Land Clearing Regulations in Kerr, Bandera, and Gillespie Counties: What You Need to Know Before You Start

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Land Clearing Regulations in Kerr, Bandera, and Gillespie Counties: What You Need to Know Before You Start

By: Cactus Creek Land Clearing

One of the first questions Hill Country landowners should ask before clearing isn't "what equipment do I need" — it's "what am I actually allowed to clear, and where." Regulations vary by county, by whether you're inside city limits or in unincorporated areas, and by what's on your property to begin with. Here's a general starting point for landowners in Kerr, Bandera, and Gillespie counties.

Note: Regulations change, and specifics vary by parcel, floodplain status, and municipal boundary. This is a general orientation, not legal advice — always confirm current requirements with the relevant county or city office before starting work.

Why Regulation Exists at All

Central Texas counties generally care about a few recurring issues when it comes to land clearing:

Floodplain and drainage impact — clearing near creeks, rivers, or in designated floodplain areas often triggers additional review
Erosion control — larger clearing projects, especially on slopes, may require erosion and sediment control plans
Heritage and protected trees — some municipalities protect certain tree species or sizes, even on private land
Burn permits — if clearing debris will be burned rather than mulched or hauled, separate permitting usually applies

What Typically Doesn't Require a Permit

Routine brush and cedar management on private rural acreage — the kind of ranch-scale mulching, mesquite grubbing, or brush clearing most Hill Country landowners do — generally doesn't require special county permitting outside of floodplain or protected-tree situations. This is especially true for unincorporated county land not tied into a municipal tree ordinance.

Where Landowners Get Tripped Up

The situations that most often catch people off guard:

Clearing within city limits (Kerrville, Boerne, Fredericksburg) where local tree preservation ordinances may apply, even on a residential lot
Clearing near a creek, river, or drainage that falls under floodplain regulation
Clearing larger commercial or subdivision-scale clearing, which typically triggers more formal review than a single ranch property
Burning cleared debris without the appropriate burn permit, especially during burn bans

A Simple Rule of Thumb

If your project is routine brush or cedar management on rural, unincorporated acreage, you're generally in low-risk territory. If it involves city limits, a waterway, a large-scale commercial development, or burning debris, it's worth a call to the county or city planning office first — a five-minute phone call is a lot less costly than redoing work or facing a fine after the fact.

Work With a Contractor Who Knows the Area

An experienced local land clearing company has usually navigated these situations before across multiple counties and can flag likely issues before the first tree comes down — even though the final regulatory call always rests with the property owner and the relevant local authority.

Not sure what applies to your property? Cactus Creek Land Clearing works across Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, and surrounding Hill Country counties and can help you think through the details before your project starts. Call 830-353-8580.

Brent Ebeling

Parks and his crew were very professional and communicative. We had a ton of rain this spring that kept delaying everything outside, but Parks spoke with me weekly updating me. Once here the work went beyond what I was expecting, they did areas that I did not expect and were right in line with what he quoted. I will have them back

John Rafferty

We’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Cactus Creek Land Clearing on multiple projects, and they’ve been consistently top-notch every time. Their crew is professional, efficient, and knows exactly how to handle land clearing the right way. What really stands out is the quality of their work and the results they deliver. Every job we’ve been on together, their customers have been extremely happy, and it shows in how clean and well-prepared the properties are when they’re done. They’re easy to coordinate with, communicate well, and take pride in what they do—which makes a big difference when working on shared projects. If you’re in Kerrville or anywhere in the surrounding Hill Country and need land clearing, cedar removal, or property prep done right, I highly recommend Cactus Creek Land Clearing. We look forward to continuing to work with them on future jobs.

Susan Brown

This company did a fantastic job building our road back after the July 4th flood. If you need road work done this is the company to use. They are very honest and professional. Thank you Parks.

Jeff Anderson

We contracted Cactus Creek Land Clearing to remove cedar on roughly 65 acres of property in Medina, TX in March 2024. They came on time and on budget. More importantly, they literally transformed our property - exposing land formations and terrain features that were invisible when we purchased it. The raving comments we've received from other landowners and neighbors who have known this property for 50+ years is testament enough. Parks and his team were fantastic to work with - Professional, Polite, and Focused on bringing cedar covered property alive. Absolutely love ours and intend to do more in the next years.

Katy Chapman-Hanna

Phenomenal work. Cactus Creek has the equipment AND the staff/workers to get the job done! We were very impressed by their professionalism and commendable work ethic - will definitely be hiring them again for future projects!

Dave Latch

This was my second time having Cactus Creek come out and do some Cedar Clearing. They have a great team, their communication was excellent and the property looks like a new place. I will certainly be calling them the next time!

Eileen Naski

Couldn’t be happier with process and product. From the pre bid walk, to the A+ operator. Would highly recommend and will be using Cactus Creek services again.

Chris Rotge

Parks are crew are honest and reliable have made a great working relationship

John Davis

Let me begin by saying that we are very happy with the job Cactus Creek performed for us. We had 52 acres of mesquite to clear and they took care of everything they said they would. Parks bid the job and although it took them a bit longer than they originally accounted for in the bid contract due to unforeseen circumstances Jesse kept plugging away until it was finished for the original amount bid. Their hourly machine rates are competitive with others we solicited for bids. We are extremely happy with the results. Their work ethic and professionalism are top notch. I would not hesitate to use them again.