Lubbock, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 36.01.009, Obstruction of streets/sidewalks/ROW
- Named prohibited items
- Firewood racks, pool/irrigation gear, boulders, bins, bollards
- Exception
- Permit or express code authorization only
- Tree clearance over streets/alleys
- Minimum 12 feet
- Tree clearance over sidewalks
- Minimum 8 feet
- City removal power
- No notice required, at owner's expense
Summary
Lubbock bans blocking any part of a public street, alley, sidewalk, or right-of-way with items like firewood racks, pool or irrigation equipment, landscaping boulders, trash enclosures, composting bins, or guard posts unless a permit or another code section specifically allows it. A violation is a declared nuisance the city can remove itself, at the owner's expense, without notice.
It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct or encumber, in part or entirely, any portion of any public street, alley, sidewalk, or any other public right-of-way within the corporate limits of the city with any item, whether temporary or permanent, including, but not limited to firewood racks, irrigation system, swimming pool and spa system components, water filtration or purification system components, landscaping boulders and other garden decorations, trash enclosures, composting bins, pipe bollards/guard posts, and similar items except as allowed with an applicable permit under this code or pursuant to an express authorization in another section of this code that authorizes certain, specific temporary uses or obstructions.
Full Breakdown
009 of the Lubbock Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to obstruct or encumber, in whole or in part, any public street, alley, sidewalk, or other public right-of-way with any temporary or permanent item, and it names specific examples: firewood racks, irrigation system components, swimming pool and spa system components, water filtration or purification system components, landscaping boulders and other garden decorations, trash enclosures, composting bins, and pipe bollards or guard posts. The only way around it is an applicable permit under the code or an express authorization elsewhere in the code for a specific temporary use.
005 requires abutting owners, tenants, or lessees to keep sidewalks, alleys, parkways, curbs, and driveways clear of anything that interferes with vehicle or pedestrian passage, and requires tree limbs overhanging the right-of-way to be trimmed to a minimum 12-foot clearance over streets and alleys and 8 feet over sidewalks. 004 bars displaying or selling merchandise in the right-of-way without a street use license. 039, and it expressly preserves the city's right to remove a right-of-way obstruction without notice and at its own cost, separate from that abatement process.
Violations & Fines
Obstructing a street, alley, sidewalk, or right-of-way without a permit is a declared nuisance under section 36.01.010. The city can pursue the standard nuisance abatement track in sections 34.02.033 through 34.02.039, which includes a municipal court citation, a $175 administrative fee, and a property lien carrying 10 percent interest, or it can simply remove the obstruction itself without any notice and at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a trash enclosure or composting bin next to the curb in the right-of-way?
Does the city have to warn me before removing something I put in the right-of-way?
How much tree clearance do I need to maintain over the sidewalk in front of my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lubbock
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Lubbock to another location·View the Texas sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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