Three Things That Decide a Hill Country Clearing Job
Which aquifer zone you are standing on. The TCEQ Edwards Aquifer Protection
Program treats land clearing as a regulated activity across eight counties, Bexar, Comal, and
Medina among them, and a plan needs approval before soil moves on the recharge zone. In the
contributing zone the trigger is five acres of disturbance, or a smaller piece of a plan that
totals five. TCEQ publishes a viewer that answers the zone question in a minute.
Which trees the city counts. Inside San Antonio, the tree preservation section
of the Unified Development Code protects significant trees at 6 inches diameter for most
species, and sets a higher 10-inch bar specifically for Ashe juniper, mesquite, huisache,
Arizona ash, and hackberry. Heritage trees start at 24 inches and are preserved at 100%.
Completed single-family, two-family, and three-family homesites are exempt. Which of those rules
touches your parcel is a question for the city; we flag it and point you at the right desk.
What month it is. Texas A&M Forest Service advises against pruning or wounding
oaks from February through June, the stretch when oak wilt spreads most easily, and says to
paint every oak wound immediately year round. Burn bans are the other calendar problem: Bexar
County extended one for 90 days in February 2026, and a violation is a Class C misdemeanor with
a fine up to $500. Grinding brush in place is how we take both problems off your schedule.