Tree Removal Cost: Gwinnett County, GA

Gwinnett is suburban Atlanta at full scale: wooded subdivisions in Lawrenceville, Snellville, Suwanee and Dacula where tall pines and oaks were left standing between houses. HomeGuide's 2026 tree cost guide lists most single trees in the $400-to-$1,200 range.

What's left of the woods is mostly hardwood. The Forest Service's FIA estimates (Georgia 2025 evaluation) show about 60,600 acres of county forest land, 71.5% oak/hickory and 18.8% loblolly/shortleaf pine.

Building has cooled but continues: the Census Bureau's annual permit counts list 2,950 new detached homes permitted in Gwinnett in 2025, after 4,300 in 2024 and 4,142 in 2023.

Permits

On an occupied home lot you usually don't need a county permit. Gwinnett County's homeowner tree removal sheet says a single-family lot with a Certificate of Occupancy generally needs no tree removal permit, as long as the tree isn't in a zoning or stream buffer, a conservation or open space area, the Chattahoochee River Corridor, a recorded Tree Save Area, or the street-tree strip. The same sheet says at least two live trees must stay on the lot.

Check your plat and covenants first; protected areas shown on a subdivision plat may need HOA sign-off as well. In a stream buffer, the county allows dead or dying trees to be cut by hand with the stump left in place. Cities such as Duluth, Lawrenceville, Peachtree Corners, Snellville and Suwanee have their own rules.

No summer burning: Gwinnett sits inside Georgia EPD's seasonal open burning ban, which shuts down brush and yard debris fires countywide every summer, so plan to chip or haul whatever comes down between May and the end of September.

A permit-free job still has costs beyond the $400-$1,200 HomeGuide quotes for a typical tree, especially where buffers force hand work. Step 1: pull your plat to check for buffers and tree-save areas. Step 2: confirm two live trees will remain. Step 3: plan chipping or haul-off in ban months. Step 4: line up two or three written quotes. Step 5: book the free 811 line locate a few days before grinding.

Local conditions

Rolling Piedmont clay: NRCS soil survey data for Gwinnett (GA135) put 65.6% of mapped acres on grades of 8% or steeper and 26.1% at 15% or more, steepest along the Chattahoochee River on the west side and the Yellow River and Alcovy River drainages to the south and east.

Creek bottoms: the same NRCS data rate 11.7% of the county as occasionally or frequently flooded, the soft ground along creeks near Lawrenceville and Snellville where trucks can't drive in wet months.

FEMA's declarations data list 5 major disaster declarations tied to weather in Gwinnett, 3 severe storms (including a 2000 winter storm and 2009 flooding) and 2 hurricanes, the latest Irma in 2017.

Tall loblolly pines left standing along subdivision streets near the Yellow River lean and snap in ice storms, and big oaks near Lake Lanier and Buford shade decks and pools.

What drives local prices

Pines and poplars in Gwinnett subdivisions are often 60 to 80 feet, which HomeGuide prices at $850 to $2,000; shorter 30- to 60-foot trees run $500 to $1,500 in its guide.
HomeGuide shows a single pine at $250 to $1,600 and an oak at up to $2,500.
Summer disposal: with fires off the table, figure the crew's chipping (HomeGuide: $50 to $100) and hauling into the price.
Hand-only buffer work: budget an est. \1% to 30%.
Where the numbers come from: HomeGuide's national guide dated Feb 4, 2026; the buffer add-on marked est. is our own. Checked October 20, 2026.

Common jobs

Removing tall pines leaning over houses in older subdivisions in Lilburn, Snellville and Norcross.
Large oak removals over decks and pools in Suwanee and Duluth.
Storm cleanup after summer thunderstorms and winter ice.
Hand removals in stream buffers, with stumps left in place.

Service area

We hear from Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Snellville, Lilburn, Norcross, Dacula, Grayson, Loganville and Peachtree Corners. I-85 and I-985 carry crews north, GA 316 runs east toward Dacula, and US 78 and US 29 serve the south side.

Georgia Power, Jackson EMC and Walton EMC lines run through the county; utilities handle trees on their wires.

Send the free form below with species, height and what's underneath.

Communities: Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Buford, Snellville, Lilburn, Norcross, Dacula, Grayson, Loganville, Peachtree Corners

When something can’t wait

If a tree is on a line, call the utility and stay back. Storm work can cost 2-3x normal rates per HomeGuide.

Questions about Gwinnett County

What's a typical tree removal price in Gwinnett County?

About $400-$1,200 for one tree in HomeGuide's 2026 figures; pines run $250 to $1,600.

Is a permit required to cut a tree in my Gwinnett yard?

Usually not on an occupied single-family lot, unless the tree is in a buffer, tree-save area, river corridor or street-tree strip. Keep at least two live trees.

When is burning allowed?

Never in the summer ban months, May through September. Outside them, check local fire rules first.

Can I remove a dead tree in a stream buffer?

Gwinnett's guidance allows dead or dying buffer trees to be removed by hand, leaving the stump in place.

Sources

Related tree removal guides

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. For published price ranges, see land clearing cost per acre or follow the worked estimate. Estimate your clearing cost.