Irving, TX Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

6(d)(19) and (h)(1). A heritage tree is defined as any Post Oak, any Blackjack Oak, or any tree of 24-inch caliper or greater, regardless of species. 5-to-1 credit toward the district's landscaping requirement, meaning one preserved 24-inch caliper tree counts as if the developer had planted 36 inches of new trees. Post Oak and Blackjack Oak are treated as relic species worthy of additional protection: preserving one of at least six-inch caliper earns a richer 2-to-1 landscaping credit. Before any development or redevelopment, the developer must submit a detailed tree survey showing the location, size, and species of every tree six inches in caliper or larger, plus a site plan overlay marking which trees will be removed and which preserved.

Where practical, trees must be kept; removal is allowed only if a tree sits in the footprint of a new building, driveway, or parking area, and even then a tree approved for removal cannot come down until a building permit has issued and development is imminent, evidenced by executed construction contracts. Preserving a tree within five feet of a building, driveway, parking area, or easement earns no credit, but no mitigation is owed if that tree later fails.