Texas City, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Texas City regulates tree clearance at street corners, not along every sidewalk. Section 90.092 of the Texas City Code of Ordinances defines the restricted area as a triangle on each street corner: it begins at the precise corner of the intersection point of the curbs of the two streets and extends 20 feet along each curbline, with the third side drawn as a straight line between the ends of the 20-foot extensions. It covers land whether privately owned or unpaved or untraveled street right-of-way. Where no curbs exist, § 90.092(B) puts the 20-foot lines on the central flow line of the ditches paralleling the uncurbed streets, as determined by the Building Official.

Inside that triangle, § 90.093 says no person shall plant, grow or maintain any plant, hedge, shrub or other growth, except trees, at a height greater than three feet from the street gutter flow line. Trees are treated differently under § 90.094: any tree planted, grown and maintained in a restricted area shall not have branches or foliage extending from the trunk at a height lower than 15 feet from the street gutter flow line. Where there is no curb, § 90.090 bases the height limits on the actual level of the paved or used portion of the adjacent public street.

The subchapter applies only to areas classified by Chapter 160 as requiring construction on lots in zoned sections to be set back from the property line (§ 90.092(C)).

Enforcement has two tracks. Section 90.091 lets the city enter and remove prohibited growth from the triangular corner areas, in addition to any penalty, and the entry and removal are without liability to the owners. Sections 90.093 and 90.094 also carry a penalty reference to § 10.99.