Clearing even a small lot leaves a lot of brush. Burning it is legal in Florida in the right conditions, but the line between "yard waste" and "land clearing" decides whether you need permission.
Yard waste
The Florida Forest Service says no authorization is needed to burn yard waste that fits in an 8-foot-diameter pile or a non-combustible container, provided the required setbacks are met and no city or county ordinance prohibits it. Light it after 9 a.m. Eastern time and have it out one hour before sunset.
Bigger piles and land clearing
- Piles larger than 8 feet across need an authorization from the Florida Forest Service, suppression equipment on hand and additional setbacks.
- Agricultural, silvicultural, land clearing, pile and acreage burning all require a burning authorization.
Other ways to get rid of it
Lawn Love's December 2025 guide prices tree and yard waste removal at $60 to $515, a 10- to 15-yard dumpster at $270 to $500 a week, and forestry mulching, which grinds brush in place, at about $450 an acre.
Check locally first. City and county rules can ban burning even where the state allows it. Ask St. Cloud or Osceola County before you light anything.
Sources
- Florida Forest Service: Forest Fire Laws & Open Burning Regulations (DACS-P 00149, revised 5/2015)
- Lawn Love: How much does it cost to clear land? (Sinziana Spiridon, updated December 27, 2025)
Reviewed October 20, 2026. Rules, prices and contacts change, so check the source before relying on it.
Questions and answers
Do I need a burn permit for a brush pile in Florida?
Not for yard waste in a pile 8 feet across or less, if setbacks are met and no local rule bans it. Bigger piles and land clearing debris need a Florida Forest Service authorization.
Get it quoted
Ring the number or use the form, and a contractor working in Osceola County follows up. Quotes cost nothing.
If the call goes to voicemail, say your name, number, where the property is and what needs doing.