Tree Removal Permit

The owner of a legally conforming single-family residence may remove or subject any tree on that property to a Tree Impact Activity, without a permit and without mitigation.
Trees that are not part of a Tree Disposition Plan or required for the landscaping of a commercial development.
A Tree Disposition Permit may be issued, without requiring mitigation, to remove a Protected Tree if the tree is:
- Injured, dying, diseased or infested with harmful insects to the extent that it is not likely to survive as determined and documented by the City Arborist, or;
- In danger of falling, interfering with utility service or other creating a hazardous or dangerous condition as determined and documented by the City Arborist.

If the owner of a Protected Tree believes that an emergency situation exists that requires the immediate removal of said tree to protect the safety of persons or property, the owner may subject the tree to a Tree Impact Activity or remove the tree without a Tree Disposition Permit, but only to the extent necessary to eliminate the dangerous situation. A person that claims this exception shall:
- Apply for a Tree Disposition Permit on the next working day, and;
- Be able to substantiate the claim of an emergency situation to the reasonable satisfaction of the City Arborist by providing evidence of the dangerous condition such as, but not limited to, a letter from a Certified Arborist and/or digital images.

How to Measure a Tree

Standard professional practices dictate that trees are measured in this same fashion. The steps are as follows:

Take any form of tape measure and measure around the trunk of a tree (the tree's circumference),
approximately four and a half feet above the ground. This is also known as dbh (diameter at base height).
Then take the measurement of the circumference of tree and divide it by 3.1415 (Pi). The resulting
number will be the diameter of the tree trunk, also known as caliper inch.

Small Trees Common Name	Botanical Name
Chinese Pistache	Pistacia chinensis
Easter Redbud	Cercis canadensis
Little Gem Magnolia	Magnolia grandiflor 'little gem'
Mexican Buckeye	Ungnadia speciosa
Mexican Redbud	Cercis canadensis 'mexicana'
Mexican Plum	Prunus mexicana
Texas Mountain Laurel	Sophoria secundiflora
Texas Pistache	Pistacia texana
Texas Persimmon	Diospyros texana
Texas Redbud	Cercis canadensis 'texensis'