Winter Park’s tree-removal instructions contain two fee conflicts worth resolving before budgeting: the service page gives two hourly clearance rates, and its appeal charge differs from the fee schedule. The ordinary residential application charge agrees across the sources.
What agrees—and what needs clarification
| Charge | Tree-removal service page | Posted fee schedule, printed page 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential application | $35 | $35 for single-family residential |
| Commercial/nonresidential application | $100 | $100 for nonresidential or multifamily |
| Tree Preservation Board appeal | $100 | $35 |
| Tree reinspection | $25 without a visit distinction | $25 for visits two and three; $75 for each required visit after the third |
| Zone clearance | Fee list says $100/hour; the clearance section says $150/hour | No zone-clearance row identified in our search of the PDF |
Sources: tree-removal instructions and fee schedule. The schedule’s tree-fee page is marked effective October 1, 2025. LSL checked that page and the cover, not every fee in the 65-page document.
Do not choose the lower conflicting figure or total these rows as one application price. Ask for the applicable charge and its basis on the City’s invoice. We have not obtained a staff resolution of either conflict.
When power lines change the handoff
The City directs applicants to register in its permitting portal, submit the application and identify whether power lines are involved. Staff inspect the site and follow up by phone or email.
Urban Forestry—not the applicant—determines the line type. For primary conductors, the page says zone clearance must be paid before the tree-removal permit is received. For secondary, service or street-light wires, it gives 877-811-8700 as the customer-service contact. A general removal approval is not electrical-clearance authorization, and this guide provides no instructions for working near lines.
The page describes a City clearance service and the alternative of a qualified line-clearance tree contractor. Its conflicting hourly amounts are a reason to clarify the charge, not to attempt the work yourself.
Start the replacement clock at removal
Where replacement is required, the service page gives 30 days from removal, not 30 days from the application. It says failure to plant within that period results in billing for the total inches owed plus a $150 administrative charge.
Before scheduling removal, put the actual replacement condition beside the intended removal date. Confirm the accepted species, size and location, then keep the planting evidence requested for the permit. LSL has not calculated replacement inches or a tree-trust-fund payment for any property.
This September 20, 2026 comparison replaces the former seven-record ledger and its unqualified fee claims. It identifies the disagreements a reader needs resolved without pretending that the published sources agree.