Fines for cutting down trees or palm trees in your garden without a permit

Your garden is private, but the trees are not always

On the Costa Blanca and in the Region of Murcia, there is a false belief that as the owner of a villa, you can do whatever you want with the vegetation on your plot. The reality is quite different. Cutting down a large tree or a palm tree without the corresponding municipal Tree Removal Permit is a serious urban and environmental infraction. Fines for acting without a permit can range from 600 to 100,000 euros, depending on the species and the regulations of each town hall.

1. The problem with palm trees and the Red Palm Weevil

If you have a palm tree infected or killed by the Red Palm Weevil, you are obliged by law to remove it to prevent the pest from spreading to neighboring gardens. However, you cannot simply cut it down and throw it in the dumpster. The town hall requires a strict phytosanitary protocol for its felling, transport in sealed trucks, and destruction in authorized landfills. Doing it on your own is a guarantee of a penalty.

2. Pines, olive trees, and protected species

Aleppo pines and centuries-old olive trees enjoy special protection in the Spanish Levant. If the roots of a pine tree are lifting the wall of your house or the pool pipes, you will need a technical report (photographic and sometimes agronomic) justifying that the tree poses a structural danger. Only with that proof will the town hall grant you permission to fell it.

3. The procedure: How to apply for the permit

To cut down a tree legally, you must submit a minor works application to the urban planning or environmental department of your municipality. You must pay the corresponding fees, attach a location plan, and, in many cases, sign a replacement commitment (for every tree cut down, you are obliged to plant one or two new ones on your plot).

We take care of the bureaucracy and the felling

At Servinmosol, we know that facing municipal bureaucracy in a language that may not be yours is frustrating. Our team takes care of the complete service: we manage the permit application at the town hall, carry out controlled felling with professional arborists, and take care of the legal removal of plant waste. Contact us and avoid unnecessary fines.