Short answer first: Texas has no state law about removing trees on your own property. It is entirely up to your city. And across the metroplex, the cities mostly answered the same way: if the tree is big enough, you need permission first. Here is how the rules actually work in North Texas, and the five-minute check that keeps you out of trouble.
How tree ordinances usually work
Most cities protect trees by trunk size. The measurement is DBH: diameter at breast height, taken 4.5 feet off the ground. A common threshold around here is 8 inches. Plano's tree preservation ordinance, for example, bars removing trees 8 inches DBH or larger without city approval, with exemptions for things like diseased trees or genuine hazards when the city signs off.
The process is usually a permit application, sometimes with a tree survey or a preservation plan for bigger projects. McKinney's development code requires a tree permit for protected trees and makes you mitigate removals, meaning replacement trees get planted for the ones that come down. The details change from city to city, which is the whole point: what your cousin in Allen did has no bearing on what Plano allows.
Ordinances also change. Councils amend them. What was true five years ago may not be true now. Always check the current version with your city, not with a forum post from 2019.
Three local examples
Plano runs an Article X tree preservation ordinance built around that 8-inch DBH line. Typical single-family lots get lighter treatment; larger parcels, vacant land, and development projects go through the fuller process with surveys and preservation plans. If you are in Plano and the tree is mature, assume the city has an opinion.
Frisco is the strictest of the three on paper. Its tree removal article requires a grading permit for tree removal on unplatted property, and even dead trees need written approval from the city before they come down. The fines are per tree: up to $300 per caliper inch. A 20-inch oak removed without approval can mean a $6,000 fine. That is not a scare number; it is the city's own schedule.
McKinney sits in the middle: tree permits for protected trees, mitigation and replacement planting when protected trees are removed, and a documented path for diseased trees when a certified arborist puts the diameter, species, and reason for removal in writing. Sick tree with paperwork moves fast. Healthy protected tree without paperwork does not move at all.
Your HOA is a second gate
Even where the city says nothing, your HOA's architectural committee almost always wants an application first. This surprises people constantly: the city permit and the HOA approval are two separate gates, and you can need both. Get the HOA's answer in writing before the saw starts. HOAs can fine you and order replacement plantings, and unlike the city they do not need a court to do it.
If you are not sure whether your neighborhood has an HOA with tree rules, check your closing documents or ask a neighbor. In the newer subdivisions across Collin and Denton counties, the answer is almost always yes.
Dead and hazardous trees: usually exempt, not always free
A dead tree leaning over your driveway feels like an emergency, and most ordinances agree: dead or imminently hazardous trees usually get an exemption or a fast-tracked process. But "usually" is doing real work in that sentence. Some cities still want a photo, an arborist letter, or a heads-up first. Frisco wants written approval even for dead trees.
The safe move: document everything before anyone cuts. Photos of the dead crown, the lean, the damage. If the tree is a genuine hazard, say so when you call. Paperwork first, chainsaw second. If you are trying to decide whether a tree is actually dead, our guide on dead vs. dormant trees walks through the checks.
Street trees and easements belong to the city
The tree between the sidewalk and the curb is usually city property. So are most trees in utility easements. Do not remove them yourself, and do not hire someone to remove them on your say-so. Call the city's public works or forestry department and report the problem. If it is dead or dangerous, they will handle it or authorize it. If you cut a city tree without authorization, you are liable for the tree's value, and cities value mature trees higher than you would guess.
What skipping the permit costs
Stop-work orders. Per-tree fines. Being ordered to plant replacement trees at your expense, sometimes larger than the ones you removed. In Frisco the fine schedule alone can exceed the cost of the removal several times over. The permit application is the cheap part of this process. Skipping it is the expensive part.
And one more cost nobody talks about: resale. An unpermitted removal that the city later discovers can surface during a sale, when buyers and title companies start asking about open violations. Do it right the first time.
The five-minute check
Before you book a removal, run this:
- Ask your city. Search "[your city] tree ordinance" or call the planning or development department. Two questions: what size tree is protected, and does my lot need a permit?
- Measure the tree. Trunk diameter at 4.5 feet off the ground, and note the species. A phone photo of the whole tree plus one of the trunk helps.
- Check your HOA. Written approval before the work, not after.
- Check the location. Parkway, easement, or near a utility line? The city or the utility gets a say.
- Keep the approval in writing. Email counts. A verbal "sure, go ahead" does not.
If any of that is unclear, that is exactly what the free estimate is for. We check the local rules on every job before a saw starts, and we will tell you straight whether your tree needs a permit. For the rest of the picture, see the signs a tree needs to come down and what affects the cost of tree removal.
Common Questions
Do I need a permit to remove a dead tree in Texas?
Usually it is the fastest path: most ordinances exempt dead or imminently hazardous trees, but some cities still want documentation or written approval first. Frisco, for example, requires written approval from the city before a dead tree comes down. Photograph the tree, check with your city's planning or development department, then cut.
Does HOA approval count as a city permit?
No. The HOA and the city are separate gates, and you may need both: written HOA approval and a city permit if the tree is protected. Getting one does not cover the other. Our HOA tree rules guide walks through the approval process, front vs. back yard rules, and what happens if you skip it.
Can I remove a tree on the easement or parkway myself?
Do not. Trees between the sidewalk and the curb are usually city property, and so are trees in utility easements. Call the city's public works or forestry department and report it; removal is their call, not yours.