Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
San Antonio regulates tree removal through its Unified Development Code, and a tree permit or tree affidavit must be filed before clearing vegetation, doing construction, or removing trees inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Heritage trees — 24 inches or more DBH — get the strongest protection and must be preserved, with mitigation required if the city allows one to come down.
Size threshold
Heritage tree: 24 inches or greater DBH.
What's protected in San Antonio
- Heritage trees, 24 inches or greater DBH
- Significant trees (the city sets a separate, smaller DBH threshold — see the unverified note)
- Protected trees, where multi-trunk DBH is calculated differently by species under UDC 35-523(f)
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Ordinance
- San Antonio Unified Development Code Sec. 35-523 — Tree Preservation
Worth knowing
- Heritage trees must be preserved at 100 percent. If removal is permitted, mitigation options are: plant additional trees (minimum 1.5-inch caliper), preserve an undersize or unprotected tree, or pay into the tree mitigation fund.
- The rules apply inside the city limits and in San Antonio's extraterritorial jurisdiction, so properties just outside the city line can still be covered.
- The city's fact sheet also lists a City Arborist line at (210) 207-0278.
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.
- — Whether a homeowner on an existing single-family lot needs a permit to remove an ordinary, non-heritage tree. Exemptions tied to single-family use and vested rights exist but we could not confirm how they apply to a routine backyard removal.
- — The exact DBH threshold for a "significant tree." Two City of San Antonio documents gave different numbers, so we are not repeating either.
- — Permit fees and penalty amounts.