Does the Cooper City tree ordinance apply to a homeowners association?

Yes. Section 18-3(a) of the City of Cooper City Code of Ordinances exempts owners of lands having a residential dwelling unit on them as of the effective date of the article, where the individual holds fee simple title. The same subsection then states that the article shall apply to lands held under the ownership of a condominium association, maintenance association, homeowners association or other common entity.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Cooper City?

Section 18-4(a) makes it unlawful for any person to remove, or to retain another to remove, any living tree on public or private lands without first obtaining a tree removal permit. Because the section reaches retaining another to remove, hiring the work out does not move the obligation onto the contractor. The application under Section 18-4(b) must be accompanied by a tree survey or tree location plan identifying the size and species of every existing tree on the property.

What does a tree removal permit cost in Cooper City?

Section 18-14(a) sets the application fee at $100.00 for up to four trees and $25.00 for each tree beyond four. The equivalent replacement value is the larger figure. For a Class A dicot or conifer, Section 18-14(b) sets $90.00 per caliper inch to 8 inches, $135.00 per caliper inch from 9 to 17 inches, and $180.00 per caliper inch for trees greater than 18 inches. Palms are priced per trunk foot under Section 18-14(c), at $100.00 for Class A and $25.00 for Class B. Section 18-14(d) allows the City Commission to amend these fees by resolution.

What is the penalty for removing a tree without a permit in Cooper City?

Section 18-17(a) sets the fine at $50.00 where the citation is paid before a notice to appear or a municipal information is issued, and applies the penalties in Section 1-8 of the Code after that point. Section 18-17(b) allows an officer of the City to order work stopped immediately where it is not in compliance with the chapter. Under Section 18-9(e), a party found to have committed tree abuse must take remedial measures, including payment to the tree trust fund for the replacement value of the tree under Section 18-14.

Tree Removal Permits in Cooper City

Cooper City exempts fee simple residential owners from its tree article. It then names the land the exemption does not reach: property held by a condominium association, a maintenance association, a homeowners association or other common entity. Section 18-3(a) puts that sentence inside the exemption itself, so an association common area sits within the article rather than beside it. TWQ Landscaping prepares and files these applications, and our ISA Certified Arborist (NY-6948A) produces the supporting report where one is required.

Does This Apply to Your Property?

Section 18-3(a) exempts owners of lands having a residential dwelling unit on them as of the effective date of the article, where the individual holds fee simple title. The subsection then applies the article to land held by a condominium association, a maintenance association, a homeowners association or other common entity. Cooper City holds a certified tree ordinance and enforces it in lieu of county enforcement, so the city code is the document that governs a tree here. That certification is not permanent.

The exemption carries a duty of its own. Under Section 18-3(a)(1), an exempt residential landowner shall notify the City of an intent to remove a tree. The notice lets the City decide whether the tree is of historical or environmental significance, and relocate it to public lands at no expense to the owner or tenant. Sitting outside the permit is not the same as sitting outside the City's notice.

What Needs a Permit

Section 18-4(a) makes it unlawful for any person to remove, or to retain another to remove, any living tree on public or private lands without a tree removal permit. Retaining another to remove is the phrase that matters for a board: hiring the work out does not move the obligation onto the contractor. The subsection adds that denial of a permit shall not unreasonably restrict the permitted use of the land.

Section 18-4(b) requires the application to state the reason for removal, indicate the equivalent replacement value of the trees to be removed, and demonstrate how that value will be compensated. It must be accompanied by a tree survey or tree location plan identifying the size and species of every existing tree on the property. The survey covers the whole property, not the trees in the scope of work.

The permit is discretionary rather than automatic. Section 18-4 lists seven grounds on which it may be granted. They include development that cannot be located on the site without removal, poor quality and condition, damage to existing improvements, and obstruction of safe vehicular cross visibility. Section 18-3 lists exempt species, among them Melaleuca and Brazilian Pepper, also called Florida Holly.

What It Costs

The application fee is not the number that decides a Cooper City budget. The equivalent replacement value is, and Section 18-4(b) puts it inside the application itself, since the applicant states the value and demonstrates how it will be compensated. Section 18-14 prices it per caliper inch for dicots and conifers, and per trunk foot for palms. The rate is set by the tree's class in the Section 18-13 Table of Tree Valuation.

For a Class A dicot or conifer, Section 18-14(b) sets $90.00 per caliper inch to 8 inches and $135.00 from 9 inches to 17 inches. It reaches $180.00 per caliper inch above 18 inches, and for historically or environmentally significant trees. Class B starts at $65.00 per caliper inch to 8 inches, and Class C at $50.00. The same tree over 18 inches caliper is $180.00 an inch in Class A and $100.00 in Class C.

Palms are priced by trunk foot under Section 18-14(c), at $100.00 for Class A, $25.00 for Class B and $20.00 for Class C. A Class A palm that is historically or environmentally significant is $200.00 per trunk foot. Royal Palm and Foxtail Palm are the Class A palms, four times the Class B rate a Cabbage Palm or a Thatch Palm carries. Section 18-13 also carries a default: a species it does not list is automatically calculated as a Class C tree.

Against those replacement figures the application fee is small. Section 18-14(a) sets tree removal at $100.00 for up to four trees, and $25.00 for each tree beyond four. Relocation is $60.00 for up to four trees and $15.00 for each beyond. Section 18-14(d) allows the City Commission to amend these fees by resolution, so we confirm the current figures with the City before quoting.

What Happens If It Is Done Without a Permit

Section 18-17(a) sets the fine at $50.00 where the citation is paid before a notice to appear or a municipal information is issued. After that point the penalties in Section 1-8 of the Code apply instead. Section 18-17(b) adds an immediate power: where work is being done out of compliance with the chapter, an officer of the City may order it stopped. Work may not resume until the person is in compliance.

That $50.00 citation is not the exposure. Under Section 18-9(e), a party found to have committed tree abuse shall take remedial measures set by the City's arborist or designee. Those include payment to the tree trust fund for the replacement value of the tree, which is the Section 18-14 schedule again. Section 18-8(b) adds a consequence for the property: an abused tree shall not be considered in fulfilling City landscape requirements, which can leave the site short of its required trees.

What to Check With Your Contractor

Section 18-9(a) requires tree services and arborists working within the City limits to be registered with the City Manager or the City Manager's designee. A registration runs one year from the date of issuance and costs $30.00 under Section 18-14(a)(3). Section 18-9(c) requires a copy on site for inspection, and Section 18-9(f) requires the registered name marked clearly on each vehicle and piece of equipment.

Section 18-7 makes the trimming standard itself enforceable. Trimming in any manner other than as described in that section, and in accordance with the current ANSI A300 standards, is unlawful and constitutes tree abuse. Cleanup of dead wood, crossing branches, weak branches and suckers has to be done without reducing the canopy by more than one quarter. Section 18-8(c) then defines tree abuse in thirteen items, and several of them describe site work rather than tree work.

Item 2 makes damage to any part of a tree, including the root system, abuse: machinery, storage of materials, soil compaction, excavation, chemical application, or a change to the natural grade. Item 6 covers climbing spikes used for any purpose other than total tree removal. Item 11 covers the pruning of live palm fronds which initiate above the horizontal plane. Section 18-9(d) lets the City revoke or deny renewal of a registration for failing the Section 18-7 standards or for committing abuse.

What to Do Next

Three things are worth settling before tree work is scheduled in Cooper City. The class and caliper of every tree in the scope, because the Section 18-13 class multiplied by the Section 18-14 rate decides the budget. Whether a survey identifying every existing tree on the property already exists, since Section 18-4(b) asks the application to carry one. And whether the contractor holds a current City registration.

We settle those before quoting. We inspect the trees, record species, class, caliper and condition, prepare the arborist report where the application calls for one, and file the tree removal permit. TWQ Landscaping handles tree permitting for the properties we maintain across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade: community associations and condominiums, commercial and industrial sites, medical and senior living campuses, schools, religious campuses, hotels, multifamily rental, self-storage, dealerships, retail outparcels, marinas, mobile home communities, municipal grounds and mixed-use. Call (954) 583-4752 or request a proposal.

TWQ Landscaping maintains commercial and community association property in Cooper City. See landscaping services in Cooper City.

The information presented on this page was accurate as of 23 August 2026.

Related Services

Request a Proposal

Need a Tree Permit in Cooper City?

Serving Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade Counties

Get in Touch