Emergency Tree Cutting in Fort Lauderdale, FL

On a developed single-family lot with no redevelopment planned, a city permit is required to remove a dicot or conifer 8 inches or more in diameter at 4.5 feet above grade; the threshold drops to 3 inches when redevelopment is anticipated and on other property types. Florida Statute 163.045 bars the city from requiring a permit, fee or mitigation on residential property when an ISA Certified Arborist or Florida licensed landscape architect documents that a tree poses an unacceptable risk.

Ficus: huge, fast-growing and shallow-rooted; uprooted widely in Wilma Live oak and gumbo limbo: among the more wind-resistant choices Red and white mangroves: shoreline trees with their own state trimming rules

Season runs June 1 to November 30; Wilma (2005) showed how ficus and dense, top-heavy trees fail.

Seawalls, docks and mangroves limit where trees can be dropped and equipment can go.

Limited rooting depth makes big trees easier to topple in saturated ground.

Many canal homes can only be reached from the street, so trees in the backyard near the seawall are often taken down in sections and carried or craned over the house. Pools, screen enclosures and docks sit under the canopy. HOA and condo properties usually need association approval as well.