Pembroke Pines, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk clearance
- 8 feet 6 inches minimum
- Street-level clearance
- 14 feet 6 inches minimum
- Notice-to-cure period
- 10 days (§ 52.24(C)(5), (C)(7))
- Responsible party
- Abutting property owner
- Enforcement remedy
- City removal cost becomes property lien
Summary
Pembroke Pines makes property owners responsible for trimming trees in the swale and front yard so they clear the sidewalk and street. The Public Works Department can order the work done and bill the owner, then lien the property, if it isn't handled within ten days.
(4) All trees shall be kept trimmed by the owner and shall have a clearance of at least eight feet and six inches (8.5 feet) above the sidewalk and 14 feet and six inches (14.5 feet) above the street level so as to permit pedestrian and vehicular traffic beneath them without interference. In areas with a guardrail, trees or tree limbs over the roadway and shoulder shall have a vertical clearance of 14 feet and six inches (14.5 feet) from the face of the guardrail.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).
Full Breakdown
" Where a guardrail is present, limbs over the roadway and shoulder must clear the guardrail face by 14 feet 6 inches as well. 24(C)(6) places the trimming duty on the property owner for any tree in the front yard or in the adjacent swale area, and separately makes the owner responsible for keeping trees from interfering with street light illumination. 24(C)(7) when growth blocks street light illumination. 24(C). 24(C)) are barred from swale planting outright.
Violations & Fines
If the owner fails or refuses to cut down, trim, destroy, or remove offending trees within the ten-day notice period, § 52.24(C)(5) and (C)(7) let the Director of Public Works have the work done and charge the cost to the owner, with that cost becoming a lien on the property. Chapter-wide violations of the swale subchapter also trigger the notice-and-15-day-cure process in § 52.28, after which the city may correct the condition and charge the abutting owner, and § 52.99 makes each day a violation continues a separate offense punishable under § 10.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much clearance must a swale tree have over the sidewalk in Pembroke Pines?
Who has to trim swale-area trees?
What happens if I don't trim my tree after the city notifies me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pembroke Pines
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