Waco, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Waco, 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
- Where it applies
- Brazos River Corridor overlay only
- Significant tree
- Oak, pecan, elm, cypress; 6-in. diameter
- Preservation credit
- 1 preserved inch = 1.5 planting inches
- Citywide private property
- No tree-removal permit required
- Enforcement
- Waco plan review committee
Summary
Waco has no citywide tree-protection ordinance. Its only codified tree-preservation rule sits in the Brazos River Corridor overlay district, where developers earn landscape credit for keeping significant trees: each preserved caliper inch counts as 1.5 caliper inches of required tree planting.
In order to encourage the preservation of significant trees and continued growth of smaller trees, the following credit toward the total landscape area and minimum caliper inches per acre required is possible. ... (2) Each one caliper inch of a preserved significant tree shall count as 1.5 caliper inches of required tree planting per section 28-813.4.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Section 28-813.7 applies only inside the Brazos River Corridor District, an overlay along Lake Brazos and the Brazos and Bosque Rivers. It is an incentive, not a ban: retaining trees earns credit toward the district's 30-caliper-inch-per-acre planting requirement and total landscape area. A 'significant tree' means a six-inch-diameter ash, bald cypress, elm, madrone, bigtooth maple, any oak, pecan, or walnut. Each preserved caliper inch counts as 1.5 required inches, and permeable ground within 1.5 times a surveyed tree's drip line counts as 1.25 square feet of landscaping. No credit applies where damaging grading occurred in that zone. Outside the corridor, Waco requires no tree-removal permit on private land.
Violations & Fines
There is no penalty for removing a tree; the credit is voluntary. But BRC development that fails the 30-caliper-inch-per-acre landscaping and one-tree-per-lot minimum won't clear plan review, stalling permits until the landscape and irrigation plan complies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Waco require a permit to cut down a tree on my property?
What is a 'significant tree' in the Brazos River Corridor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas landscaping rules overview
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