Tree Removal, Relocation and Landscape Permits in South Florida – Miami-Dade DERM 2026

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INDEX

1. Hire a Tree and Landscape Contractor

2. Miami-Dade DERM Tree Preservation

3. Broward County Tree Preservation

4. Palm Beach County Tree Preservation

5. Protected Tree Species

6. Mangrove Protection

7. Tree Survey Requirements

8. Tree Protection During Construction

9. Replacement Plantings

10. Endless Life Design Tree/Landscape Services

11. Authoritative References & Code Resources

12. Related Endless Life Design Resources

Hire a Tree and Landscape Contractor

If you are searching for tree removal, tree relocation, or landscape construction permitting in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County, hire a licensed general contractor with established tree preservation and landscape coordination expertise. Tree preservation provisions throughout South Florida protect mature canopy supporting the urban tree canopy. Tree removal and relocation permit coordination integrates with construction project planning supporting both tree preservation and construction execution. Engaging the right contractor for tree preservation and construction coordination is essential for successful project execution.

Miami-Dade DERM Tree Preservation

Miami-Dade DERM (Division of Environmental Resources Management) administers tree preservation provisions throughout unincorporated Miami-Dade and coordination with incorporated Miami-Dade municipalities. Required scope includes tree removal permits for protected trees exceeding diameter thresholds (varying by tree species), tree relocation permits supporting protected tree relocation where removal is not preferred, tree replacement requirements supporting canopy maintenance, mitigation through replacement plantings or fee-in-lieu where direct replacement is impractical, and tree preservation. DERM tree preservation administration follows Miami-Dade Code Chapter 24 (Environmental Protection).

Broward County Tree Preservation

Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department (EPGMD) administers tree preservation provisions throughout Broward County including the Broward County Tree Preservation Ordinance supporting canopy maintenance. Required scope includes tree removal permits for protected trees, mitigation supporting tree replacement where removal is approved, integration with site development supporting tree preservation throughout construction, mature canopy assessment supporting accurate tree inventory, and tree preservation. Each Broward municipality maintains additional municipal tree preservation provisions supplementing the County framework.

Palm Beach County Tree Preservation

Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Department administers tree preservation provisions throughout Palm Beach County including Native Tree Preservation provisions under the Palm Beach County Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). Required scope includes tree removal permits for protected trees, native tree preservation supporting Florida-native tree species, mitigation supporting tree replacement, integration with site development planning, and tree preservation. Each PBC municipality maintains additional municipal tree preservation provisions supplementing the County framework.

Protected Tree Species

Protected tree species across South Florida include Florida-native species protected under county and municipal tree preservation provisions. Common protected species include Live Oak supporting canopy, Mahogany supporting canopy and historic significance, Gumbo Limbo supporting Florida-native landscape character, Mangrove species (red, black, white) supporting coastal ecosystem protection, Cypress supporting wetland character, Royal Palm supporting native palm landscape, and protected species. Each species carries specific preservation considerations affecting removal permitting and mitigation requirements.

Mangrove Protection

Mangrove protection under Florida Statutes Chapter 403.93 (Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act) and county and municipal mangrove protection provisions addresses coastal mangrove ecosystem supporting coastal protection. Required mangrove protection includes restrictions on mangrove removal and trimming, permit requirements for mangrove trimming supporting limited maintenance, professional mangrove trimmer requirements supporting qualified trimming work, mitigation requirements supporting mangrove preservation, integration with coastal construction permitting, and mangrove protection. Mangrove removal without authorization creates regulatory exposure.

Tree Survey Requirements

Tree survey requirements support tree preservation coordination during construction project planning. Required tree survey scope includes identification of protected trees on the property under applicable tree preservation provisions, tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and condition documentation supporting accurate tree assessment, mapping of tree locations relative to proposed construction, identification of trees requiring removal versus preservation, replacement tree calculation for any required removal, integration with construction project planning, and tree survey. Florida-licensed surveyors prepare tree surveys supporting comprehensive tree documentation.

Tree Protection During Construction

Tree protection during construction supports preservation of mature canopy through proper construction protection measures. Required protection includes construction fencing around protected trees supporting root protection zone establishment, root protection zone typically extending to drip line supporting root preservation, prohibition on construction activities within root protection zone, prohibition on soil disturbance affecting tree roots, prohibition on construction debris and equipment storage within root protection zone, integration with construction schedule supporting tree protection throughout project, and protection. Inadequate tree protection causes tree loss during construction.

Replacement Plantings

Replacement plantings support tree mitigation where tree removal is approved supporting canopy maintenance. Required replacement scope includes replacement tree quantity calibrated to removed tree characteristics (typically inch-for-inch replacement for native species, with multipliers for mature trees), replacement species appropriate to site conditions and applicable tree preservation provisions, replacement tree minimum size supporting reasonable establishment, replacement tree planting locations supporting canopy distribution, replacement tree maintenance supporting establishment, and replacement. Fee-in-lieu of replacement supports financial mitigation where direct replacement is impractical.

Endless Life Design Tree/Landscape Services

Endless Life Design manages the entire government permit process for construction projects across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Our Government Permit Processing Service handles your application, plan review, and final approval for a flat $4,500 — call (305) 680-3283 to get started.

Request your free consultation today. If you need a licensed general contractor in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County for tree removal or relocation requiring permit coordination, tree replacement or mitigation, mangrove trimming permit coordination, comprehensive tree survey for construction project planning, tree protection during construction, or comprehensive tree and landscape services, Endless Life Design delivers integrated licensed general contracting, design, engineering, and permit expediting services. Get a free quote, request a project assessment, or schedule a consultation by visiting endlesslifedesign.com, calling (305) 680-3283, or emailing endlesslifedesign@endlesslifedesign.com.

Authoritative References & Code Resources

For verification of the code requirements, permit standards, Florida Building Code sections, and regulatory citations referenced in this article, consult the following authoritative government and code sources:

Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) on ICC Digital Codes: Building | Residential | Existing Building | Mechanical | Plumbing | Accessibility.

Florida Statutes via The Florida Senate: Chapter 489 (Contractor Licensure) | Chapter 553 (Building Construction Standards) | Chapter 713 (Construction Lien Law) | Chapter 471 (Engineers) | Chapter 481 (Architects) | Chapter 472 (Land Surveyors) | Chapter 515 (Pool Safety) | Chapter 633 (Fire Safety).

Florida State Agencies: Florida DBPR Contractor License Verification | DBPR Building Codes and Standards | Florida Building Commission.

Local Municipal & County Codes via Municode Library: Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances | Broward County Code of Ordinances | Broward County Administrative Code | Palm Beach County Code of Ordinances.

The Arborist Letter the Statute Made Powerful

The state rewrote the removal map, with Florida law allowing residential owners to remove trees documented as dangerous by a qualified arborist or landscape architect without the local permit that once governed everything, the letter's wording and the author's credentials carrying the legal weight, and the preemption applied only where its conditions genuinely fit, the statute used precisely rather than waved vaguely, the hazardous tree removed under paperwork strong enough to answer the inspector who asks.

The hazardous tree is removed under paperwork strong enough to answer the inspector who asks. Endless Life Design coordinates the documentation the statute requires. Call (305) 680-3283 for removals on lawful footing. The letter's wording and the author's credentials carry the legal weight.

The Relocation That Counts as Preservation

The tree can move instead of die, with the relocation programs accepting transplanted specimens as mitigation, the root pruning, boxing, and watering schedules engineered months before the crane arrives, and the survival bonds and monitoring proving the move succeeded, the canopy preserved by logistics, the protected oak thriving in its new corner because its journey was planned like the project around it.

The protected oak thrives in its new corner because its journey was planned like the project around it. Endless Life Design manages relocations that satisfy mitigation. Call (305) 680-3283 for trees moved, not lost.

The Protective Fencing at the Dripline

The construction phase is the tree's most dangerous season, with the protection zones fenced at the driplines before the first machine arrives, the trenching, grade changes, and material stockpiles kept outside the roots' territory, and the fines for violations dwarfing the cost of the fence that prevents them, the preserved canopy defended through the chaos, the trees standing healthy at the ribbon cutting because their ground was guarded the whole way.

The trees stand healthy at the ribbon cutting because their ground was guarded the whole way. Endless Life Design fences and enforces protection zones. Call (305) 680-3283 for canopies that survive their construction.

Related Endless Life Design Resources

Browse our complete portfolio of licensed construction, engineering, architecture, 3D rendering, and permit expediting services across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties: Construction Services | Commercial Construction Projects | Residential Construction Projects | Royal Palace Projects.

Request a free consultation today: Visit endlesslifedesign.com | Email endlesslifedesign@endlesslifedesign.com | Call (305) 680-3283 | Contact form.

Endless Life Design | Licensed General Contractor and South Florida Tree and Landscape Permit Services | Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County | (305) 680-3283 | endlesslifedesign@endlesslifedesign.com | endlesslifedesign.com

Related Permit Resources

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