Cobb County, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Cobb County, GA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Cobb County Code Ch. 50, Art. VI, §§ 50-216 to 50-232
- Protected-zone removal
- Barred absent documented economic hardship
- Post-maintenance removal
- Separate permit required (§ 50-224)
- Tree density standard
- 15 replacement/existing trees per acre minimum
- Administrative variance
- Up to 100% waiver, director-approved, reported to commissioner
- Minimum civil penalty
- $1,000.00, plus 10% of correction cost per day
- Appeal window
- 10 days to board of commissioners
Summary
In unincorporated Cobb County, trees inside a lot's protected zone (the land outside the buildable area, required open space, and any designated buffer or tree-save area) cannot be cut down unless the owner documents economic hardship to the community development agency in a land disturbance permit application. After a development's tree maintenance period ends, removing any protected-zone tree still requires a separate permit.
Trees shall not be removed in any protected zone unless the owner/developer documents an economic hardship if the trees in the protected zone were to be preserved. Such documentation shall be submitted as part of the application for a land disturbance permit. Nothing in this article shall be construed to allow the removal of vegetation in a designated, undisturbed buffer required by a condition of zoning. ... After completion of the full growing season, maintenance period, a permit shall be required to remove any tree in the protected zone. ... Any person violating any provision of this article, permitting conditions or stop work orders shall be liable for civil penalty of ten percent of the cost of correction as determined by the issuing authority, but in no event less than $1,000.00. Each day the violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Cobb's tree rules sit in Chapter 50, Article VI (Sec. 50-216 through 50-232) of the county code, adopted in 1988 and amended in 1999, 2001 and 2006. A 'protected zone' is defined at Sec. 50-216 as all land outside the buildable area of a parcel, all required open space, and any designated buffer or tree-save area set by a zoning condition. Sec. 50-222(a) bars removing trees in that zone unless the owner/developer documents economic hardship as part of the land disturbance permit application; even then, nothing in the article lets an owner clear vegetation from an undisturbed buffer required by a zoning condition.
Sec. 50-221 requires every land disturbance permit application to include a tree preservation and/or replacement plan, which the community development agency must approve, return for revision, or deny within seven days of receipt. Sec. 50-223 sets a density factor of at least 15 replacement/existing trees per acre, with separate standards for commercial and subdivision sites and 'recompense' owed for removed specimen trees; the director of community development can grant an administrative variance of up to 100 percent of that requirement under Sec. 1 if it conflicts with other county standards, though the variance can never raise density above what the zoning allows, and it must be reported to the district commissioner.
Once a project's maintenance period (tracked with a fiscal surety bond under Sec. 50-224) is complete, Sec. 50-224 still requires a permit before removing any tree left in the protected zone. The director of community development enforces the article, can suspend or modify land disturbance permits, and can withhold certificates of occupancy, building permits, and final plat approval until a site complies (Sec. 50-225). Applicants who dispute a decision have ten days to file a written appeal with the board of commissioners (Sec. 50-227); the board's ruling can be further appealed to superior court by writ of certiorari.
Violations & Fines
A violation carries a civil penalty of ten percent of the cost of correction, but never less than $1,000.00, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense (Sec. 50-231(a)). The issuing authority can order replacement trees planted in addition to or instead of the fine, issue a stop-work order that halts work immediately (Sec. 50-229), and suspend, revoke, or modify the land disturbance permit (Sec. 50-230). Failing to correct a noticed violation forfeits the project's fiscal surety, which the county can use to hire a contractor to bring the site into compliance (Sec. 50-228).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove a tree on my property in unincorporated Cobb County without a permit?
What counts as a 'protected zone' under Cobb's tree ordinance?
What happens if I remove protected trees without approval in Cobb County?
Does this rule apply inside Marietta, Smyrna, or Kennesaw?
Can Cobb County waive its tree density requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.