Kyle, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Kyle's tree-trimming permit rule for the public right-of-way sits inside Chapter 38, Article IV's excavation and rights-of-way rules, specifically among the duties imposed on anyone who owns a facility, such as a utility line, pole, or pipe, located within a street or right-of-way. Section 38-158 lists these duties for the period covered by a permit, and item (10), captioned 'Tree trimming,' states that the owner of facilities located within the rights-of-way or streets shall not trim any trees upon or overhanging the rights-of-way without first obtaining a permit as provided herein, and that the owner bears all activities and costs necessary to protect and preserve its facilities from tree damage.

That means the requirement runs to the utility or facility owner protecting its own lines and poles, not to a general homeowner trimming a tree in their own yard. The surrounding article gives Kyle's right-of-way inspector real teeth: under Section 38-158(12), the inspector can cite an owner or contractor immediately for an immediate public-health-or-safety threat, and the city manager can order emergency abatement work and bill the owner if a violation is not fixed after notice. Owners generally get ten days after written notice to remedy a violation before the city can act, per Section 38-158(12), and Section 38-159 lets the right-of-way inspector issue a stop-work order and require correction before work resumes.

Because Article IV does not print a stand-alone dollar fine tied specifically to unpermitted tree trimming, a violation defaults to the Code's general penalty in Section 1-14, a fine of not more than $500, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately.