Sarasota, FL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section VII-313 puts the trimming duty squarely on the property owner or occupant: a tree cannot be allowed to extend over a public sidewalk or right-of-way unless it's kept trimmed to ten feet of clearance over the sidewalk and 14 1/2 feet over the street or right-of-way itself. 1, Tree Protection (Sections VII-310 through VII-329), so its exemptions and its enforcement machinery come from the rest of that division. 5 inches DBH are exempt from 'this division,' which by its placement includes the VII-313 clearance duty, so a citrus tree overhanging a sidewalk is not itself a code violation.

Anyone hired to do the actual trimming, pruning or removal work within the city, whether a contractor or a subcontractor, must hold a valid local business tax receipt and carry worker's compensation, public liability and property damage insurance under Section VII-317; a homeowner trimming their own tree isn't required to hold that license. If the work involves root pruning near a protected or grand tree rather than just canopy clearance, Section VII-312(e) caps it at roots no larger than three inches in diameter, requires an approved cutting tool such as a chainsaw or hand saw, and requires the pruning happen before construction activity and be inspected by the city arborist.

The trimming duty is separate from the tree-removal permit process in Section VII-316, which only applies when a protected tree is being taken out entirely, not when it's simply being cut back to meet the sidewalk and street clearances.