Lake Mary’s $15 arbor-permit row is not a general discount for any homeowner with a building permit. The City’s table places it under new one- and two-family residential work. Existing residential or commercial work has a separate $30 row, when a permit is required. Arbor fee table
Start with the project class
| City table category | Published amount | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Existing residential or commercial | $30 if a permit is required | Is this work subject to an arbor permit? |
| New one- or two-family residential, stand-alone arbor permit | $30 | Does the City classify this as new residential work filed separately? |
| New one- or two-family residential, requested with a building permit | $15 | Is the arbor request part of that qualifying building application? |
The earlier guide’s yes/no building-permit branch was too broad: having a building application alone does not establish that the new-residential row applies. Give staff the project description and related permit number before comparing an invoice with the table.
The two new-residential amounts differ by $15, or 50% of $30. That is LSL’s arithmetic comparison, not a reason to open an unrelated building case or a calculation of the complete project’s cost.
A fee table does not decide whether removal is allowed
The existing-property row itself says the charge is conditional on a required permit. Do not turn a published dollar amount into proof that every tree operation requires the same review, or that payment authorizes cutting. This comparison does not resolve a property’s permit applicability or replacement conditions.
The fee page also includes different categories for site/subdivision work and pruning. Those are not extra amounts to automatically add to a residential removal request. The broader fee index likewise separates arbor, building, landscaping, irrigation and other charges; an index is not a project invoice.
Use the invoice to test the classification
Match the billed arbor row to the actual application description and, if applicable, the linked building application. If they do not appear to match, ask for the classification basis before assuming the invoice is wrong. Keep the payment receipt separately from the City’s decision and any conditions.
The arbor page says an estimated-cost breakdown must be provided before issuance. Ask which breakdown is needed for the actual application rather than substituting the permit-fee calculation above. Page instructions
LSL checked both City pages on September 20, 2026. This comparison corrects the missing existing-versus-new branch while preserving the useful fee arithmetic. No individual invoice, tree or permit decision was reviewed.