown reduction of shade trees until the canopy reaches 15 feet in diameter. It also outlaws hatracking outright, and the code enforcement board can fine $250 per hatracked tree, doubling to $500 per tree for a repeat violation.
The pruning standards in this article shall apply only to all nonresidential uses and to common areas in all planned developments and within developments of regional impact. (a)Crown reduction. Crown reduction of shade trees shall be prohibited until the tree canopy has reached at least 15 feet in diameter, excluding the following:(1)To remove limbs or foliage presenting a hazard or in conflict with a crime prevention program; ... (4)In association with tree or palm relocation work. ... (1)Hatracking. Hatracking is prohibited. ... hatracking is defined as one or more of the following actions:a.Flat-cut the top or sides of a tree, severing the leader or leaders;b.Make internodal cuts; prune a tree by stubbing off mature wood larger than three inches in diameter; orc.Reduce a mature tree's total circumference or canopy spread by one-third or more. ... (f)Violations. Excessive pruning, such as hatracking, may be considered tree abuse and a code violation by the city's code enforcement board. Each tree hatracked shall be considered a clear and separate violation, with a maximum fine of $250.00 for the first tree and a maximum fine of $250.00 for each additional tree.
Full Breakdown
Section 78-328 does not apply pruning limits to ordinary single-family yards; it governs nonresidential properties and the common areas of planned unit developments, planned community districts, and developments of regional impact. Crown reduction of a shade tree is prohibited until its canopy has reached at least 15 feet in diameter, with narrow exceptions to remove hazardous limbs, limbs that conflict with a crime-prevention design feature, dead or diseased wood, or limbs removed to reinforce a tree's structural form or relocate it. Once a canopy passes 15 feet, further crown reduction is allowed only incidentally, using correct arborist technique, and only where a real constraint like power lines or a structure requires it.
The section separately defines and bans hatracking: flat-cutting the top or sides of a tree and severing its leader, making internodal cuts, stubbing off mature wood larger than three inches in diameter, or cutting a mature tree's canopy spread back by a third or more. Palm pruning is limited to dead fronds and up to one-third of the green fronds and seed pods, and cutting lower limbs to open sightlines beneath a canopy cannot drop the first limb's collar below 13.5 feet off the ground.
All pruning must be performed by a person or tree service familiar with National Arborist Association standards, and tree service companies need a city occupational license or an equivalent countywide license to work in Palm Beach Gardens.
Violations & Fines
The code enforcement board treats excessive pruning, including hatracking, as tree abuse and a code violation, with each hatracked tree counted as its own separate offense. A first violation carries a maximum fine of $250.00 for the first tree and $250.00 for each additional tree hatracked. A repeat violation, once the board has already found a person in violation, raises the maximum to $500.00 per tree, and the board may also order tree replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the section 78-328 pruning limit apply to my house?
What is hatracking under Palm Beach Gardens' tree code?
How much can I be fined for hatracking a tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach Gardens
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