At a glance
- A platted lot in an E-1, R-1, R-2 or R-3 zone: the tree removal permit rule doesn't apply.
- Unplatted residential land and every other zone: a permit for protected trees, $20 base fee on the form (checked Nov 14, 2026).
- During an emergency such as a hurricane, the permit can be waived as the city's emergency management coordinator deems necessary, so ask the city after a storm.
- Beryl left an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris in the city (National Weather Service).
Is your Lake Jackson lot platted, and why does it matter?
It decides whether the permit rule reaches you at all. The current text of Sec. 90-73, in Article IV, "Trees and Landscaping," of Chapter 90, reads (Ord. No. 23-2269, Aug 21, 2023; checked Nov 14, 2026):
"This section shall be a minimum standard and shall apply in full to all property zones except E-1, R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential. For property zones E-1, R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential; only the "tree removal permit" requirements of subsections 90-74(a), and 90-75(a)(2) and (a)(3), shall apply, and then only for properties that are not platted."
So a house on a recorded lot in one of the city's ordinary residential zones sits outside the permit rule. Land that hasn't been platted, and any property in other zones, is where the rule applies. If you aren't sure how your lot is zoned or whether it's platted, call the city at (979) 415-2430 before cutting.
What counts as a protected tree in Lake Jackson?
Article IV of Chapter 90 (Secs. 90-71 to 90-77, Ord. No. 23-2269, Aug 21, 2023) sets these terms (checked Nov 14, 2026):
- A protected tree has to be on the city's Approved Tree and Shrub List. On an approved landscape plan, it is one shown as kept that measures six inches or more across at 54 inches above the ground. On undeveloped property, the size is twelve inches or more at the same height (Sec. 90-72).
- A removal permit can be issued for a diseased or damaged tree "beyond the point of recovery or in danger of falling," or to keep a disease from spreading to healthy trees nearby. In disputed cases the city may ask for a qualified arborist's written opinion (Sec. 90-75(a)(2)).
- On unplatted land zoned E-1 or R-1 to R-3, a permit can be issued when the protected trees removed over the past five years, including the new one, add up to less than 10% of the protected trees on the property; the count can be estimated without a survey (Sec. 90-75(a)(3)).
- Where protected trees on an approved landscape plan come out, replacements equal 100% of the trunk diameter removed, at least 3, 4 or 6 inches across depending on the size of the tree taken out, and at least seven feet tall when planted (Sec. 90-77).
Registered right-of-way users maintaining or installing their facilities under Chapter 95, Article II "shall not be required to obtain tree removal permits" (Sec. 90-75(b)(2)).
The $20 permit form
Lake Jackson's tree removal permit form lists a "Base Fee $20.00" and asks for the job address, the owner, the contractor, a description of the work and a signature. The form carries no date, so check the fee when you apply. The office is at 25 Oak Drive, Lake Jackson, TX 77566, phone (979) 415-2430 (checked Nov 14, 2026).
The form has a line for the contractor, so when a permit is needed, agree with yours who files it before the job starts. Texas Local Government Code §212.905 still applies on top: a city generally may not prohibit removal of, or charge a mitigation fee for, a tree that "is diseased or dead" or "poses an imminent or immediate threat to persons or property" (checked Nov 14, 2026).
After a hurricane: the emergency waiver
Sec. 90-75(b)(1) says: "During the period of an emergency, such as a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood or other natural disaster, the requirements for a tree removal permit are waived as deemed necessary by the emergency management coordinator or other designee of the city manager." Ask the city whether the waiver is in effect after a given storm.
The city's hurricane preparedness page adds that "Lake Jackson arranges contracts with crews who have the capacity to clean the town as soon as possible," and that "There are no mandatory routes you must take when evacuating from Lake Jackson." Designated routes are SH 36, 288, 6, 290, I-45 and I-10 (checked Nov 14, 2026).
What did Beryl leave behind in Lake Jackson?
A great deal of wood. The National Weather Service's impact summary for Hurricane Beryl, July 8, 2024, reads: "An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris was created within the City of Lake Jackson." A gauge 2.3 miles northwest of Lake Jackson recorded 10.79 inches of rain in 48 hours, and the summary describes "widespread tree damage" across Brazoria County (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Nearby stations caught the wind: 64 mph at Freeport, 87 mph at a maritime station 1 mile south-southwest of Surfside Beach, and 85 mph at the Brazoria County Airport near Angleton. The hurricane page covers claims and first steps, and the debris page covers pickup.
The trees on Lake Jackson's approved list
The city's "Approved Tree and Shrub List," adopted Sept 16, 2013, includes American elm, bald cypress, black gum, black willow, box elder maple, bur oak, cabbage palm, California fan palm, cedar elm, Chinese pistache, Drummond red maple, eastern cottonwood, eastern red cedar, green ash, lace bark (Chinese) elm, laurel oak, live oak, pecan, red mulberry, Shumard oak, southern magnolia, southern red oak, swamp chestnut oak, sweet bay magnolia, sweetgum, sycamore, Texas palm, Texas persimmon, water oak, western soapberry, white ash and willow oak, plus small trees and shrubs (checked Nov 14, 2026).
The University of Florida's hurricane research rates several of them (Florida data):
| Wind-resistance group | Trees from the Lake Jackson list |
|---|---|
| Highest | Live oak, southern magnolia, cabbage palm, bald cypress |
| Medium-high | Sweetgum |
| Medium-low | Sycamore, green ash |
| Lowest | Pecan, water oak, laurel oak |
The Brazoria County trees page goes through these species one by one.
Who owns the lines over your yard?
Lake Jackson isn't on TNMP's published list of Gulf Coast communities it serves, and CenterPoint Energy's service-center list names Lake Jackson, Clute, Freeport and Alvin. Your electric bill names your poles-and-wires company. CenterPoint's tree line is 713-207-2222 or 1-800-332-7143, and TNMP's is 888-866-7456. Whoever owns the line, Texas Health and Safety Code §752.004 forbids work that could put a person or a tool less than six feet from a high-voltage overhead line until the danger is guarded against (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Lake Jackson by the numbers
The Census Bureau put Lake Jackson at 27,768 people on July 1, 2023, down 1.5% from 28,177 in 2020, with 10,607 households, a 61.9% owner-occupied rate and a median home value of $248,900 for 2019-2023 (QuickFacts, checked Nov 14, 2026). Routine heavy trash and brush rules for the city weren't on the pages read for this site; call the city before setting out a large pile.
For a tree at a Lake Jackson home, send a request or call (979) 612-4008. One independent contractor who covers Lake Jackson and the surrounding county gets the request. The tree rules page sets Lake Jackson's rule beside Angleton's and Alvin's.
Sources: Lake Jackson Code Ch. 90, Art. IV (Secs. 90-71 to 90-77), the approved tree list (with Ord. 13-2017), Planning Commission minutes, Sept 2013, tree removal permit form, Lake Jackson hurricane preparedness, Texas Local Government Code Ch. 212, NWS Beryl impact narratives, NWS Beryl page, UF/IFAS, TNMP service area, CenterPoint service centers, CenterPoint fact sheet, Health and Safety Code §752.004, Census QuickFacts. All checked Nov 14, 2026.