Amarillo, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Amarillo, TX, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing code
- Zoning Ch. 4-10, Division 6
- Street trees
- 1 per 40 ft frontage
- Parking-lot trees
- 1 per 20 spaces
- Preservation
- Incentive: 5 points per tree
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Building Safety
Summary
Amarillo requires new multifamily and nonresidential developments to plant shade and ornamental trees: one per 40 feet of street frontage and one per 20 parking spaces. Existing healthy trees need not be preserved; keeping them earns points toward mandatory landscape approval.
(2) Tree Requirements. a. All Shade and Ornamental Trees shall have a minimum caliper size of two (2) inches when measured one (1) foot above ground level... c. Street front trees. Trees shall be provided within the front yard at the equivalent of one (1) tree per forty (40) linear feet of Street Frontage, or a fraction thereof... d. Parking lot trees. Trees shall be required in parking areas at a minimum rate of one (1) tree per twenty (20) parking spaces.
Full Breakdown
Under Chapter 4-10, Division 6 of Amarillo's zoning code, tree and landscaping rules trigger at the building-permit stage for multifamily and nonresidential projects, new construction, or major redevelopment and parking-lot expansion. Shade and ornamental trees must be at least two-inch caliper; developers plant one street-front tree per 40 linear feet of frontage and one parking-lot tree per 20 spaces. There is no removal permit or fee-in-lieu mitigation for cutting existing trees, instead, the Section 4-10-251 point system awards five points for each preserved healthy tree of two-inch caliper or greater, and plans must reach 20 points for the Department of Building Safety to approve them. Single-family homes are exempt.
Violations & Fines
Failure to install the approved landscaping revokes the temporary certificate of occupancy, and the Department of Building Safety withholds final approval until all Division 6 tree and landscape requirements are met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Amarillo require a permit to remove a tree?
Do single-family homeowners have to plant trees?
How many trees must a new commercial site plant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amarillo
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