9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Bell County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Bell County has no zoning power, so unincorporated areas have no grass-height ordinance. Inside Killeen, grass and weeds over 12 inches are a nuisance violation. Temple, Belton, and Harker Heights set their own limits.
Killeen Code of Ordinances ch. 18 (Nuisances)
High weeds and grass are considered a violation when growth exceeds 12 inches in height.
Bell County sets no tree-trimming ordinance. Trimming trees on your own land is unrestricted. Inside cities, Killeen and Temple regulate trimming only near streets, utilities, and in development landscaping, not routine homeowner pruning.
Bell County requires no permit to remove trees; counties cannot zone in Texas. On unincorporated land you may remove your own trees freely. City tree-preservation rules in Killeen and Temple mainly apply to new development, not single-family lots.
Bell County cannot pass a general weed ordinance. In unincorporated areas the Texas public-nuisance statute lets a county abate weeds within 300 feet of another residence. Inside Killeen, weeds over 12 inches are a code violation.
Texas has no statewide homeowner watering ban. Bell County itself sets no lawn-watering rule. Limits come from your city's drought plan or the Clearwater groundwater district. Killeen's Stage 1 allows two days a week by even/odd address.
City of Killeen Drought Contingency & Water Conservation Plan, Stage 1
Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number... and Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number... between the hours of midnight to 10:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. to midnight on designated watering days.
Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide and encouraged in Texas. Bell County sets no restriction. State law bars a homeowners' association from prohibiting rain barrels or rainwater systems, and rainwater-harvesting equipment is exempt from state sales tax.
Tex. Prop. Code §202.007(a)(2)
A property owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner from... installing rain barrels or a rainwater harvesting system.
Bell County has no landscaping ordinance and cannot require or forbid native plants. Texas law protects drought-resistant and water-conserving landscaping from HOA bans. Cities may set streetscape or nuisance standards but generally encourage native, low-water plantings.
Tex. Prop. Code §202.007(a)(4)
A property owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner from... using drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf.
Bell County has no zoning and does not regulate artificial turf. On unincorporated land it is unrestricted. Cities may limit synthetic turf in front yards through zoning, but Texas law stops HOAs from banning water-conserving turf outright.
Bell County has no composting ordinance. Home composting is unrestricted on unincorporated land. Texas law bars HOAs from prohibiting composting, though cities and HOAs may set reasonable placement and containment standards to prevent nuisances.
Tex. Prop. Code §202.007(a)(1)
A property owners' association may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument that prohibits or restricts a property owner from... implementing measures promoting solid-waste composting of vegetation, including grass clippings, leaves, or brush, or leaving grass clippings uncollected on grass.
1 cities in Bell County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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