Can Your Dallas-Fort Worth HOA Force You to Keep a Grass Lawn?

Short answer: no, your Dallas-Fort Worth HOA can't force you to keep a grass lawn. The same Texas law that protects homeowners in Austin and San Antonio applies in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and every other DFW suburb. But how that law plays out on the ground varies by city, and the details matter.

DFW has one of the highest concentrations of HOA communities in Texas. If you live in a master-planned neighborhood in Collin, Denton, Tarrant, or Dallas County, your CC&Rs probably have something to say about your lawn. Here is what they can and cannot enforce.

Texas Property Code §202.007

This statute has been on the books since 2013 and it applies statewide. The key language:

In plain English: if your landscaping conserves water, your HOA can't ban it just because it isn't turf grass. This covers every HOA in DFW. Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney, Phillips Creek Ranch in Frisco, Willow Bend in Plano, the master-planned communities in Carrollton and Lewisville. All of them.

HB 517 (2025) closed the aesthetic loophole

House Bill 517, signed in 2025, addressed the workaround some HOAs had been using. Before HB 517, an HOA could technically allow xeriscaping but then reject specific plans through “visual harmony” or “curb appeal” standards that effectively required turf. The updated law makes that harder.

HB 517 also clarified that HOAs cannot require a minimum percentage of turf coverage. That was a common DFW tactic: a CC&R that allowed native plants “in moderation” while requiring 70% of the front yard be grass.

What your DFW HOA can still require

State law does not give you a free pass. Your HOA can still enforce:

• Maintenance and neatness standards (no dead plants, no weeds running over the property line)
• Height restrictions on plants near sidewalks, streets, and corner sightlines
• Edging and clean-border requirements
• Pre-approval through an architectural review committee
• Rules about structures: raised beds, trellises, fencing, garden art
• Setback distances from property lines

They can require your yard to look maintained and intentional. They cannot require that maintenance to involve a lawn mower.

What your DFW HOA cannot require

• Turf grass specifically, when your alternative conserves water
• A minimum percentage of lawn coverage
• Removal of native or drought-tolerant plants that are properly maintained
• A specific grass species like Bermuda or St. Augustine
• Irrigation of decorative turf during city-imposed watering restrictions

DFW is a strong case for native landscaping right now. Cities across the metro follow mandatory twice-weekly watering schedules in summer. North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) serves Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and most of Collin County. NTMWD and the cities it serves actively encourage turf reduction. An HOA fighting that puts itself at odds with city water policy.

DFW rebate programs that strengthen your case

A few DFW-area programs put real money behind native landscaping. Citing them in your HOA submission shows your conversion has municipal support:

• Save Tarrant Water Go N Grow Garden: $85 rebate plus a defined native garden kit for Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, and Southlake residents. The defined plant palette is useful for HOA submissions because the design is pre-vetted.
• Denton Turf Buy-Back Program: up to $5 per square foot for turf converted to native plants. One of the highest residential rebate rates in Texas.
• Plano Water Conservation Rebates: rain/freeze sensor and high-efficiency toilet rebates that pair with native conversions.
• McKinney WaterSmart and Allen H2Ome Improvement: smart irrigation controller rebates of up to $125, useful for the irrigation half of a conversion project.

See the full list on our Texas rebates page.

Common pushback in DFW HOAs

Even with the law on your side, some HOAs push back. The patterns in DFW look like this:

When to talk to a lawyer

Rarely. Most DFW situations resolve with a calm submission and clear documentation. But consider legal advice if:

• Your HOA continues fining you after you have cited §202.007 in writing
• The board is threatening a lien on your property
• You have submitted a documented plan, made the visual improvements they asked for, and they are still rejecting it without pointing to a specific CC&R provision

A real estate attorney who handles HOA disputes in North Texas can usually resolve this with a single letter. It rarely runs to litigation.

Practical next steps for DFW homeowners

1. Get a copy of your CC&Rs. Read the landscaping section carefully.
2. Check your HOA's approval process. Most DFW master-planned communities use an architectural review committee.
3. Match plants to your county and ecoregion. Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Allen sit in the Blackland Prairies. Western DFW suburbs like Flower Mound and Lewisville cross into the Cross Timbers. Soils and plant performance differ.
4. Put together a plan with a plant list, layout sketch, and seasonal maintenance schedule.
5. Submit before you plant. Reference §202.007 and HB 517 in your application if appropriate.
6. Check for local rebate programs that could offset your project cost.

For the DFW metro hub with suburb-specific guides, see our Dallas-Fort Worth native landscaping page.

If your HOA has cited a rule you are not sure about, our guide on unenforceable HOA landscaping rules in Texas covers which specific provisions state law limits beyond grass requirements.

People also ask

Can my Plano HOA force me to keep grass?

No. Texas Property Code §202.007 applies to every HOA in Texas, including those in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and across Collin County. Your HOA can still set maintenance and approval standards, but it cannot prohibit water-conserving landscaping or require turf grass.

Is the Save Tarrant Water program HOA-friendly?

Yes. The Go N Grow Garden program provides a defined plant kit, which means the design is pre-vetted by a regional water authority. Submitting that pre-defined kit to your HOA is usually easier than proposing a custom design, because the plant list is documented and the program has municipal credibility behind it.

What if my HOA fines me for a brown lawn during DFW watering restrictions?

Those fines are not enforceable. Cities across DFW (Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, and others) issue mandatory twice-weekly or stage-based watering restrictions in summer. HOA rules cannot override municipal water restrictions. Document the city's active restriction in writing and reference it in any HOA dispute.

Does Texas have a state HOA law that applies in DFW?

Yes. Texas regulates HOAs through the Texas Property Code, primarily Chapter 209 (general HOA rules) and Chapter 202 (which includes §202.007, the water-conserving landscaping protection). HB 517 (signed 2025) updated Chapter 202 to close the aesthetic-standards loophole. Each DFW HOA also has its own CC&Rs, but state law overrides any CC&R provision that conflicts with §202.007.