Tree Protection in New Braunfels, TX (2026)
3 verified tree protection rules for New Braunfels, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
New Braunfels requires a city permit before removing any heritage or protected tree, with limited exceptions for single-family lots and hazard trees.
New Braunfels Heritage Tree Protection
Some RestrictionsSec. 144-5.3-1(c)(2)(i)
It shall be unlawful for any person or corporation to recklessly remove, or cause the removal of any protected or heritage tree without first submitting the appropriate application for a permit and securing approval in the form and manner specified by this chapter. (ii) A tree removal permit is not needed if: 1. The protected or heritage tree(s) to be removed is located on property zoned or...
Protected Tree Species
New Braunfels protects trees by species and size, not automatically. A tree only counts as "protected" once it reaches 25 inches of trunk circumference and appears on the city's Appendix A plant list; heritage-tier trees hit 75 inches. Nineteen species on the Appendix B "undesirable" list, including Ashe juniper, mesquite and hackberry, get no protection and can be removed without a permit.
New Braunfels Protected Tree Species List
Some RestrictionsNew Braunfels Code of Ordinances §§ 144-1.4 (Definitions), 144-5.3-1(c)(2)(ii)(3)
Protected tree is any tree, on the approved plant list (appendix A), having a trunk circumference of 25 inches or more (about eight inches in diameter) measured four and one-half feet above the ground. As used in the text of this chapter, the term "protected tree" includes all heritage trees. Heritage tree means any tree attaining a circumference of one-half of the state record for that tree s...
Parkway Planting
New Braunfels sets exact clearances for trees planted in street rights-of-way under Code of Ordinances § 118-55. Trees must sit at least six feet back from the curb or shoulder edge, ten feet from overhead utility wires unless they're an approved ornamental species, and five feet from underground water, sewer or electric lines absent the utility's written consent. Abutting property owners, not the city, must keep parkway trees safe and trimmed.
New Braunfels Parkway Tree Planting Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Braunfels Code of Ordinances § 118-55(c)-(f)
(c)Trees shall be planted no closer than six feet from the street's curb or edge of a street's shoulder.(d)Power lines. In no event may trees other than ornamental trees listed in the landscape section of chapter 144, be planted under or within ten lateral feet of any overhead utility wire.(e)Underground utilities. In no event may trees be planted over or within five lateral feet of any undergr...