Showing ordinances that apply to Zephyrhills West, FL
Zephyrhills West is an unincorporated community (population 5,533) in Pasco County, Florida. Because Zephyrhills West is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Pasco County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The heritage & protected trees rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Pasco LDC §603 designates Specimen trees (24 inch+ DBH live oak, cypress, longleaf pine, magnolia) with the highest protection. Removal requires BCC approval and 3:1 mitigation except under FL §163.045 danger exemption.
Pasco County Land Development Code Section 603 classifies trees as Protected (4-12 inch DBH), Grand (12-24 inch DBH), and Specimen (24 inch+ DBH or historically/ecologically significant). Specimen trees — particularly live oaks, bald cypress, longleaf pine, Southern magnolia, and cabbage palm clusters — receive the strongest protection. Removal of a Specimen tree requires Board of County Commissioners approval, a certified arborist report, and typically 3:1 replacement mitigation or equivalent fee-in-lieu payment to the Pasco Tree Bank. Construction near Specimen trees requires tree protection fencing at the critical root zone (1 ft radius per 1 inch DBH) under LDC §603.4. Florida Statute §163.045 still applies — a certified arborist can document a Specimen tree as an unacceptable danger and remove it without county approval, but documentation must be retained for 5 years.
Unauthorized Specimen tree removal: $5,000-$25,000 per tree under LDC §603.6 plus 3:1 replacement. Root zone damage during construction: $1,000-$10,000 plus remediation and monitoring. Stop-work order and potential liens.
See how Zephyrhills West's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.