Determine whether a landscaping or grading project in Austin, TX requires a Tree Ordinance Review Application (TORA) before affecting a protected or heritage tree
domain: austintexas.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Measure trunk diameter: trees 19 inches or greater are 'protected' under Austin's tree ordinance; certain species (live oak, Texas ash, pecan) at 24 inches or greater are 'heritage' trees with stronger protection.
Submit a TORA to the City Arborist Program before any removal, or before grading/construction work that will encroach on a protected or heritage tree's critical root zone.
Treat heritage tree removal as presumptively prohibited — it requires a special variance under Austin City Code Section 25-8-641, which is rarely granted.
Check for exemptions (dead/diseased/hazardous trees, or non-protected species/sizes) before assuming a permit is required.
Budget for potential penalties if work proceeds without a required permit — fines can run up to $2,000 per caliper inch of trunk diameter.
Known gotchas
The 19-inch 'protected' threshold and 24-inch 'heritage' threshold apply to specific measurement methods and, for heritage status, specific species — don't assume every large tree on a site qualifies as heritage.
Grading or root-zone encroachment during a landscape/hardscape project can trigger the same permit requirement as outright removal — the ordinance isn't limited to cutting the tree down.
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