Amarillo, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 4-6-185 of the Amarillo Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful for any property owner or occupant to let tree branches hang over a public street or alley lower than fourteen and one-half feet, or over a public sidewalk lower than seven feet. The same section bars letting shrubbery or similar vegetation grow into or over a street, alley, or sidewalk to the point that it blocks or hinders pedestrian or vehicular traffic. If a tree, shrub, or other vegetation on private property grows into the right-of-way in violation of these clearances, the City is authorized to cut, trim, or remove the offending growth itself, to the extent needed to restore the required clearance, in addition to any other remedy available under section 1-1-5 or other law.

The rule applies City-wide and is enforced without regard to whether the vegetation was planted before or after the ordinance; the test is simply whether current growth intrudes into the clearance zone. Because Amarillo's streets carry a mix of pedestrian, cyclist, and truck traffic, the seven-foot sidewalk clearance and taller street clearance are sized to keep overhanging limbs above pedestrians' heads and above the tallest routine vehicles using City alleys and streets, including waste-collection trucks.