Land Clearing 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 Royal and coconut palms: remove coconuts and dead fronds; keep green fronds Live oak and gumbo limbo: among the more wind-resistant choices

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

Large ficus roots lift pavement and damage pipes and seawalls.

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

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.