Sherman, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Two subsections of § 3.10.001 of the Sherman Code of Ordinances govern trees that reach over public ground in the City of Sherman, Texas. Subsection (j) puts the duty on the owner or occupant of any lot or parcel within the city limits in front of and adjacent to which trees are growing with limbs extending over the sidewalk and street. That person must keep the tree trimmed up so that limbs and branches overhanging the sidewalk are at least seven (7) feet above the sidewalk, and limbs and branches over the street are at least fourteen (14) feet above the level of the street. The duty follows the property in front of the tree, so a tenant who occupies the lot is covered along with the owner.

Subsection (k) is a separate ban on blockage. It is unlawful for any person, whether owner, occupant or tenant, to permit trees, shrubs or other vegetation to grow and extend into or along any public street, alley or thoroughfare in a way that would prevent free and unobstructed passage of any person or vehicle. That reaches shrubs and brush as well as tree limbs, and it covers alleys, which carry no height figure in subsection (j).

The code's definitions in Chapter 1 describe a sidewalk as that portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent property line intended for the use of pedestrians, so the seven (7) foot clearance applies across that whole strip. Other tree duties sit alongside these two. Under § 3.11.003(9)(F), a multifamily dwelling complex must remove all dead trees and tree limbs that pose a health or safety hazard. Subsection (l) of § 3.10.001 limits what can be planted in the parkway between the curbline and the property line to lawn grass. Enforcement runs through § 3.10.006, which makes violations of Article 3.10 punishable under § 1.01.009.