Land Clearing Permits in San Angelo & Tom Green County, TX

Clearing land around San Angelo is shaped less by a single clearing permit than by stormwater rules, a city weed ordinance, county floodplain review and burn bans. Inside the city, a construction project that disturbs one acre or more needs a stormwater pollution prevention plan, and five acres adds a notice of intent. Outside city limits, the Tom Green County Environmental Health Division regulates development in mapped floodplains and septic systems. Burning brush runs into state rules and repeated county bans.

Every rule below names its source. Requirements vary by parcel, scope and jurisdiction, and the governing authority makes the determination.

Inside San Angelo: Stormwater Thresholds

The City of San Angelo’s stormwater guidance sets out three tiers for construction sites (City of San Angelo, Stormwater FAQ):

• Any disturbed ground. Every construction project that disturbs land, even under one acre, is expected to put erosion control measures in place to limit stormwater pollution from the site.
• One acre or more. The project must develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan, a document that lays out the controls (silt fence, inlet protection, erosion logs, rock berms) and when they go in.
• Five acres or more. On top of the plan, the operator submits a notice of intent, notifies the local storm sewer operator and posts a construction site notice at the property.

These tiers come from the state’s construction general permit, TXR150000, which applies at one acre or more, or less when the work is part of a larger common plan of development (TCEQ, Construction Stormwater).

What it means for clearing. Mulching brush on a pasture with no construction planned is a different situation from clearing a lot for a house or a storage yard. Once clearing is the first stage of building, the acreage of disturbed ground starts to count. Ask the city before work begins, and settle who prepares the plan; Cut Brush does not.

We did not find a separate city clearing or grading permit on the pages we read. That is not proof none applies to your project, so ask the city when you plan development.

Inside San Angelo: The Weed and Brush Rule

San Angelo’s code makes it unlawful for an owner to let uncultivated grass, weeds or brush grow taller than 12 inches on a lot inside city limits, occupied or not (San Angelo Code of Ordinances, Sec. 7.02.061 and 7.02.063). Its definition of brush is pointed for this part of Texas: mesquite trees, greasewood, cacti and other naturally occurring shrubbery.

After a notice, the owner has seven days to cut it. If that does not happen, the city can abate the growth and recover its cost through a lien on the property. The code lists defences, including land grazed as pasture, so a working pasture inside the limits is treated differently from a vacant lot.

What it means for clearing. An owner with a mesquite-covered lot in town has a reason to act before the notice arrives. Grinding the brush in place leaves no pile behind to draw the next complaint.

Outside City Limits: Tom Green County

In unincorporated Tom Green County, the office most clearing projects meet is the Environmental Health Division in the Edd B. Keyes Building, 113 W Beauregard Ave, San Angelo, 325-658-1038 (Tom Green County, Environmental Health). It handles three things:

• Septic systems. On-site sewage facilities are permitted through the division under state rules.
• Floodplain development. It regulates new development and substantial improvements in the regulated, mapped floodplains.
• Subdivisions. It reviews lot sizes and locations with septic and floodplain in mind.

What it means for clearing. Mulching a pasture is not development in the ordinary sense, but clearing a homesite, a drive and a septic field is the first step of one. If any of that ground lies in a mapped floodplain along a river or creek, or a septic system is planned, call the division before the site is laid out.

We found no county permit for clearing as such. The county page we read does not mention building permits or zoning, so we make no claim either way; ask the county directly.

The other five counties in our San Angelo service area, Runnels, Coke, Concho, Irion and Schleicher, each have their own offices and rules. We have not researched them here, so start with the county judge’s office or the county’s environmental or floodplain contact.

Burning Cleared Brush

State outdoor burning rules allow plant growth from land clearing to be burned on the property where it grew, with conditions (30 TAC 111.209). The general requirements in 30 TAC 111.219 add that the fire must be downwind of, or 300 feet from, neighbouring occupied buildings unless their owners agree in writing, that burning happens between an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, and that wind runs between 6 and 23 mph. Inside city limits, the exception does not apply unless a local ordinance allows it.

County burn bans override all of that. On 28 February 2025 the Tom Green County Judge ordered all outdoor burning prohibited in the unincorporated county for 90 days, citing drought, under Local Government Code 352.081, with a violation a Class C misdemeanour punishable by a fine of up to $500 (Tom Green County, Order Prohibiting Outdoor Burning). County commissioners voted another countywide ban effective 4 August 2026, which may since have been lifted. Bans come and go with the weather, so check the county’s current order or the Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban map on the day.

What it means for clearing. A plan built around a burn pile can stall for months in a dry year, and the fallback is usually loading and hauling. Mulching avoids the question entirely.

A Short Checklist Before Work Starts

1. Inside city limits or out? That decides whether the city stormwater tiers and weed rule apply.
2. Is this the start of construction? If so, measure the disturbed acreage against the one-acre and five-acre lines.
3. Any mapped floodplain or septic? Outside the city, talk to Tom Green County Environmental Health.
4. What happens to the brush? If the plan is to burn, check for a ban first.
5. Who prepares the paperwork? Cut Brush can point you to the right office but does not prepare stormwater plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to mulch my pasture near San Angelo?

We found no county or city permit aimed at clearing brush from pasture with no construction planned. Stormwater and floodplain rules start to apply when clearing is part of development. Requirements vary by parcel, scope and jurisdiction, and the governing authority makes the determination.

How tall can grass and brush get on a city lot?

Twelve inches, under the city code, with defences such as land grazed as pasture.

Can I burn brush during a burn ban?

No. A county burn ban prohibits outdoor burning in the unincorporated county, with narrow exceptions written into the order.

Get Help With Your Project

Compare your acreage against the San Angelo pricing guide, read about the local cedar in the San Angelo redberry juniper guide, and see the ground on our San Angelo land clearing page. When you are ready, request a free quote and we will flag the offices your project is likely to meet and confirm whether we can take the work.