Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Texas?

California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 15 of 16 in Texas. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.

Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Texas?

Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Texas has a median of $273.50 (across 2 of 16). On the published median, Texas is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.

How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Texas?

California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Texas in 16 of 16. Median numeric replacement ratio in California is 1:1; Texas ratios are published as text rules rather than fixed n:1 numbers. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

Tree removal permit rules: California vs Texas

A cross-state summary drawn from 50 verifieds California cities and 16 verifieds Texas cities. For city-level detail, see the California ordinance hub or the Texas ordinance hub.

Side-by-side summary

Field	California	Texas
Cities with a heritage tree program	45 of 50	15 of 16
Cities with a replacement ratio	45 of 50 (median 1:1)	16 of 16
Cities documenting who can apply	45 of 50	14 of 16
Cities publishing processing time	35 of 50	15 of 16
Permit fee (median, where published)	$310 (5 of 50 publish)	$273.50 (2 of 16 publish)
Cities requiring arborist certification	45 of 50	15 of 16
Cities specifying report sections	45 of 50	12 of 16

Counts are over verified cities only — cities awaiting verification or with sparse ordinance text don't contribute to these summaries.

How the two states compare

Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Texas?: California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 15 of 16 in Texas. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.
Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Texas?: Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Texas has a median of $273.50 (across 2 of 16). On the published median, Texas is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.
How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Texas?: California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Texas in 16 of 16. Median numeric replacement ratio in California is 1:1; Texas ratios are published as text rules rather than fixed n:1 numbers. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

California verified cities

+ 42 more California verified cities.

Texas verified cities

+ 8 more Texas verified cities.

Filing in California or Texas?

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