Which city has stricter heritage tree protections, Austin or Fort Worth?

Both Austin and Fort Worth maintain heritage / landmark tree designations. Austin: Heritage Tree: 24 inches or greater DBH of eligible species (oaks, pecan, Texas ash, bald cypress, American elm, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, walnuts). Fort Worth: Significant trees: 18+ inches DBH. Legacy trees: 30+ inches DBH of eligible native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak).

Where is a tree removal permit processed faster, Austin or Fort Worth?

Austin publishes a typical processing time of 4-8 weeks; Fort Worth publishes 4-8 weeks. Compare each city's published timeline and plan removal accordingly — emergency-tree provisions may shorten the wait in either city.

Where are tree replacement obligations heavier, Austin or Fort Worth?

Austin requires a replacement ratio of Inch-for-inch mitigation based on diameter removed. Fort Worth requires a replacement ratio of Caliper-inch mitigation: 1:1 for protected trees, 2:1 for significant, 3:1 for legacy. Austin: Mitigation required at inch-for-inch replacement or payment to Urban Forest Replenishment Fund. Fort Worth: On-site replacement preferred; payment to Urban Forestry Fund when infeasible.

Tree removal permit rules: Austin vs Fort Worth, Texas

A side-by-side comparison drawn from each city's tree-protection ordinance. For the underlying full ordinance text, see the Austin ordinance page or the Fort Worth ordinance page.

Side-by-side comparison

Field	Austin	Fort Worth
Protected tree definition	Protected-size tree: any tree 19 inches or greater in diameter at 4.5 feet above grade. Heritage Tree: 24 inches or greater diameter for certain species (pecan, Texas ash, bald cypress, American elm, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, all oaks, Arizona walnut, Eastern black walnut).	Protected tree: any tree 6 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Significant trees 18+ inches DBH and Legacy trees 30+ inches DBH require enhanced mitigation ratios.
Heritage / landmark trees	Heritage Tree: 24 inches or greater DBH of eligible species (oaks, pecan, Texas ash, bald cypress, American elm, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, walnuts).	Significant trees: 18+ inches DBH. Legacy trees: 30+ inches DBH of eligible native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak).
Who can apply	Property owner or authorized agent with arborist assessment	Property owner or authorized agent with ISA Certified Arborist report
Replacement ratio	Inch-for-inch mitigation based on diameter removed	Caliper-inch mitigation: 1:1 for protected trees, 2:1 for significant, 3:1 for legacy
Replacement details	Mitigation required at inch-for-inch replacement or payment to Urban Forest Replenishment Fund.	On-site replacement preferred; payment to Urban Forestry Fund when infeasible.
Typical processing time	4-8 weeks	4-8 weeks
Permit fee	$347.00	Not documented
Permitting department	Development Services Department - City Arborist Program	Development Services - Urban Forestry
Municipal code	View ordinance →	View ordinance →

How they differ

Which city has stricter heritage tree protections, Austin or Fort Worth?: Both Austin and Fort Worth maintain heritage / landmark tree designations. Austin: Heritage Tree: 24 inches or greater DBH of eligible species (oaks, pecan, Texas ash, bald cypress, American elm, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, walnuts). Fort Worth: Significant trees: 18+ inches DBH. Legacy trees: 30+ inches DBH of eligible native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak).
Where is a tree removal permit processed faster, Austin or Fort Worth?: Austin publishes a typical processing time of 4-8 weeks; Fort Worth publishes 4-8 weeks. Compare each city's published timeline and plan removal accordingly — emergency-tree provisions may shorten the wait in either city.
Where are tree replacement obligations heavier, Austin or Fort Worth?: Austin requires a replacement ratio of Inch-for-inch mitigation based on diameter removed. Fort Worth requires a replacement ratio of Caliper-inch mitigation: 1:1 for protected trees, 2:1 for significant, 3:1 for legacy. Austin: Mitigation required at inch-for-inch replacement or payment to Urban Forest Replenishment Fund. Fort Worth: On-site replacement preferred; payment to Urban Forestry Fund when infeasible.

Austin next steps

Fort Worth next steps

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