Kent County · DE · Municipal & Institutional division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Houston, DE
Houston's code sets tree clearance heights over sidewalks and streets and requires Kent Conservation District approval before site-plan permits issue.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Houston, DE. In this small Kent County town, the property maintenance chapter requires owners to keep trees and vegetation trimmed to 10 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets and to remove dead, diseased or hazardous trees, and the zoning chapter withholds site-plan permits until approvals such as the Kent Conservation District's are in hand. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Houston code says
Houston covers about 0.38 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 66 miles from our Chadds Ford base. These are the town rules that most often shape a clearing, mulching or grading scope here, quoted from the code itself.
- 1.
Clearance over sidewalks and streets
Houston's Chapter 400 (Property Maintenance) makes it unlawful to let a tree, bush or other vegetation overhang a public sidewalk, street or right-of-way so that it blocks streetlights or sightlines, and requires trimming to a clearance height of 10 feet over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets. Owners must also remove dead, diseased or hazardous trees and broken or decayed limbs.
- 2.
Site plans need outside approvals first
Article VI of the zoning chapter (Chapter 550) requires the applicant to submit local, county, state and federal approvals, naming DelDOT, the Kent Conservation District and the State Fire Marshal, and says no permit is issued until approval is given. Where the Town Engineer deems it necessary, plans must show erosion and sediment controls for all phases of clearing, grading and construction.
Offices for a Houston site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Kent Conservation District, 1670 S. DuPont Highway, Dover (302-608-5370) |
| Town or city office | Town of Houston town office |
| Delegated agency list (who reviews where) | DNREC Sediment & Stormwater delegated agencies |
| Wetlands and waterways | DNREC Wetlands and Waterways Section |
Houston questions, answered
How high do I need to trim trees over the street in Houston, DE?
The town's property maintenance chapter sets 10 feet of clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets.
Who approves erosion controls for a Houston site plan?
The Kent Conservation District, which DNREC lists as the sediment and stormwater agency for Kent County; the town will not issue the permit until that approval is provided.
Cost, permits and the ground
Code summaries are general guidance, not legal advice; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each parcel before work.
What shapes the cost of land clearing in Houston, DE?
Density and stem size, ground and terrain, access and staging, finish standard, resource plan, stewardship and schedule. Haul-off of non-organic debris, stump grinding below grade, permits and licensed applications are quoted as separate visible lines. Every job is priced in writing after a private site walk, and the walk carries no charge inside the service region.
Do I need a permit for land clearing in Houston, DE?
Often, and it depends on the area disturbed and what is nearby. DNREC lists the Kent Conservation District as the sediment and stormwater review agency for Houston; Delaware's regulations exempt land disturbance under 5,000 square feet, and 1 acre or more also needs construction general permit coverage. Town approvals described on this page come on top of that, and work in wetlands generally needs a DNREC permit. We confirm each one for the parcel before work.
Is forestry mulching better than bulldozing?
For most brush and small-tree work, yes. Mulching leaves roots in the ground and a chip layer on the surface, so slopes stay put, stream-adjacent ground stays stable, and there are no burn piles or haul-off loads. A buildable surface, root-ball removal, grading or drainage work may call for a broader clearing or excavation plan.
More about Houston, DE
Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.
Who approves land clearing or earth disturbance in Houston, DE?
In Houston, DE, start with the town's permit or code office. As general guidance, DNREC lists delegated sediment and stormwater agencies in all three counties. Disturbing 1 acre or more also needs NPDES construction permit coverage through DNREC. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Houston, DE?
Delaware bans most open burning from May 1 through September 30. Outside those dates a homeowner may burn small amounts of yard material after notifying the county fire board, but burning land-clearing material is always prohibited except for agriculture, and leaves and grass may never be burned. Huntly mulches brush in place, so no burn permit is needed. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What grows wild and takes over land around Houston, DE?
Typical for Kent County: Phragmites in wet ground and along ditches, plus autumn olive, multiflora rose, and sweetgum and loblolly pine thickets on idle fields. Which ones you have depends on soil and moisture. A site walk sorts it out, and Huntly prices the clearing in writing after the walk.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Houston, DE?
DNREC runs a Phragmites cost-share for landowners with 5 to 200 acres, using aerial application. Drainage ditches aren't eligible. Tax ditch organizations manage ditch channels separately, and your local conservation district can point you to other programs. Herbicide work is done by a licensed applicator and quoted as a separate visible line. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Houston, DE, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Huntly Land Co. serves Delaware, and the site walk is free inside the service region. Every job is priced in writing after the walk at a fixed price, and mobilization for long hauls is quoted on the estimate. Call (302) 497-5263 or email hello@huntlyland.com.
Is my land in Houston, DE on a tax ditch?
Maybe. DNREC says Delaware has 234 tax ditch organizations managing more than 2,000 miles of channels, and ditch rights of way can limit what you clear. Check with DNREC's Tax Ditch Program before work near a ditch. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Who do I call after a storm in Houston, DE?
Huntly runs a 24/7 storm line at (302) 497-5263 for downed trees blocking lanes, drives and fields, using a grapple to clear and haul debris. If a tree is on a house or other structure, call a tree service or the utility first. Huntly handles the cleanup after.
Where these facts come from
Sources: Town of Houston Code, Ch. 400 Property Maintenance · Town of Houston Code, Ch. 550 Zoning, Art. VI · DNREC, Sediment and Stormwater Delegated Agencies
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Houston can need a sediment and stormwater plan or a local approval. Start here:
Send us the details.
hello@huntlyland.comSend the town, rough acreage and two or three photographs. We reply by email with site-walk times, and a written scope follows the walk.
Delaware & coastal line: (302) 497-5263 · Main line: (484) 486-7272
Office hours Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On call 24/7 for storm and emergency cleanup. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.