9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Nueces County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Nueces County sets no grass-height rule. Inside Corpus Christi, weeds or brush 12 inches or higher are prohibited and city code compliance enforces the limit.
Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances Sec. 23-70
No person who owns or occupies any lot or parcel of land in the city may permit or allow weeds or brush twelve (12) inches or higher to grow on the lot or parcel of land.
Nueces County has no tree-trimming ordinance because Texas counties cannot zone. Trimming trees on your own property is generally unregulated; inside Corpus Christi, city UDC landscaping standards and utility right-of-way rules apply.
Unincorporated Nueces County requires no tree-removal permit because Texas counties cannot zone. In Corpus Christi, the Unified Development Code protects certain landscape and street-yard trees, which may require a permit or replacement before removal.
Unincorporated Nueces County can only abate weeds as a public nuisance under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343. Inside Corpus Christi, city Code Section 23-70 bans weeds or brush 12 inches or higher.
Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances Sec. 23-70
No person who owns or occupies any lot or parcel of land in the city may permit or allow weeds or brush twelve (12) inches or higher to grow on the lot or parcel of land.
There is no statewide Texas homeowner watering ban. Corpus Christi's drought contingency plan sets the rules; the city is currently in Stage 3, pausing sprinkler irrigation and allowing only limited hand and drip watering.
City of Corpus Christi Drought Contingency Plan (Ord. 55-151), Stage 3
Non-essential outside watering use is prohibited. Citations could result in fines of up to $500 per violation per day.
Rain barrels and rainwater harvesting are legal across Nueces County. Texas Property Code Section 202.007 blocks homeowners associations from banning them, and no county permit is required to collect rain from your roof.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 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.
Nueces County does not regulate plant choice, and Texas Property Code Section 202.007 bars HOAs from banning drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, though an HOA may require a landscape plan for approval.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 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.
Unincorporated Nueces County has no artificial-turf rule because Texas counties cannot zone. Inside cities, Corpus Christi's development code governs synthetic turf, and HOAs may set reasonable standards but cannot ban water-conserving landscaping outright.
Backyard composting is allowed throughout Nueces County. Texas Property Code Section 202.007 bars HOAs from banning composting of yard vegetation, and no county permit is needed as long as it does not create a nuisance.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 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.
1 cities in Nueces County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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