Burleson, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Burleson, 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 section
- Burleson Code § 86-88 (public tree care)
- Who decides on public trees
- City, on recommendation of parks director to tree board
- Stump rule
- Below the surface of the ground (§ 86-87)
- Dead private tree
- Nuisance if certified arborist finds it dead (§ 34-31(21))
- Abatement notice period
- Seven days after notice before city abates (§ 34-36)
- Appeal path
- Tree board ruling to city council (§ 86-55)
Summary
In the City of Burleson, Texas, the city holds the right to plant, prune, maintain, and remove trees along streets, alleys, avenues, lanes, squares, and public grounds when needed for public safety (Code § 86-88). Stumps of street and park trees must come out below ground level, and a dead tree on private property is a declared nuisance.
(a) The city shall have the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees; shrub, or any other wood plants with the lines of all streets, alleys, avenues, lanes, squares and public grounds as may be necessary to ensure public safety or to preserve or enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds. (b) The director of parks and recreation will make recommendations to the tree board on the removal or cause or order for removal any tree or part thereof which is in an unsafe condition or which, by reason of its natures, is injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, waterlines or other public improvements or is affected with any disease, insect or other pest.
Full Breakdown
Section 86-88 of the Burleson Code covers tree removal on public ground. Under subsection (a), the city can remove trees, shrubs, and other woody plants within the lines of streets, alleys, avenues, lanes, squares, and public grounds as necessary to ensure public safety or to preserve or enhance the beauty of those grounds. Under subsection (b), the director of parks and recreation makes recommendations to the tree board on removing any tree or part of a tree that is unsafe, is injurious to sewers, electric power lines, gas lines, waterlines, or other public improvements, or is affected by disease, insect, or other pest.
The tree board consists of all members of the parks board (§ 86-51). Its duties under § 86-53 include a written plan, updated annually, for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, and removal of trees in parks, along streets, and in other public areas. Section 86-87 requires stumps of street or park trees to be removed below the surface of the ground, and § 86-55 lets any person appeal a tree board ruling or order to the city council.
Chapter 86 prints no permit for cutting down a tree on a private lot. Private owners face other rules. Section 34-31(21) declares it a public nuisance to permit the existence of any dead tree, as determined by a certified arborist, on private property, and under § 34-36 the city can enter and abate the nuisance if the owner has not complied within seven days after receiving notice, then charge the expenses to the owner. Section 36-13(a)(2) makes any tree or shrub in a public right-of-way, utility easement, or visibility triangle subject to removal without compensation for utility maintenance and public safety. On development sites, the landscape plan must show every tree to be preserved, and the director of parks and recreation approves the preservation method during construction (§ 86-104(c)(2)).
Violations & Fines
Section 86-54 makes it unlawful for any person to prevent, delay, or interfere with the tree board or its agents while they remove street or park trees. Chapter 86 sets no fine of its own, so the general penalty in § 1-14 applies: a fine not exceeding $500 where no specific penalty is provided, with each day a separate offense. For a dead private tree, the seven-day notice period in § 34-36 runs before the city abates and bills the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Burleson require a permit to remove a tree on my own lot?
Who can have a tree removed from a Burleson street or park?
What happens if I have a dead tree in my Burleson yard?
Can I appeal a Burleson tree board decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burleson
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Burleson to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.