Georgetown, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Georgetown does not regulate routine trimming of ordinary, non-protected trees on private property, so homeowners can prune most yard trees without city permission. The exception is Heritage Trees. Under the Unified Development Code (UDC) Chapter 8 (Tree Preservation, Landscaping and Fencing), a Heritage Tree is any tree of a designated species with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 26 inches or larger, the species being Live Oak, Post Oak, Shumard Oak, Bur Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Monterey Oak, Bald Cypress, American Elm, Cedar Elm, Pecan, Walnut, Texas Ash, or Southern Magnolia. Pruning of a Heritage Tree requires review and approval by the Planning Department, and applications are accepted online through the city's permitting portal. The city's Tree Removal or Pruning checklist and Heritage Tree pruning application govern the process, and questions can be directed to trees@georgetowntexas.gov. For trees in the public right-of-way or city parks, the Urban Forestry program in the Parks Department oversees work. Note that Texas Property Code Section 202.007 separately limits homeowners' associations from prohibiting certain water-conservation landscaping, but pruning of private ornamental trees is otherwise a matter of personal choice unless a Heritage Tree is involved.