San Antonio, Texas
Tree Removal and Tree Service in San Antonio
A San Antonio homeowner living in a finished house can prune or remove a yard tree without a city permit, but any contractor hired for the job must hold a city-issued tree maintenance license, and every cut on an oak has to be painted within 30 minutes.
- County
- Bexar
- Tree rules
- Unified Development Code Sec. 35-523. Development Services Department, City Arborist.
- Key local rule
- Oak wounds painted within 30 minutes. Contractors need a city tree maintenance license.
- Electric utility
- CPS Energy
- Main hazards
- Oak wilt, drought, hail, hard freezes
Does a San Antonio homeowner need a tree permit?
Usually not. The city's tree FAQ says that if you live in a home where all construction is finished, no tree permit or coordination with the City Arborist is required to remove a tree. The preservation ordinance is aimed at development, clearing and construction.
- Building or adding on
- New construction and large additions bring the preservation ordinance into play, with a tree permit or tree affidavit filed through the BuildSA portal before work starts.
- Hiring help
- The person you hire to prune or remove must hold a valid city tree maintenance license. Ask to see it.
- Outside the city limits
- The ordinance also reaches the extraterritorial jurisdiction, roughly five miles beyond the city line, for clearing and development.
Section 35-523, heritage trees and the oak wilt rules
San Antonio's tree preservation ordinance sits in Section 35-523 of the Unified Development Code. It classes most trees of 6 inches or more in trunk diameter as significant, with a 10-inch threshold for Ashe juniper, huisache, mesquite, Arizona ash and hackberry. A tree of 24 inches or more is a heritage tree, and developers must preserve or mitigate a share of both groups.
Two oak wilt rules apply to everyone, with or without a permit. All cuts and wounds on oaks must be painted within 30 minutes, and firewood from oak wilt infected trees may not be brought into the city. The city also advises keeping oak pruning to a minimum between February 1 and July 1, when the fungus spreads most readily.
Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills and the other enclave cities inside Loop 410 are separate municipalities with their own tree rules. Confirm which city your address is in before relying on any of this.
The trees behind most San Antonio calls
- Live oak
- The signature tree of the north side. Shares roots with its neighbors, which is how oak wilt moves from yard to yard along a street.
- Texas red oak
- Dies within weeks of oak wilt infection and produces the fungal mats that beetles carry to fresh wounds.
- Cedar elm
- Tough and drought hardy, but prone to included bark and long limbs that split in thunderstorm winds.
- Pecan
- Common along the river and creeks on deeper soil. Heavy limbs fail under nut loads and in hail.
- Arizona ash
- Planted widely in mid-century subdivisions and short-lived. Many are now hollow and shedding large wood.
- Ashe juniper
- The Hill Country cedar on the rocky northern edge. Often cleared for fire safety and view.
How oak work is handled here
Oak wilt changes the routine for any pruning or removal of a live oak or red oak in Bexar County.
Pick the season
Schedule routine oak pruning for the heat of late summer or the cold of midwinter, outside the February to July window.
Paint every cut
Wound paint goes on each cut and scrape within 30 minutes, on stubs and stumps as well as limbs.
Clean the tools
Saws and pruners are disinfected between trees so the fungus is not carried along.
Deal with red oak wood
Wood from a red oak that died of wilt is chipped, burned or buried, not stacked as firewood.
Ask about trenching
Where wilt is already moving through live oaks, a trench that severs shared roots can protect the trees beyond it.
North side limestone, south side clay
The Balcones Escarpment runs through the city, and the ground on each side grows different trees with different problems.
| Area | Ground | What it means for trees |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Oak, Shavano Park, Helotes edge | Thin soil over Edwards limestone | Shallow rooting, drought dieback, live oak mottes and juniper |
| Monte Vista, King William, Olmos Park area | Deeper terrace soils, old plantings | Century-old oaks and pecans over historic houses. Historic review may apply. |
| South and east sides | Heavy blackland clay | Soil shrinks in drought and swells when wet, shifting roots and foundations |
| River and creek corridors | Deep alluvium | Very large pecans and cypress, flood scour and bank failures |
Treating an oak or taking it down
Reasons to keep and treat
- A live oak with early wilt symptoms can sometimes be held with fungicide injection by a qualified applicator
- Healthy oaks next to an infection center are the best candidates for preventive treatment
- Drought dieback in an otherwise sound crown often recovers with deadwood pruning
Reasons to remove
- A red oak with wilt will not recover and becomes a source of spores
- A live oak that has lost most of its canopy is brittle and hard to climb safely
- An Arizona ash with a hollow trunk over a roof or driveway
Have wilt confirmed before deciding. Other problems, including drought scorch, look similar from the ground.
Other Texas pages
- Texas tree serviceStatewide storms, pests and how Texas regulates tree work.
- AustinProtected and heritage tree permits on private lots.
- Fort WorthPost oak country at the edge of the Cross Timbers.
- HoustonHurricane and derecho damage and street tree rules.
- Tree trimmingWhat proper pruning cuts look like.
- Construction Tree Protection in AustinAustin rules for fencing root zones on building sites, worth reading before San Antonio construction.
San Antonio tree service questions
Is it illegal to prune oaks in spring in San Antonio?
No. The city advises minimizing oak pruning from February 1 to July 1, but the binding rule is that every oak cut is painted within 30 minutes at any time of year. Storm damage and safety pruning go ahead when needed.
What is a heritage tree in San Antonio?
A tree with a trunk of 24 inches or more in diameter. The designation matters mainly for development and clearing, where heritage trees must be preserved or mitigated under Section 35-523.
Does my tree trimmer need a San Antonio license?
Yes. A contractor pruning or removing trees in the city must hold a city-issued tree maintenance license. Homeowners working on their own trees do not.
Who clears limbs from the power line to my house?
CPS Energy handles vegetation around its distribution lines. Tree companies cannot work within the minimum clearance of energized primary lines, so call the utility first.
Reach a tree service in San Antonio
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the San Antonio area, or leave your number and one will call you back.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
(844) 955-1716Call nowCall availability varies by area and time of day