Clearing a building lot in the Shores, opening up a pasture edge, or thinning a wooded acre behind a barn: in unincorporated Marion County, the trees' total trunk inches decide what paperwork applies.
The county's tree inches
Marion County protects native trees 10 inches DBH and larger, measured 4.5 feet above grade. Its stand-alone application asks for a tree removal permit before site clearing, grading or construction that needs a Building Department permit. The fee is $50, each submittal is reviewed in five days, and the permit expires a year after it is issued. A site plan or recent aerial photo has to show every native tree of 10 inches or more by size and species.
| Tree removed (DBH) | Replacement | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| 10 to 19 in | 1 inch for every 2 removed | 3.5 in caliper |
| 20 to 29 in | 1.5 inches for every 2 removed | 3.5 in caliper |
| 30 in or more, favorable assessment | Inch for inch (only where it conflicts with utilities or right-of-way) | 4.0 in caliper |
| 30 in or more, unfavorable assessment | 1.5 inches for every 2 removed | 3.5 in caliper |
No replacement is needed if the native trees left on site average 100 inches DBH per acre.
Farm and ranch land
Removal for bona fide agricultural use on agriculturally zoned land, or on land with an agricultural classification from the Property Appraiser, is exempt. The catch: after clearing under that exemption, no land use change application can be filed for a year unless the owner replants 100 inches DBH of native trees per acre (or the pre-clearing density, if lower) or pays into the county's Tree Mitigation fund.
Protecting the trees you keep
The county's code sets a tree protection zone at the dripline, or by a "desktop" rule of one foot of radius for each inch of DBH. Barricades at least 4 feet tall go up before clearing starts, and the zone stays free of machines, fill, stored materials and debris.
Prices and burning
Lawn Love's national guide, updated December 2025, puts land clearing at $1,565 to $4,520 for a typical job. Per acre, it lists $580 to $2,100 where the cover is light and $3,300 to $5,600 where the woods are heavy. Forestry mulching is listed at about $450 an acre. If the plan is to burn, the Florida Forest Service requires a burning authorization for land clearing debris and for piles over 8 feet across.
Sources
- Marion County Growth Services: Stand-Alone Tree Removal Permit Application
- Marion County Land Development Code, Article 6, Divisions 7 to 9: tree protection and landscaping (6/3/2013)
- Lawn Love: How Much Does it Cost to Clear Land in 2026? (Sinziana Spiridon, updated December 27, 2025)
- Florida Forest Service: Forest Fire Laws & Open Burning Regulations (DACS-P 00149, revised 5/2015)
Checked October 27, 2026. Fees, rules and price surveys change, so treat the linked original as the final word.