Taylor, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

1 of the 2024 Land Development Code folds tree placement into Taylor's broader landscape standards, which also incorporate Chapter 28 (Vegetation) of the separate Code of Ordinances. Inside a designated sight-distance or traffic-safety triangle, no shrub, ornamental plant, boulder, wall or similar material may exceed 18 inches in height, measured at a plant's natural mature height. Trees get a different, taller allowance: any tree placed within one of those triangles must be trimmed so its canopy sits at least eight feet above the ground and its mature trunk diameter stays at or under eight inches, keeping sightlines open for drivers.

5 feet above the street pavement, matching typical vehicle and truck clearance needs. The Code layers on placement restrictions too: trees and shrubs cannot go into a Public Utility Easement, an emergency vehicle access easement, or an equivalent easement without that easement holder's approval, and any planting near utility lines must also follow the city's separate Engineering Manual. Because this sits inside the Land Development Code adopted by Ordinance 2024-41 and revised September 12, 2024, it applies citywide alongside, not instead of, the maintenance and nuisance provisions in Chapter 28 of the Code of Ordinances.