What is commercial landscaping?
Commercial landscaping involves the planning, designing, installation, and maintenance of aesthetically appealing outdoor spaces on a property where business takes place. A pleasing work environment is known to increase output of employees and attract more clients to the business.
Local municipalities specify the amount of trees and other landscaping required for businesses to have and ultimately maintain. The amount is usually based on business type, zoning and square footage.
Do I need a permit to remove or replace trees?
This is different for every city, but as a rule of thumb, a permit is not required to remove a tree if it has a trunk diameter of less than 18 inches (measured at a height of 4.5 ft). There are very often instances where a permit is required so it is always best to check with your city’s landscape inspector before removing ANY tree.
For example, a permit is required to remove a ‘street tree’, a ‘historical tree’ or a previously preserved tree. As always, you will need to replace any tree that is removed so that your property ALWAYS has the minimum number of trees required for your property.
How many trees am I supposed to have on my property?
The minimum number of trees required on your property is based on the square footage of the lot and how the property is zoned. For most landscape requirements, you can typically obtain a copy of Code of Ordinances on the website of the city of which your property is located.
Do palms count as trees on my lot?
Palms generally do not provide significant canopy. Therefore, the short answer is no. However, in many cases a landscape inspector may allow you to group palms into a set of 3. Each set of palms meeting the requirements of 1 tree replacement. The palms must also meet certain size requirements, with the minimum clear trunk height starting at a specified height. In most cased palms planted in groupings must be planted with staggered heights.
