Tree Protection in Houston, TX (2026)
3 verified tree protection rules for Houston, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Houston City Council may designate a tree as historically or arboriculturally significant by motion, but only if the property owner applies; once designated, the tree becomes a protected tree under Chapter 33's removal and replacement rules.
Houston Heritage Tree Designation by City Council
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 33-103(a)-(b)
(a)The city council may by motion designate a tree that:(1)Has historical significance arising from any historical event or events that are associated with the tree; or(2)Has arboricultural significance as listed on the county, state or national tree register by American Forests, the Texas Forest Service, the Park People or an equivalent arboricultural organization.(b)No tree shall be designate...
Protected Tree Species
Houston, which has no zoning, protects trees within streets and parkways under Chapter 33, Article VI. Removing a covered street tree requires 20 days' written notice and a replacement requirement met by replanting inch-for-inch or paying $225 to $500 per caliper inch into the city tree fund.
Houston Protected Tree Removal, Replacement and Mitigation Rules
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 33-160(a) (Chapter 33, Article VI — Protection of Certain Trees)
Sec. 33-160. Tree replacement requirement. (a) ...no person shall cause a tree that is situated in whole or in substantial part within a street to be removed without complying with a tree replacement requirement, which may be satisfied as follows: (1) ...additional trees from the street tree list on the basis of one caliper inch of tree planted for one caliper inch of tree removed; (2) By contr...
Parkway Planting
New and expanded commercial or multifamily buildings in Houston must plant street trees in the parkway strip along public streets, spaced and set back from the curb under Chapter 33's landscape standards: single-family homes are exempt.
Houston Parkway Tree Planting Standards
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 33-129(a)
Trees and shrubs planted in a parkway shall be planted in accordance with the applicable standards required by appendix B or E. ... For streets with curbs or proposed curbs, trees shall be planted at least three feet from the back of the existing curb or the city's final approved design line of the back of the curb of any public street as measured from the center line of the tree trunk.
Looking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Houston city rules.
Tree Protection in Harris County →