Updated October 2026
Clearwater requires a permit to remove any protected tree, meaning a nonhazardous tree 4 inches or wider at chest height or a palm with 10 feet of clear, straight trunk. Permits are valid for six months. Routine pruning that follows good practice needs no permit, and dead or hazardous trees are handled differently.
Coast and inland in one city
Near the water, Clearwater's trees deal with salt spray and wind, and palms make up much of the canopy. A few miles inland, around Countryside and the older streets off Belcher and Keene, live oaks and laurel oaks shade bigger lots and reach over roofs and pools.
We plan Clearwater jobs from our Tampa office across the Courtney Campbell Causeway, with storm calls dispatched as fast as the bridges allow.
Clearwater homeowners often ask about palms that have grown too tall to clean safely from a ladder. Bucket or climbing crews reach them, clean the dead fronds and seed stalks, and leave the green crown full. Where a tall palm leans over a roof or pool, removal and a permit check come next.
Palms, oaks and salt
Coastal palms need regular cleaning of dead fronds and seed stalks before hurricane season, with the green crown left intact. Tall palms close to the house are a common removal request, and in Clearwater a palm with 10 feet of clear trunk counts as protected.
Inland oaks follow the familiar Tampa Bay pattern: live oaks that need thinning and laurel oaks that are reaching the end of their lives.
Clearwater tree permits
Clearwater requires a permit to remove any protected tree, which the city defines as any nonhazardous tree 4 inches DBH or larger or any palm with 10 feet of clear, straight trunk. Tree removal permits are valid for six months. We confirm whether your tree is protected and handle the application before scheduling the removal. We handle the application ourselves.
Most requested in Clearwater
Nearby areas we cover
Or see the whole Tampa Bay service area.
Clearwater tree questions
Nonhazardous trees 4 inches and up and palms with 10 feet of clear trunk.
If it has 10 feet of clear, straight trunk, yes.
Six months from issue.
Yes, coastal palms are a regular job.
From our Tampa office across the causeway.
Yes, with climbers or a bucket truck.