Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
Most Dallas homeowners do not need a tree permit: trees on lots under two acres that are in current single-family or duplex use are exempt from the city's tree preservation code. The exception that catches people is the parkway — the strip of city right-of-way between the curb and your front property line. Parkway trees are not exempt and a permit is required to remove them.
What's protected in Dallas
- Trees in the parkway (city right-of-way between the street curb and the front or corner side lot line)
- Protected trees on any lot two acres or larger, or on lots not in single-family or duplex use
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Ordinance
- Dallas Development Code, Article X — Landscape and Tree Preservation Regulations
Worth knowing
- Article X applies to all property in the city except lots smaller than two acres in single-family or duplex use, and lots in a planned development district whose own rules differ appreciably from Article X. If your neighbourhood is a PD, check the PD text.
- Before removing or seriously injuring a protected tree, the responsible party must post either an approved tree removal application or a building permit conspicuously at the entrances to the lot.
- Dallas assigns arborists by geographic area and directs residents to call the arborist covering their area.
What we could not confirm
We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.
- — The caliper-inch definition of a "protected tree" under the current Article X text.
- — Permit fees for a tree removal application, and for parkway tree removal.
- — Penalty amounts, and mitigation or replacement obligations after an approved removal.