📍Where is the tree? (your address)
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Austin
Tree Permits
Do you need a permit to cut down a tree in Austin, TX? Enter your address for Austin tree removal and pruning rules, size thresholds and how to apply.
Do you need a permit to cut down a tree in Austin, TX? Enter your address for Austin tree removal and pruning rules, size thresholds and how to apply.
Trees 19" diameter and larger are Protected (any species) and need a permit to remove or to prune more than 25% of the canopy. Heritage trees (24"+ of listed species) need a variance; heritage variances for trees 30"+ go through a public process. The ordinance applies in Full and Limited Purpose areas, not the ETJ.
How to apply: Apply with the City Arborist (Development Services) for a residential tree permit.
Texas law: cities cannot charge a tree mitigation fee for a tree under 10" at an existing one- or two-family home you live in (Local Gov't Code §212.905, HB 7, 2017). Since 2023, landowners can petition to leave a city's ETJ (SB 2038), so ETJ lines change; we read the live City of Austin jurisdiction map.
Official sources: austintexas.gov/development-services/city-arborist · austintexas.gov/page/trees-residential-property