Settle the argument
Do you need a permit to remove your tree?
Six questions, and I'll show you what your city's ordinance actually says — the size rules, the species rules, what you owe in replanting, who has to approve it, and what happens if you skip it.
You need one measurement: the circumference of the trunk at 4.5 feet above the ground. A tape measure and thirty seconds. If the trunk splits into several stems below that height, measure below the split — that usually puts you in a higher bracket than you expected.
Permit checker
Check your tree in thirty seconds
Six questions. I’ll show you what your city’s ordinance actually says, in its own words, with a link to the code.
What this covers beyond the size of the tree
Size is where everyone starts and it's rarely the whole story. These codes also stipulate who signs off, what you have to replant, what it costs, and what happens if you don't ask. From the cities I've read:
- Kyle replaces a removed specimen tree two-to-one, inch for inch, and a permit covers only the specific trees named on it.
- Bastrop charges a homeowner nothing but requires one 2-inch caliper replacement per removal — and charges non-residential $400 per caliper inch. Remove one without asking and the mitigation doubles, plus $500 to $2,000 per tree and a misdemeanor.
- Buda needs a City Council public hearing for a Heritage Tree, and the Council has to find there was no other viable way to develop the site.
- Schertz applies to individual removal, not just development — “it's just my yard” isn't an exemption there.
- West Lake Hills requires a permit for essentially any removal, with three narrow exemptions.
Why it asks whether it's construction-related
Because for several of these cities that's the trigger, not the tree. Kyle's Chapter 54 attaches to activity requiring a development or building permit. Dripping Springs' mitigation requirement is written around removal to accommodate development. Austin routes a non-development removal through a Tree Ordinance Review Application, while a development removal is reviewed alongside the building permit. Same tree, same size, different counter and different paperwork.
What this tool is, and what it isn't
It's a lookup of ordinance text I've read, for 7 cities. It shows the wording and the source so you can check me. It is not legal advice and it is not the city's determination — only they can give you that, and the person who pays a mitigation assessment is the property owner, not the contractor.
I built it because this argument comes up on jobs constantly and both sides are usually guessing. Guessing is what gets a heritage oak cut down and a bill sent after.
Why only 7 cities
Because I've read 7 ordinances end to end. I work in 49 towns, and I'm not going to encode a rule I haven't verified into a tool people will act on. For the rest, it gives you the four questions to ask your city — one phone call, and it settles it properly. I'm adding cities as I verify them. If you've been through the process somewhere I haven't covered, tell me what you found and I'll check it and add it.
Questions I get asked
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree on my own property in Texas?
There is no statewide rule; it is set entirely by your city. In Austin, any species 19 inches or more in diameter needs a permit and listed species at 24 inches or more generally cannot be removed. In Buda, 8 to 20 caliper inches needs a permit from the Director of Planning and larger Heritage Trees require a City Council public hearing. In Kyle, specimen trees of 25 caliper inches or more need Planning and Zoning approval and are replaced two-to-one. In Bastrop, listed species at 10 caliper inches or more need a permit. In Schertz, 8 inches DBH is Protected Class and 24 inches is Heritage Class. West Lake Hills requires a permit for essentially any removal.
Besides the size of the tree, what else do tree ordinances require?
Usually four more things. Replanting or mitigation: Kyle requires two-to-one inch-for-inch replacement, Bastrop requires one 2-inch caliper tree per removal on a primary residence. Fees, often waived for homeowners and substantial for developers, such as Bastrop's $400 per caliper inch for non-residential. Who approves it, which can be a planning director or a full City Council hearing. And penalties for removing without a permit, which in Bastrop means double mitigation plus $500 to $2,000 per tree and a misdemeanor charge.
Does it matter whether the removal is part of construction?
Yes, often decisively. Kyle's Chapter 54 attaches to activity requiring a development or building permit. Dripping Springs' mitigation requirement is written around removal to accommodate development. Austin routes a non-development removal through a Tree Ordinance Review Application, while development-related tree review runs alongside the building permit. Same tree, different counter.
How do I measure my tree for a permit?
Measure the circumference of the trunk at 4.5 feet above the ground and divide by 3.14 to get diameter. A trunk 60 inches around is about 19 inches across, which is exactly where Austin's rules begin. If the trunk splits into several stems below 4.5 feet, measure below the split, which usually puts you in a higher bracket than you expected.
Does a dead or dangerous tree still need a permit?
Usually it is handled on a separate track rather than exempted outright. Austin runs a distinct process for dead, diseased and imminent-hazard trees. Bastrop waives mitigation fees where the City Arborist confirms the concern. Dripping Springs excludes trees documented by a Certified Arborist as dead, diseased or an imminent hazard from preservation evaluation entirely. In every case the documentation comes first.
What about a tree between the sidewalk and the street?
That is usually a separate provision and sometimes not your tree at all. Codes in this region commonly regulate street trees and right-of-way trees under different rules from trees in a private yard. Ask the city specifically about the right-of-way before touching one.
Why does this tool not accept a zip code?
Because a zip code frequently spans more than one jurisdiction. 78737 covers parts of Austin, parts of Dripping Springs and unincorporated Hays County, which have three different answers. Answering from a zip alone would be confidently wrong often enough to cost somebody money.
Still not sure what you're looking at?
Text me a photo of the tree and the tape measure and I'll tell you where you stand.
Same-day callback on estimates
Call or text before 5pm on a weekday and you'll hear back from me the same day. Not an answering service — me.