Guide · Updated September 2026
Xeriscape & HOA Rules in North Texas: What Your HOA Can and Can't Require
The most useful sentence in Texas landscaping law: your HOA cannot prohibit a drought-resistant yard. Property Code §202.007 has said so since 2013, it overrides the covenants no matter when they were written — and almost nobody in North Texas knows it. Here is what the law protects, what your association can still require, and how approval actually goes when the packet is done right.
By Cole Alder, Founder & Lead Designer, Designs of Eden
What §202.007 actually protects
A property owners' association in Texas may not enforce a restrictive covenant that prohibits or restricts an owner from:
- Drought-resistant landscaping — xeriscape beds, native and adapted plantings
- Water-conserving natural turf — buffalograss and similar low-water lawns
- Rain harvesting — barrels and rainwater systems
- Efficient irrigation — drip systems and water-conserving equipment
- Solar devices and religious displays (same statute, different subsections)
Any covenant that violates the section is void — the state law wins even over documents older than 2013. The association cannot “unreasonably deny or withhold approval” of a proposed installation, and cannot unreasonably declare it aesthetically incompatible.
What your HOA can still require — and where owners lose
| The HOA can… | Which means you should… |
|---|---|
| Require a detailed plan submitted for review before installation | Submit a real plan — scaled drawing, plant schedule with sizes, materials |
| Review for “maximum aesthetic compatibility” with the subdivision | Design layered beds with structure and seasonal color, not gravel fields |
| Enforce maintenance standards after approval | Spec mulch depths, edging and drip so the yard stays sharp on autopilot |
| Regulate unrelated items (structures, fences, hardscape %) | Keep the conversion scoped to planting and irrigation, or submit those separately |
In practice, owners lose xeriscape fights on presentation, not law: a hand-sketch and a flat of lantana invites a denial the association can defend as “reasonable.” A professional packet removes that defense.
The approval playbook we use
- Design first, submit second. The photoreal 3D design doubles as the ARC exhibit — committees approve what they can see.
- Submit the full packet: scaled plan, plant schedule with botanical names and container sizes, materials, irrigation notes.
- Cite the statute politely. One line noting the proposal falls under Property Code §202.007 reframes the review from “may we” to “how exactly.”
- Give them a maintenance story. Drip zones, defined edges, and a plant palette that holds its shape — the committee's real fear is year three, not day one.
The city layer: watering rules a xeriscape sails through
HOA approval is only half the equation — city watering rules are the other. A few verified examples from our service area:
- McKinney: two watering days a week — but a registered smart ET controller is exempt from the day schedule entirely.
- Dallas: year-round schedule with no watering 10 a.m.–6 p.m. April–October.
- Frisco: Stage 2-style twice-weekly watering in summer, with xeriscape-conversion rebates offered.
- Colleyville: free residential sprinkler-system evaluations through the city.
A drip-zoned native landscape simply doesn't care about these schedules — that's the point. For the plant side, see our drought-tolerant plants guide, organized by soil.
What a designed xeriscape costs
Xeriscape conversions follow our standard ladder: 2D Site Plans run $750–$2,000 for lots under about half an acre, photoreal 3D design starts at $2,500, and the $200 on-site consultation is credited in full. Full pricing is public on our pricing page — and the ARC packet is generated from the same approved design, not billed as an extra.
Talk it through with a designer
Start with a free Virtual Discovery Session — 15 minutes, photos of your yard, a realistic budget range — or book the $200 on-site consultation, credited in full toward your design.
Book a consultationFrequently asked
Can my HOA ban xeriscaping in Texas?
No. Texas Property Code §202.007 makes any covenant unenforceable if it prohibits or restricts drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf — regardless of when the covenant was written. The HOA may review your plan for aesthetic compatibility, but it cannot unreasonably deny it.
Can my HOA force me to keep a St. Augustine lawn?
It cannot require conventional turf where you propose water-conserving natural turf or drought-resistant landscaping — that is exactly what §202.007 protects. It can still require that whatever you install is maintained: an approved xeriscape that becomes overgrown can be cited like any other yard.
Do I still need ARC approval before converting my yard?
Yes — the law explicitly lets associations require a detailed plan submission for review. The winning move is a professional packet: scaled plan, complete plant schedule with sizes, materials and irrigation notes. That is the standard our design packages produce.
Does xeriscape mean gravel and cactus?
Not in our hands. North Texas xeriscape done well is layered native and adapted planting — muhly grasses, salvias, yuccas, possumhaw, desert willow — with stone detailing and drip irrigation. It reads as designed landscape, not desert, and it keeps color through August.
Are there rebates for converting to drought-tolerant landscaping?
Several North Texas cities run water-conservation incentives — Frisco has offered xeriscape-conversion rebates and many cities (Colleyville among them) offer free irrigation-system evaluations. Programs change seasonally, so we confirm what applies to your address during design.
Published 2026-09-03. Sources: Texas Property Code §202.007 (FindLaw) · SB 198 (2013) — bill text, Texas Legislature · City of McKinney — Outdoor water use rules · Dallas Water Utilities — time-of-day watering rules. Related: pricing · all guides · service areas.