Austin, TX Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Street-corner height limit
- 2 feet above surrounding ground
- Corner restricted zone
- 10-ft setback, 40 ft along curb
- Fire hydrant clearance
- 5 feet minimum
- Correction notice period
- 10 days after notice
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor, up to $100
- Enforcing office
- City urban forester
Summary
Austin City Code Sec. 6-3-21 bars plants taller than two feet within a ten-foot setback and 40 feet of curb at any street corner, and Sec. 6-3-22 bars planting within five feet of a fire hydrant. Sec. 6-3-24 requires all right-of-way vegetation stay compatible with the corridor's look, and the City's urban forester enforces all three.
§ 6-3-21 - PLANTING RESTRICTED AT STREET CORNER. (A)This section only applies to property located at a street corner intersection within a ten-foot setback from the curbline and 40 feet along the curbline from the intersection.(B)A person may not place, maintain, or permit a plant:(1)more than two feet taller than the level of the ground surrounding the plant; or(2)on property more than one foot above the level of an adjacent street. § 6-3-22 - PLANTING RESTRICTED BY FIRE HYDRANT. A person may not place, maintain, or permit a tree or plant within five feet of a fire hydrant. § 6-3-24 - STANDARD OF MAINTENANCE. A person shall maintain a tree or plant under this article to be compatible with the aesthetic character of the public right-of-way.
Full Breakdown
Article 2 of Chapter 6-3 (Urban Forestry) restricts what a property owner may plant in the public right-of-way, including parkways and street corners, and is enforced by the City's urban forester rather than a homeowners association. Sec. 6-3-21 (Planting Restricted at Street Corner), derived from 1992 Code Section 16-7-40, limits its reach to property within a ten-foot setback from the curbline and 40 feet along the curbline from a street corner intersection; inside that zone, a plant may not grow more than two feet above the surrounding ground or sit on land raised more than one foot above the adjacent street, both sightline rules.
Sec. 6-3-22 separately bars planting a tree or plant within five feet of a fire hydrant, protecting firefighter access. Sec. 6-3-23 requires trees to be trimmed so they do not overgrow or obstruct a sidewalk and sets a minimum 14-foot clearance above street level at the curbline. Sec. 6-3-24 layers on a general standard of maintenance: any tree or plant placed under this article must be kept compatible with the aesthetic character of the right-of-way. If the urban forester finds an obstruction, Sec. 6-3-25 authorizes written notice requiring the owner to correct it within ten days, and Sec.
6-3-26 lets the urban forester enter and trim or remove the plant at the owner's expense if the owner fails to act. Violations of this article carry the penalty set in Sec. 6-3-8.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with a right-of-way planting rule or an urban forester's notice of obstruction is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 6-3-8, capped at $100 per offense, with each occurrence a separate offense. If an owner ignores a ten-day correction notice under Sec. 6-3-25, the urban forester may trim or remove the plant under Sec. 6-3-26 and bill the owner for the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to a street corner can I plant a tall shrub in Austin?
Can I plant a tree next to a fire hydrant?
What happens if the urban forester says my landscaping obstructs the sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Austin
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Austin to another location·View the Texas tree protection overview
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