Lake County, FL Land Clearing: Tree Permit Fees & Costs
Lake County authorized 3,999 single-family buildings in 2025, worth $1.31 billion in reported construction value (Census BPS). Clearing here is shaped by water.
The most common forest type is sweetbay, swamp tupelo and red maple, a wetland hardwood mix at about 20% of forest acres. Nearly 30% of the mapped soil is hydric.
Lake's tree permit treats wetland trees as protected at any size, so where the lot sits matters as much as how many trees it has.
Permits
Lake County requires a tree removal permit for protected trees in unincorporated areas: native or Florida-Friendly trees 3 in DBH or larger; sand pine and xeric oak scrub trees 2 in or larger; wetland trees of any size; historic, specimen and heritage trees.
Fees: $290 application ($725 after the fact for subdivision, site-plan or nonresidential development); $50 per tree, capped at $1,450 for a residential lot and $12,000 commercial; after-the-fact removal: $100 per tree (caps $2,900 and $25,000); mitigation: $110 per 2.5 caliper inches not replaced.
The permit expires 12 months after issuance. Burning needs Florida Forest Service authorization, and gopher tortoise burrows need a 25-ft buffer or an FWC permit.
Local conditions
29.5% of the soil survey area is hydric (178,272 ac).
8.9% sits in map units rated for occasional or frequent flooding.
Insured flood claims spiked in 2017 (108) and again in 2024 (73).
What drives local prices
- Permit and per-tree fees on non-exempt lots ($290 application + $50/tree, residential cap $1,450)
- Wetland edges that must be avoided or permitted
- Wet-season access for mulchers and dozers
- Scrub lots where 2-inch sand pine and scrub oak count as protected
Common jobs
- Land clearing with tree permit coordination
- Wetland-edge avoidance clearing
- Stump grinding on wet-season sites
- Lot clearing and grading for new construction
Service area
Coverage across Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Mount Dora, Tavares, and the unincorporated county.
Tree removal permits required for protected trees; wetland trees protected at any size.
Communities: Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Mount Dora, Tavares, Groveland, Minneola, Mascotte, Lady Lake, Umatilla, Fruitland Park, Astatula, Howey-in-the-Hills
If it is an emergency
For a tree down on a structure or line after a storm, call the utility or a tree service first. Lake's after-the-fact fees apply to unpermitted removal, so keep photos and an arborist's note for anything removed as an emergency.
Questions about Lake County
How much is a Lake County tree removal permit?
The application is $290. Removal adds $50 per protected tree, capped at $1,450 on a residential lot. Trees you don't replace are charged mitigation at $110 per 2.5 caliper inches. Clearing first and applying later costs more: $725 to apply and $100 per tree.
Are small scrub trees really protected in Lake County?
Yes. On Lake's permit form, sand pine and xeric oak scrub trees count from 2 in DBH, and wetland trees count at any size. Most other native trees start at 3 in.
Sources
- LK1: Single-family buildings authorized: 6,091 (2023), 4,147 (2024), 3,999 (2025)
- LK2: 2025 reported value $1,307,929,213, about $327,000 per building
- LK3: Forest land about 255,120 ac (SE 13.0%), 35.8% of the sampled area
- LK4: Top forest type: sweetbay / swamp tupelo / red maple, 51,344 ac (20.1%); baldcypress / pondcypress 6.8%
- LK5: Slash pine 15.1% of forest; southern scrub oak 7.0% (17,937 ac)
- LK6: Protected: native or Florida-Friendly trees ≥3 in DBH; sand pine and xeric oak scrub ≥2 in; wetland trees of any size; historic, specimen and heritage trees
- LK7: Fees: $290 application ($725 after the fact); $50 per tree, max $1,450 residential and $12,000 commercial
- LK8: After-the-fact removal $100 per tree (max $2,900 / $25,000); mitigation $110 per 2.5 caliper inches; the permit expires 12 months after issuance
- LK9: 29.5% of the soil survey area (178,272 of 604,800 ac) is hydric
- LK10: 8.9% (54,001 ac) is in map units rated for occasional or frequent flooding; 9.2% has slopes ≥8%
- LK11: 469 NFIP claims, $7.26 million paid; peak 2017 (108); 286 claims since 2016
Fees and rules change; confirm with the permitting office. Run the estimator for a cost range.