What's the most common DBH threshold for heritage designation in Texas?

Across 13 verified cities in Texas with a numeric DBH heritage threshold, the median is 24 inches DBH (range 18 inches DBH to 24 inches DBH). The remaining 2 verified cities use case-by-case council/commission designation based on age, historical association, or species rarity.

Do heritage trees require a special permit in Texas?

Yes — heritage trees in every verified Texas jurisdiction require a more rigorous removal review than standard protected trees. Heritage status overrides any DBH-based exemption, so even a smaller heritage tree typically requires a removal permit. Many ordinances also require public hearing or notice, mandate replacement at higher ratios (often 2:1 or 3:1 for heritage versus 1:1 for standard), and impose larger penalties for unpermitted removal. Confirm the exact procedure with each city's row below.

Which cities have the strictest heritage criteria in Texas?

The strictest published DBH triggers in Texas are Fort Worth (18 inches DBH), Arlington (24 inches DBH), Austin (24 inches DBH) — lower thresholds mean more trees automatically qualify for heritage protection. Cities without a numeric trigger rely on council designation case-by-case.

Heritage tree designation criteria in Texas

What makes a tree a heritage tree across 15 verified Texas cities. Heritage status overrides standard DBH-based exemptions and triggers a more rigorous removal review than ordinary protected trees — often with higher replacement ratios and public-hearing requirements.

Lowest DBH (strictest)

18″ DBH

Fort Worth

Median DBH

24″ DBH

across 13 verified cities

Highest DBH (loosest)

24″ DBH

San Antonio

Designation-only: 2 of 15 cities have no numeric DBH trigger — heritage status is awarded case-by-case by Council, Planning Commission, or Tree Commission rather than by inch threshold.

Most-named species in heritage / protected definitions: Oak (12 cities), Cedar (11 cities), Cypress (9 cities), Maple (1 city), Walnut (1 city).

Heritage criteria comparison

Sorted ascending by extracted DBH (or DSH/circumference normalized to diameter). Designation-only cities appear last. Click a city for the full ordinance page or the ordinance link for the underlying municipal code.

Heritage-tree designation criteria by city, sorted ascending by DBH threshold (when published). Includes ordinance language, the underlying protected-tree definition, replacement ratio, and a link to the municipal code.
City	Heritage criteria	Protected-tree definition	Replacement ratio	Code
Fort Worth	18″ DBH Significant trees: 18+ inches DBH. Legacy trees: 30+ inches DBH of eligible native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak).	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.	Caliper-inch mitigation: 1:1 for protected trees, 2:1 for significant, 3:1 for legacy	Ordinance
Arlington	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on non-single-family lots. Heritage trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced mitigation requirements.	Caliper-inch mitigation with enhanced ratio for heritage trees	Ordinance
Austin	24″ DBH Heritage Tree: 24 inches or greater DBH of eligible species (oaks, pecan, Texas ash, bald cypress, American elm, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, walnuts).	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).	Inch-for-inch mitigation based on diameter removed	Ordinance
Carrollton	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on commercial and multifamily development. Heritage trees receive enhanced protection regardless of location.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH	Ordinance
College Station	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 8 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Heritage trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced protection.	Caliper-inch mitigation with enhanced ratio for heritage trees	Ordinance
Denton	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak). Historic trees individually designated by the city.	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Heritage and historic trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced protection.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH	Ordinance
Frisco	24″ DBH Heritage tree provisions apply to trees 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on commercial and multifamily lots. Single-family residential parcels subject to limited protection per subdivision standards.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH with on-site preference	Ordinance
Garland	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on commercial and multifamily development. Heritage trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced protection.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH	Ordinance
Irving	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Heritage-size trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced protection during development.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH	Ordinance
McKinney	24″ DBH Historic trees designated by the city and heritage-size trees (24+ inches DBH) of qualifying native species receive enhanced protection.	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Historic and heritage trees receive enhanced protection regardless of size.	Caliper-inch replacement on-site or Tree Mitigation Fund payment	Ordinance
Richardson	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native species (post oak, live oak, pecan, cedar elm, bur oak, bald cypress).	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Heritage trees (24+ inches DBH of qualifying species) receive enhanced mitigation requirements.	Caliper-inch mitigation based on removed DBH	Ordinance
Round Rock	24″ DBH Heritage trees: 24+ inches DBH of qualifying native Central Texas species (live oak, post oak, cedar elm, pecan, bald cypress, bur oak).	Protected tree: 8 inches DBH or greater on development sites. Heritage trees (24+ inches DBH) receive enhanced protection.	Caliper-inch mitigation with enhanced ratio for heritage trees	Ordinance
San Antonio	24″ DBH Heritage tree: 24+ inches DBH for eligible native species (oaks, pecan, cedar elm, bald cypress).	Significant tree: 6 inches DBH or greater. Heritage trees include oaks, elms, pecans, and cypress meeting higher diameter thresholds.	Inch-for-inch caliper mitigation	Ordinance
Dallas	Historic trees designated by the City Council for exceptional age, size, or significance.	Protected tree: any tree 8 inches caliper or greater. Article X of Development Code governs tree preservation during development.	Inch-for-inch caliper replacement or mitigation payment	Ordinance
Plano	Historic trees designated by the city for exceptional character, size, or association.	Protected tree: 6 inches DBH or greater. Historic/Heritage trees receive additional protection regardless of size.	Caliper-inch replacement with on-site preference	Ordinance

How Texas heritage designations work

What's the most common DBH threshold for heritage designation in Texas?: Across 13 verified cities in Texas with a numeric DBH heritage threshold, the median is 24 inches DBH (range 18 inches DBH to 24 inches DBH). The remaining 2 verified cities use case-by-case council/commission designation based on age, historical association, or species rarity.
Do heritage trees require a special permit in Texas?: Yes — heritage trees in every verified Texas jurisdiction require a more rigorous removal review than standard protected trees. Heritage status overrides any DBH-based exemption, so even a smaller heritage tree typically requires a removal permit. Many ordinances also require public hearing or notice, mandate replacement at higher ratios (often 2:1 or 3:1 for heritage versus 1:1 for standard), and impose larger penalties for unpermitted removal. Confirm the exact procedure with each city's row below.
Which cities have the strictest heritage criteria in Texas?: The strictest published DBH triggers in Texas are Fort Worth (18 inches DBH), Arlington (24 inches DBH), Austin (24 inches DBH) — lower thresholds mean more trees automatically qualify for heritage protection. Cities without a numeric trigger rely on council designation case-by-case.

Next steps

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