Landscaping Rules in El Paso, TX (2026)
7 verified landscaping rules for El Paso, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
El Paso property owners must keep street trees trimmed to at least eight feet of clearance above the sidewalk and ten feet above the curb at corner-lot sight triangles, under City Code § 12.68.030. If an owner doesn't fix a violation within ten days of notice, the traffic engineer can trim or remove the tree under the city's own authority.
El Paso Street Tree Clearance Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 12.68.030
A.Street Corners. It shall be the duty of every owner or occupant of any corner lot in the city to keep any and all trees trimmed and pruned of limbs, branches and foliage to a minimum clearance of ten feet above the street level at the nearest curb line in that area of a triangle formed by the intersecting property lines and a diagonal line joining the property lines at points twenty feet from...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Chapter 9.11 of El Paso's City Code makes it a misdemeanor to damage, cut, carve, poison or otherwise injure any tree on public property, and declares dead or diseased trees on private land a public nuisance the city can order removed. A city arborist administers the whole chapter under the Arboricultural Specifications Manual.
El Paso Tree Care Ordinance
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 9.11.010
A.Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to promote and protect the public health, safety, and general welfare by providing for the regulation of the planting, maintenance, and removal of trees located on public property and to prohibit nuisances or hazards caused by trees located on private and public property within the limits of the City of El Paso... F.Trees located on public property.1.De...
Weed Ordinances
El Paso City Code caps weeds and vegetation at an average height of twelve inches on lots under three acres. Anything taller is declared a public nuisance, and the city's Code Enforcement Bureau can mow it and lien the property for the cost.
El Paso Weeds and Grass Over 12 Inches Prohibited
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 9.04.860 (Weeds and vegetation prohibited)
Owners shall maintain properties as to prevent the growth of weeds and vegetation... under the following conditions: 1. Any individual lot or tract of land smaller than three acres upon which weeds and vegetation exceed an average height greater than twelve inches... B. Any accumulation or growth of such weeds and vegetation... is deemed to be deleterious to the public health, comfort and welfa...
Water Restrictions
El Paso City Code § 15.13.020 sets a mandatory odd-even lawn and landscape watering schedule for every customer of El Paso Water: even-numbered addresses irrigate Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; odd-numbered addresses irrigate Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. Industrial sites, parks, golf courses and schools water Monday, Wednesday, Friday. From April 1 through September 30, watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is banned outright, citywide.
El Paso Odd-Even Lawn Watering Schedule
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 15.13.020
A.All outdoor irrigation of grass, trees, plants or other vegetation on residential and commercial property on the side of the street on which building addresses are even numbered, may be done only Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and on the side of the street on which buildings are odd numbered, such vegetation may be irrigated only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. In case of corner build...
Rainwater Harvesting
El Paso doesn't mandate rainwater harvesting, but its Grading Code makes it an explicit, code-recognized design option: § 18.44.200(A)(9) lets any grading plan be engineered to capture and reuse on-site rainwater to cut surface runoff, and the chapter's purpose clause names harvesting as a way to reduce dependence on groundwater and off-site flooding.
El Paso Rainwater Harvesting Under Grading Code
Light RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 18.44.200(A)(9); § 18.44.020(G)
9.Rainwater (precipitation) harvesting. Grading plans may be designed to encourage harvesting and use of rainwater within the project site, to reduce surface runoff discharged from project site. ... G.To encourage harvesting and preservation of rainwater within the project site, reduce dependence on groundwater, and reduce potential off-site flooding and erosion.
Native Plants
El Paso's commercial landscape ordinance forces new development to draw 75% of plant material from the City's Approved Plant List and make at least half of it low-water, drought-tolerant species, with turf banned in parkways.
El Paso Landscaping: Native, Drought-Tolerant Plants Required
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 18.46.100(B)-(C)
B. Plants: 75% of All plants to be used in the landscape design shall be selected from the Approved Plant List on file and maintained in the Development Services Department. ... At least fifty (50%) of the plants installed shall be plant material be of the low water, drought tolerant variety. ... C. Turf: Turf shall not be installed on slopes exceeding 20%, unless approved by the Building Offic...
Composting
El Paso allows residents to compost household kitchen scraps and yard waste in their own backyards, but City Code § 9.84.010(C) sets real limits: composting must happen inside an enclosed structure no larger than 50 square feet per household, must be run sanitarily so it doesn't attract vermin or create odors, and can never include meat scraps, dairy products, cooking oils, or pet feces.
El Paso Backyard Composting Rules
Light RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 9.84.010(C) (Backyard Composting Allowed)
C.Backyard Composting Allowed.1.Individuals shall be allowed to engage in composting of organic materials generated from their households, to include kitchen wastes not prohibited under subsection (C)(2) of this section and yard wastes. Composting shall be conducted in a sanitary manner which prevents nuisance conditions that include, but are not limited to, those that attract vermin or create ...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement El Paso city rules.
Landscaping Rules in El Paso County →