Street trees required.

Houston Code of Ordinances § 33-126

in effect

Sec. 33-126. - Street trees required. (a) Street trees shall be planted within the public street rights-of-way, or on private property within ten feet parallel and adjacent to a local street right-of-way, or on private nonresidential property within 25 feet parallel and adjacent to a major thoroughfare, or in the esplanade pursuant to the requirements of section 33-129(b) (see figure E). When the building site abuts a designated state or federal highway or road or any designated county road and street trees are not otherwise required by law, street trees shall be planted on private property in accordance with this section. The number of street trees planted shall equal the total number of trees (T) required under the following formula: T = (X/30), where X shall represent the length in linear feet measured along each side of the property line on the public street(s). (See figure B.) This formula and all resulting planting requirements under this section shall be applied separately to each side of the property that abuts a street right-of-way, and if any side abuts two or more block faces, then separately to each block face. (b) Street trees planted in accordance with this section shall be of a species listed on the street tree list. In the case of trees planted within the public rights-of-way, trees shall be planted in a location which conforms with the requirements of section 33-129 of this division. The trees shall be planted so as not to interfere with existing utilities, roadways, sidewalks, or street lights. (c) The planting scheme for street trees shall be such that no street tree is planted closer than 20 feet to any other street tree (whether an existing tree or a tree planted hereunder) with the trees being spaced without extreme variation in distance across each blockface frontage taking into account existing site conditions and driveway locations. The director may authorize a partial waiver under the credit terms of section 33-123 of this Code if he determines that planting all of the otherwise required street trees upon any given side of the property that abuts a street right-of-way or block face would result in excessive tree canopy, based upon existing trees that are to be preserved during construction. Any request for a waiver shall be in writing and shall specify the preservation methods that will be used for the existing trees, which shall meet or exceed the requirements of section 33-130 of this Code. Additionally, the director may authorize the spacing to be reduced from 20 feet to no less than 18 feet if he determines that the conditions in the right-of-way make compliance at 20-foot spacing impracticable. (Ord. No. 03-159, § 5, 2-12-03)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH33PLDE_ARTVTRSHSCFE_DIV2BUSI_S33-126STTRREFetched: 10/26/2026