Tree
Surveys
What is a
Tree Survey?
Like environmental site assessments, Tree Surveys can be as simple or as complicated as the job requires. They may be designed to serve a number of purposes depending on the ultimate purpose of the inventory for homeowners, land use planners, project managers, land developers, and contractors.
A tree survey may be created to stay in compliance with city codes regarding the development of a property. Many trees are protected by state and local regulations due to their current status including those on an endangered species list.
In certain situations, government-protected trees will not be allowed to be removed or you will be required to plant new trees (mitigation) to replace them in order to stay in compliance with state and local government laws and regulations.
Why Perform a Tree Survey?
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Private purchase of a plot of land to develop or build a home
Property improvement project, such as landscaping, on your current property
Clearing land for aesthetic purposes
Municipalities acquiring land to build a community service (park, fire station, etc.)
To develop a tree care management plan
Required as part of a construction project
Collecting
Tree Data
Tree inventory data is useful in assessing the monetary value of the trees, as oftentimes trees can be worth thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars for private property owners, increasing the value of their property.
Depending on the complexity of the project, a tree survey may contain a mix of these elements.
With up-to-date software and frequent usage of GPS and GIS technologies, a tree inventory can be a very interactive tool.
Current technology allows one to have an overhead view of their trees in relation to streets, buildings, infrastructure, and proposed construction with a higher degree of clarity and accuracy.
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Tree species identification
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Tree height
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Tree diameter (dbh)
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Tree caliper
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Crown spread
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General health
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Structural condition
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Growth rate of the trees
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Specific disease
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Insect problems
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Treatment
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Maintenance recommendations
Frequently Asked Questions
Palm Beach County Unified Land Development Code
ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER E – EXISTING NATIVE VEGETATION, PROHIBITED, AND CONTROLLED PLANT SPECIES
Purpose – To establish standards and requirements for the preservation of existing native vegetation, removal of prohibited species, and reduction of controlled species. For the purpose of Article 7, existing native vegetation includes native trees, palms, and pines and are required to be incorporated in the site for any application that is subject to a Development Order (DO). Existing native vegetation may satisfy the landscape requirements in this Article, in total or in part. In determining whether native vegetation satisfies the requirements of this Article and the goals of Art. 14.C, Vegetation Preservation and Protection, either one or both of the following shall be considered: [Ord. 2018-002]
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Yes. A vegetation removal permit, issued by the Department of Environmental Resources Management (561-233-2400), is required for all non-residential sites. Additionally, single family residential lot owners are encourage to remove only the trees that are necessary to implement the building permit.
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A Notice of Violation will be issued and penalties will be enforced by Code Enforcement if not resolved. Refer Article 7.G.3, Enforcement, of the Unified Land Development Code
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All non-residential sites are required to have a Tree Removal and Replacement permit to remove trees. Single-family developments must have a permit to remove perimeter buffer and common area trees. See Article 7. F., Installation and Maintenance of the Unified Land.
Client Example
This is an example of a private homeowner doing a landscape improvement project. You will see in this tree survey the owner’s request of which trees would be removed or trimmed.
This is a very simple tree survey – there are no data on the trees, as the project did not require that type of information
