8 rules for unincorporated Paulding County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Paulding County sets a 24-inch limit on grass and vegetation, enforced by the county Marshal as a litter nuisance. It covers platted subdivision lots and any lot holding a structure; agriculture-zoned land is exempt, and only unincorporated areas are covered.
Paulding County, GA — Common Questions/Problems & Who to Contact for Assistance (county code reference table), item 37c
Grass & Vegetation that exceeds 24" in height in platted subdivision lots that the County has not accepted with stuctures and vacant lots AND any property in any platted subdivision (accepted or not accepted) that has a structure on it; property zoned agriculture is exempt.
Paulding County requires no permit to prune or cut back trees on your own residential lot. Its tree rules live in zoning buffers and subdivision landscaping, not homeowner yard work. Right-of-way trees and HOA covenants are the real limits.
Removing trees on your own Paulding County lot needs no permit. The county regulates trees only when land is developed, through zoning buffers and subdivision landscaping. Street trees are county-managed and off-limits to residents.
Paulding County folds weeds and overgrowth into its litter ordinance. Vegetation over 24 inches, dead trees, and debris on platted subdivision lots are Marshal-enforced nuisances; agriculture-zoned land is exempt and much of the rural county lies outside the rule.
Paulding County, GA — Common Questions/Problems & Who to Contact for Assistance (county code reference table), item 37b (Litter, Chapter 40, Article II, § 40-5(1))
garbage, trash, refuse, rubbish, sand, gravel, slag, brickbats, waste material, tin cans, debris, dead animals, dead trees, weeds, junk vehicles or parts from junk vehicles, or discarded items of any kind set in disorderly state
Under Georgia's Water Stewardship Act, Paulding County allows landscape watering any day but only between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. As a Metro North Georgia Water District member, the county tightens to a two-day odd/even schedule when Georgia EPD declares a drought.
Georgia EPD, Non-Drought Outdoor Water Use Schedule (Water Stewardship Act of 2010, O.C.G.A. § 12-5-7)
Irrigation of personal food gardens; Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf in landscapes, golf courses, or sports turf fields during installation and for a period of 30 days immediately following the date of installation; Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses; Handwatering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container; Use of water withdrawn from private wate...
Rainwater harvesting is legal and effectively unregulated in Paulding County. Georgia places no restriction on collecting rain, and rain barrels and cisterns for lawn and garden use are allowed countywide without a permit.
No Georgia statute or Paulding County ordinance restricts native or drought-tolerant landscaping. You may replace lawn with native Piedmont plants and pollinator beds freely; only HOA covenants can require a conventional grass lawn.
No Georgia statute or Paulding County ordinance governs artificial turf. Homeowners may install synthetic lawns without a county permit; HOA covenants are the main limit, and large installations on sloped or creek-side lots may face drainage review.
See every category we cover for Paulding County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Paulding County Ordinance Hub →