Coweta County, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Article 25A of the Zoning and Development Ordinance, the tree preservation ordinance, ties tree removal to Coweta County's land disturbance permit process under Section 252A. No clearing, grubbing, grading, or removal of vegetation that could affect tree coverage may begin until the county determines the project complies with the ordinance; Table 1 in Section 252A(1)(a) lists which project types are exempt (individual single-family lots outside platted subdivisions, subdivisions where every lot is at least 1.6 acres, industrial parks, agricultural and horticultural operations, and diseased-tree removal certified by the county arborist or Georgia Forestry Commission) and which require an approved tree protection plan before a land disturbance or building permit issues (standard residential and nonresidential subdivisions, multifamily and nonresidential sites).

Section 252A(3)(b) creates the standalone tree removal permit: if removal is not processed with a current land disturbance or building permit, nonresidential property owners must obtain a separate tree removal permit for any tree that was required when the site was developed, paying a fee based on county staff review hours. Trees removed under an approved permit must be replaced inch-per-inch in caliper. Trees removed without any permit trigger replacement at twice the caliper inches of the tree removed. The county arborist/landscape architect conducts unscheduled construction inspections and can order a stop-work if site activity departs from the approved tree protection plan, and the planning director holds authority to revoke, suspend, or void a land disturbance permit outright.