Do you need a permit to cut down a tree in San Marcos, TX? Enter your address for San Marcos tree removal and pruning rules, size thresholds and how to apply.
Tree preservation (protected 9–23", heritage 24"+) applies to new development in city limits, not the ETJ. Removing a tree at an existing home with no development permit does not need a city tree permit.
How to apply: No separate tree permit for an existing home. Tree approval is part of a development permit; ask San Marcos Planning & Development Services.
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: sanmarcostx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/47048/ORD-2026-08-Develo