When does a tree at a Seguin house need to come down?
Most removals start with one of a few things: the tree has died, a storm has split or tipped it, a disease has weakened its wood, or it stands where something needs to be built.
- Dead or dying after drought. The Texas A&M Forest Service estimated that the 2011 drought killed 301 million trees on Texas forest land, plus 5.6 million in urban areas. The USDA Forest Service reported severe drought across Texas again in fiscal 2025, with "widespread decline and mortality" of several species (both checked Nov 14, 2026).
- Weakened wood. Hypoxylon canker, which can affect any oak including live oak, settles into trees already stressed by heat, drought, ice or hail. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says it can leave a tree "a danger to life and property" (fact sheet dated May 22, 2009; checked Nov 14, 2026).
- Storm damage. A cracked trunk, a torn-out limb that leaves a big wound, or a root plate lifted out of wet clay. See storm-damaged trees for first steps.
- A tree in the way. An addition, a driveway or a pool sometimes lands where a trunk stands.
Some common yard trees aren't protected by the city at all. Seguin's "not protected" list includes hackberry, mesquite, chinaberry, Chinese tallow, Chinese pistache, crape myrtle, palms, waxleaf privet and every ash except Texas ash, which takes in Arizona ash (City of Seguin plant lists; checked Nov 14, 2026). Honey mesquite also turns up on the city's preferred list under the same Latin name, so ask Planning before counting on mesquite either way.
Do I need Seguin's permit to remove a tree from my lot?
On a platted or subdivided single-family lot, no. Sec. 5.2.8.B.5 of the Unified Development Code, revised Jan 1, 2026, exempts "a tree or trees located on platted or subdivided single-family residential properties" from the permit (checked Nov 14, 2026).
The permit matters on other land inside the city: unplatted acreage, commercial or multifamily property, and sites under development. There, cutting down a protected tree takes a Tree Removal Permit from the Director of Planning (Sec. 5.2.8.A). A protected tree is one from the city's preferred list that measures 6 inches or more across at 4.5 feet for large-maturing kinds, or 4 inches for small-maturing and multi-trunk trees. The application asks for the tree's address and location, its diameter, its species and the reason it's coming out.
Two more exemptions often fit a removal. Sec. 5.2.8.B.2 covers removal and pruning caused by disease, storm, fire, accident or another act of nature, and Sec. 5.2.8.B.4 covers a tree that is a danger to the public and needs to come out right away. State law adds its own floor: under Texas Local Government Code §212.905(h), a city may not forbid removing a tree that is dead, diseased or an imminent threat to people or property, with an exception for property within five miles of a federal military base in active use as of Dec 1, 2017 (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Not sure your lot is platted? Seguin Planning answers at 830-386-2505 (checked Nov 14, 2026). The Seguin tree permit page walks through all six exemptions, replacement trees and the fee schedule.
What if the tree leans toward a power line?
Seguin homes get electricity from one of two providers: the City of Seguin's own electric department or GVEC, the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, which serves over 85,000 consumers (Seguin EDC; checked Nov 14, 2026). Your bill shows which one you have.
Texas Health and Safety Code §752.004 bars work where a person, a tool, equipment or material could come within six feet of a high-voltage overhead line, unless the danger is guarded against as the statute lays out. When work has to get closer, §752.003 calls for at least 48 hours' notice to the line's operator for a temporary clearance (both checked Nov 14, 2026). GVEC says homeowners should never try that kind of trimming themselves.
So if a trunk or limb could touch a line on the way down, the provider gets a call before the saw starts. Ask the contractor who will make that call and whether the date depends on it.
How does a removal next to a house usually go?
A tree with open ground around it can sometimes be dropped in one piece. Next to a house, most can't. The usual plan is to take the limbs off first, from a climber in the tree or a bucket truck, lowering heavy pieces on ropes so they miss the roof, gutters and fence. The trunk then comes down in short sections. Brush is fed to a chipper, the trunk becomes a stack of rounds, and the stump is left near ground level unless grinding is part of the job.
When there's no safe place to lower anything, a crane can lift whole sections over the house. That adds cost: HomeGuide's figure for crane days is $500 to $2,500 beyond the removal itself (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Who hauls away the wood and brush?
Seguin's curbside brush pickup comes about once every five weeks, and each piece is limited to 5 feet long, 12 inches in diameter and 40 pounds. Call the Brush Department at (830) 401-2416 to learn your week (Living Green in Seguin guide, 2023; checked Nov 14, 2026). A whole tree is far past those limits, so a big removal usually means the contractor hauls the wood. Get that written into the price, along with what happens to the rounds and the chips.
For reference, HomeGuide puts debris removal at $75 to $250 per dump trip, and Thumbtack's Seguin page says hauling a fallen tree adds $100 to $120 (both checked Nov 14, 2026). If the tree was an oak, the Texas A&M Forest Service advises against moving its firewood, since oak wilt can travel with it.
Thinking of burning the brush? Guadalupe County's burn ban was lifted effective Oct 31, 2026 (checked Nov 14, 2026), but bans come and go by order of the Commissioners Court. Inside Seguin, the city collects brush at the curb; check with the city before burning anything.
What does tree removal cost around Seguin?
Height is the biggest driver in every national guide. These figures are national ranges checked Nov 14, 2026, not Seguin prices.
| Tree height | This Old House (updated Mar 5, 2026) | HomeGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 ft | $150 to $450 | $150 to $500 |
| 30 to 60 ft | $450 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,000 |
| 60 to 80 ft | $800 to $1,500 | $650 to $2,000 |
| Over 80 ft | $1,000 to $2,000 | $1,200 to $2,700 |
The only San Antonio-area figure in the guides comes from HomeAdvisor: $600 to $1,000, on a page last updated April 16, 2024. Angi gives $1,264 as the average to remove a large tree. Nobody publishes a Seguin price list, so the contractor's written quote for your tree is what counts. Every price table, with dates.
Removal questions from Seguin homeowners
Can a dead tree on my platted lot come down without city approval?
The platted single-family exemption in Sec. 5.2.8.B.5 covers trees on those lots whatever their condition. Anywhere in a Texas city, state law §212.905(h) generally keeps the city from forbidding removal of a dead or diseased tree, or charging a mitigation fee for it; property within five miles of an active military base is the exception.
Is the hackberry along my back fence protected?
No. Hackberry is on the city's "not protected" list, along with Arizona ash, Chinese tallow and crape myrtle.
Does the stump come out with the tree?
Only if it's in the price. Angi lists stump removal at $65 to $350 on top of a tree removal, and HomeGuide puts a first stump at $120 to $400 (checked Nov 14, 2026). Grinding 16 inches or deeper calls for an 811 notice first; see stump grinding.
Ready to have someone look at the tree? Send a request or call (830) 406-4266. A single independent contractor working in Seguin gets it.
Sources: City of Seguin Unified Development Code, revised Jan 1, 2026; City of Seguin approved plant lists; Seguin Planning & Codes; Texas Local Government Code §212.905; Texas Health and Safety Code §752.004 and §752.003; Seguin EDC, utilities; GVEC; Living Green in Seguin (2023); Guadalupe County Fire Marshal; Texas A&M Forest Service, 2011 drought and oak wilt; Texas Forest Health Highlights 2025; AgriLife hypoxylon canker fact sheet; HomeGuide; This Old House; HomeAdvisor; Angi; Thumbtack, Seguin. All checked Nov 14, 2026.