Dallas, TX Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Sec. 51A-10.132(a) requires a responsible party to post either an approved tree removal application or a building permit in a conspicuous place at the property's entrances before removing or seriously injuring a protected tree, except that trees removed from the public right-of-way don't need the posted application. The application, filed with the building official on a city form under Sec. 51A-10.132(b), must include the applicant's and owner's contact information, the property's zoning and overlay district, and either a full tree survey showing the location, diameter, and species of every tree, or an approved forest stand delineation calculating total canopy coverage for larger or vacant sites.

The building official does not rubber-stamp every application. Sec. 51A-10.132(e) requires denial of a removal or injury that isn't in the public interest, based on eight listed factors: whether the proposed improvement could be relocated to avoid the tree, the cost of preserving it, whether the property would still comply with the tree ordinance after removal, impacts on public health and safety, effects on the urban and natural environment, whether the property retains an economically viable use if the application is denied, whether the tree is a significant or historic tree worth preserving, and whether the tree is diseased or near the end of its life. Sec. 51A-10.132(d) makes each tree removed or seriously injured without authorization a separate violation, and Sec. 51A-10.139 backs that up with a fine of not less than $2,000 per tree, plus not less than $2,000 per day for any other ongoing violation of the division.