Updated October 2026
South Tampa is inside the City of Tampa, so removing a tree 5 inches or more across needs a city permit, pruning needs one once a tree reaches 24 inches, and Grand Trees of 32 inches or more need public notice. Most South Tampa jobs are access problems: narrow side yards, mature canopy overhead and no path for a chipper.
Old canopy, little room
South Tampa streets run under live oaks and laurel oaks planted generations ago, with houses close together and pools, garages and fences filling the backyards. Getting a chipper or a truck to the tree is often the hardest part of the job.
USF researchers found that South Tampa and East Tampa lost the most canopy in the 2024 hurricanes, so many owners are now deciding what to keep, what to prune and what to replace.
Many South Tampa owners are weighing a big oak against a narrow lot: is it safe to keep, and what does it take to work on it at all? A walk around the tree and the access answers both, and most healthy live oaks stay with the right pruning.
What South Tampa trees need
Big live oaks are usually worth keeping with crown thinning, deadwood removal and limbs lifted off roofs, which also helps them ride out the next storm. Laurel oaks past their natural lifespan are the common removals.
Where there is no access path, wood is lowered in small sections, carried out by hand or lifted over the house by crane.
City of Tampa rules in South Tampa
South Tampa is inside the City of Tampa. A permit is required to remove any tree 5 inches DBH or larger except listed invasive species, pruning needs a permit once a tree reaches 24 inches, and Grand Trees of 32 inches or more need public notice before removal. Pruning a tree in the city right-of-way needs Parks Forestry permission. We file the permit before the crew is booked.
Most requested in South Tampa
Nearby areas we cover
Or see the whole Tampa Bay service area.
South Tampa tree questions
Yes, for trees 5 inches or larger, unless the species is a listed invasive.
Yes, in sections carried out or lifted by crane.
It saw some of the biggest canopy losses in the city.
Once the tree is 24 inches or larger, yes.
A tree 32 inches or larger; removal needs public notice.
Narrow machines fit most gates; otherwise we dig by hand.