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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Georgia Tree Removal Cost and Rules

A typical tree costs $400 to $1,200 to remove in Georgia, and an oak $300 to $2,500, according to HomeGuide's February 2026 national cost guide. Georgia bids swing with height, with how close the tree is to a house, and with the season, because for five months a year much of north and central Georgia cannot burn brush.

The Forest Service's 2025 FIA forest inventory counts about 24.0 million acres of forest land in Georgia, led by the loblolly/shortleaf pine group at 32.9%, oak/hickory at 24.3%, oak/gum/cypress at 13.9% and longleaf/slash pine at 13.1%. Pines dominate the coastal plain; in metro Atlanta and the mountains, big oaks, hickories and tulip poplars are what crews take down over roofs.

This hub gathers the statewide burning rules and links the Georgia county pages on the site, which cover local permits, soil, storms and access.

Cost at a glance

Georgia tree removal cost at a glance
Item	Typical cost	Source
Typical single tree	$400-$1,200	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Oak	$300-$2,500	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Pine	$250-$1,600	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Chipping	$50-$100	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Cobb County single-family Land Disturbance Permit	$250.00 minimum + $40.00 per disturbed acre	Cobb County fee schedule (July 1, 2024)
Summer open burning ban, 54 counties	May 1-Sept 30	Georgia EPD rule 391-3-1-.02(5)
GFC permit for hand-piled yard debris (burn type 1)	Not required	Georgia EPD burn types

Permits

No statewide permit is needed to cut a tree on your own property; tree rules are local. In unincorporated DeKalb County, the county's homeowner guide allows up to five healthy, non-specimen trees a year without notice, with an arborist-backed Notice of Tree Removal beyond that. Cobb County regulates land disturbance, and its July 1, 2024 fee schedule charges $50.00 per lot ($250.00 minimum) plus $40.00 per disturbed acre for a single-family Land Disturbance Permit. Pickens County's fee schedule lists a Land Disturbing Permit for commercial projects and subdivisions at $500.00 plus $10.00 per acre. Many cities have their own tree ordinances, so check city hall first.

Burning: Georgia EPD's rule 391-3-1-.02(5) bans open burning of yard and land-clearing debris from May 1 through September 30 in 54 counties around metro Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga and Macon. In the 19-county metro Atlanta area, even prescribed burning is not exempt in those months.

EPD sorts legal fires into numbered burn types. Type 1, leaf piles and hand-piled natural vegetation burned where they fell, needs no Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) permit, though a city or county can still forbid it; type 8, storm debris, and type 4, prescribed burning, both need a GFC permit. The EPD list also says the burning of garbage or lumber is illegal anywhere in the state, burn barrels included.

Step 1: open your county page below for local tree and land disturbance rules. Step 2: check the date and your county against the EPD summer ban and plan to chip or haul if you are inside it. Step 3: call your electric utility before any work near lines. Step 4: compare itemized bids for felling, stump grinding and haul-off. Step 5: call 811 before grinding or digging.

Local conditions

Storms: FEMA's declarations data list 50 weather-related major disasters for Georgia from 1953 through 2024, including 17 severe storm events, 11 tornado declarations and 10 hurricanes, with 24 of them declared since 2000.

Terrain varies by county: NRCS soil survey data put 42.7% of mapped acres in DeKalb County at 8% slope or more, 70.0% in Cobb County and 84.2% in the Cherokee, Gilmer and Pickens survey area, where bedrock lies within about 100 cm on 58.1%. Ridges and rock mean more climbing, rigging and hand carry the farther north you go.

Ice: the state list includes two severe ice storm declarations, and north Georgia's hardwood ridges take the worst of winter glaze; heavy oak crowns and tall pines fail first.

Coastal plain versus Piedmont: pines and sandy soils are typical south of the Fall Line, while the red clay hills of the Piedmont hold the oak and poplar canopy that most metro Atlanta removals involve.

What drives local prices

Height: HomeGuide's national bands run $200-$500 under 30 ft, $500-$1,500 for 30-60 ft, $850-$2,000 for 60-80 ft and $1,200-$2,500+ above 80 ft.
Species: HomeGuide lists oak at $300-$2,500 and pine at $250-$1,600 per tree.
Disposal: inside the summer ban, chipping ($50-$100 on HomeGuide's survey) and haul-off are part of every bid; stump removal adds $100-$500+.
Slope: hilly Piedmont and mountain lots add climbing and hand carry; we add an est. 15% to 40% depending on grade.
Method: per-tree, height and disposal ranges are HomeGuide's published national figures (Feb 4, 2026); county fees are quoted from the Cobb, DeKalb and Pickens fee schedules; lines marked est. are our estimate, not Georgia bids. Figures checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

Oak, tulip poplar and pine removal over houses in metro Atlanta
Storm and ice cleanup in north Georgia
Removal on steep, rocky mountain lots
Brush chipping and haul-off during the summer burn ban

Service area

County pages on the site: Cobb (Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth), DeKalb (Decatur, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Brookhaven, Dunwoody) and Pickens (Jasper, Talking Rock, Big Canoe), linked along I-75, I-285 and I-575.

If your county is not listed yet, the EPD burning rules above still apply; ask your county Planning or Building office about land disturbance permits and your local Fire department or the Forestry Commission about burning.

Want a price for a Georgia tree? Send it through the free quote form below with the species, height and what sits under it. A member of our team replies by email with next steps and, where we know them, local insured crews to contact.

Communities: Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Decatur, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Jasper, Big Canoe

When something can’t wait

If a storm puts a tree on a line or a house, stay clear and call the utility or 911. In the 54 ban counties, storm debris can't be burned in summer; HomeGuide says emergency removals cost 2 to 3 times normal rates, so document damage before cleanup.

Questions about Georgia

How much does tree removal cost in Georgia?

Most single trees run $400 to $1,200, oaks $300 to $2,500 and pines $250 to $1,600 on HomeGuide's 2026 national data. Tall trees over houses and steep lots cost more.

When can't I burn tree debris in Georgia?

From May 1 through September 30 in the 54 counties covered by the Georgia EPD summer ban, which includes Cobb, DeKalb and Pickens. Burning garbage or lumber is illegal year round.

Is a Forestry Commission permit needed for every fire?

No. EPD lists burn type 1, leaf and hand-piled vegetation burned on site, as needing no GFC permit outside the summer ban. Storm debris piles and prescribed burns are permit burn types.

Is there one Georgia tree permit?

No. There is no state permit for cutting your own trees; counties and cities write their own rules, from DeKalb's five-trees-a-year allowance to land disturbance permits in Cobb and Pickens. Start with the county page for your address.

Why do bids in north Georgia run higher?

Steeper, rockier ground (NRCS) means more climbing, rigging and hand carry, and ice storms create rush demand for crews.

Sources

County pages in Georgia

Tree problems

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. Estimate your clearing cost.