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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Tree Removal Cost in Miami-Dade, FL

Budget $200 to $1,200 to take out a palm in Miami-Dade and $400 to $1,200 for an average single tree; those are the national ranges in HomeGuide's February 2026 cost guide. What makes this county different is the paperwork: Miami-Dade requires a county tree removal permit for almost any tree, and a big one can also carry a replanting bill.

The Forest Service's 2025 FIA forest inventory counts about 144,300 acres of forest land in Miami-Dade, with tropical hardwoods at 36.1% and longleaf/slash pine at 35.8%. Those are the pine rocklands and hardwood hammocks of the south county, which the county protects as Natural Forest Communities, plus the gumbo limbo, mahogany and strangler fig that shade older yards from Coral Gables to Homestead.

Under most of those yards is limestone. A UF/IFAS Extension guide (FR173) notes that soils in Miami-Dade are often no more than a foot deep over rock, so roots spread wide and shallow and stump grinders hit stone early. Add a long hurricane record and you have the three things that set prices here: permits, rock and storms.

Cost at a glance

Miami-Dade tree removal cost at a glance
ItemTypical costSource
Palm$200-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Typical single tree$400-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
County residential tree permit$64.64 + $12.31 per tree (max $328.32 per acre of canopy), plus 7.5% surchargeMiami-Dade IO 4-42 (Oct 1, 2026); permit package
Specimen-size tree removal review (single family)$143.64Miami-Dade IO 4-42
Tree Trust Fund, per specimen-tree equivalent$123.12Miami-Dade IO 4-42
Stump grinding, first stump$120-$400HomeGuide, Dec 2025 (national)

Permits

Section 24-49 of the Miami-Dade County Code protects the county's trees, and the county's permit package says a tree removal permit is needed to remove or relocate any tree, except listed exempt or prohibited species and some trees exempt by size or location. Before you apply, the county will check a tree for you if you email photos, the address and the trunk diameter to its Tree and Forest Resources staff.

Fees come from Implementing Order 4-42, effective October 1, 2026: a residential removal is a $64.64 application fee plus $12.31 per tree, capped at $328.32 per acre of canopy removed, and the county package adds a 7.5% surcharge to the total. The same order lists the single-family initial environmental assessment at $143.64 and review of a specimen-size tree removal at $143.64.

Replanting is the bigger cost. Non-specimen trees must be replaced with 100% of the canopy removed; specimen-size trees, 18 inches or more in diameter at breast height, need double canopy replacement plus a Tree Trust Fund contribution, which IO 4-42 sets at $123.12 per required specimen-tree equivalent. Pruning to the ANSI A300 standard needs no permit, but the county treats hatracking or topping that destroys a tree as a code violation.

Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Homestead, Pinecrest, South Miami, Miami Gardens and several other cities run their own tree ordinances, so city residents apply at city hall instead. Florida Statutes s. 163.045 still applies countywide: with an ISA certified arborist's written finding that a residential tree poses an unacceptable risk, no permit, fee or replanting can be required.

Step 1: confirm whether your city or the county issues the permit. Step 2: measure the trunk diameter at chest height; 18 inches or more makes it specimen size. Step 3: for a dead or dangerous tree, ask an arborist for a s. 163.045 risk letter first. Step 4: get bids that price removal, grinding through rock, haul-off and replacement trees on separate lines. Step 5: call 811 before any grinding near buried lines.

Local conditions

Shallow rock: NRCS soil survey data place bedrock within about 100 cm (39 in) of the surface on 54.5% of mapped acres in the Miami-Dade survey area, mostly the oolitic limestone ridge that runs south from Miami through Kendall to the Redland. Roots there mat out sideways and grinders work slowly.

Wet ground east and west of the ridge: per the same NRCS survey, 55.6% of mapped soil is poorly or very poorly drained and the water table sits within 30 cm on 45.9%, from the marl prairies near the Everglades edge to low lots along the bay, so oaks and black olives on soft ground tend to uproot whole.

Hurricanes and freezes: FEMA's declarations data list 22 weather- or fire-related major disasters that included Miami-Dade from 1965 through 2024, 12 of them hurricanes, among them Wilma (2005), Irma (2017) and Milton (2024), plus five freeze declarations that hit groves in the south county.

Tropical canopy: gumbo limbo, mahogany, ficus and royal and coconut palms are the usual removals; ficus roots lift slabs and pipes, and tall palms near the coast catch the strongest gusts.

What drives local prices

  • Species: HomeGuide's national figures run $200-$1,200 for palms, $300-$2,500 for oaks and $250-$1,600 for pines.
  • Permit: a residential county permit is $64.64 plus $12.31 per tree before the 7.5% surcharge; a specimen-tree review adds $143.64.
  • Replacement: specimen trees carry double canopy replanting or a Tree Trust Fund payment of $123.12 per specimen-tree equivalent, which can cost more than the removal itself.
  • Rock: stump grinding over shallow limestone takes longer; HomeGuide's stump survey puts the first stump at $120-$400 and we add an est. 10% to 25% where the grinder meets rock.
  • Method: species and stump ranges are HomeGuide's published national figures (Feb 4, 2026 and Dec 22, 2025); permit, review and trust fund amounts are quoted from Miami-Dade IO 4-42; lines marked est. are our estimate, not Miami-Dade bids. Figures checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

  • Palm removal, including tall coconut and royal palms near FPL lines
  • Ficus and black olive removal where roots damage slabs and pipes
  • Specimen-size tree removal with permit and canopy replacement
  • Hurricane cleanup of uprooted trees on shallow limestone lots

Service area

Requests come from Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens and Doral in the north and center, from Kendall, Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay along US 1, and from Homestead and the Redland farm area in the south. I-95, SR 836, SR 826 and Florida's Turnpike carry crews across the county.

FPL serves most of the county. Its tree FAQ says crews trim around main lines on a roughly three-year cycle and neighborhood lines about every six years at no cost to you, and that after a named storm they leave cut debris on the property for the owner or local government to clear.

Want a price? Send the free quote form below with the species, trunk width, whether it sits in a city or the unincorporated county, and what it overhangs. A member of our team replies by email with next steps and, where we know them, local insured crews to contact.

Communities: Miami, Hialeah, Kendall, Homestead, Miami Gardens, Doral, Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Redland

When something can’t wait

After a storm, keep clear of downed lines and call FPL or 911. A tree that threatens the house can come down under an arborist's s. 163.045 letter without a permit; HomeGuide says same-day removals cost 2 to 3 times normal rates, so photograph everything first.

Questions about Miami-Dade County

How much does tree removal cost in Miami-Dade?

Most single trees run $400 to $1,200 and palms $200 to $1,200 on HomeGuide's 2026 national data. The county permit, replacement canopy for big trees and grinding through limestone are the local add-ons.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Miami-Dade?

Usually, yes. The county requires a permit to remove or relocate almost any tree outside the exempt and prohibited species lists, and many cities, including Miami, Coral Gables and Homestead, require their own permit instead.

What is a specimen tree in Miami-Dade?

One with a trunk 18 inches or more in diameter at breast height. Removing it means double canopy replacement plus a Tree Trust Fund contribution, so ask about replanting costs before you commit.

Can I skip the permit for a dangerous tree?

On residential property, a written risk finding from an ISA certified arborist under Florida Statutes s. 163.045 means no permit, fee or replanting can be required. Keep the letter with your records.

Does FPL remove trees after a hurricane?

FPL clears its own lines but, per its FAQ, leaves storm debris on the property after named storms. Cleanup is up to you, your insurer or the local government.

Sources

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Tell us the acreage, what is growing on it and what the land is for: pasture, house pad, trails or a view. The form goes to Cornelia Cove LLC, which runs this site, and we reply by email. We use your details only to answer this request, and we pass them to a contractor only if you ask us to.

Bring a range from our estimator to every site visit. A clearing bid should price clearing, stumps, debris disposal and grading separately, and say who handles permits.