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

The ULDC's tree conservation article applies a "tree conservation zone" to the entirety of any development tract, but the zone does not reach ordinary homeowners: it exempts lots where a single-family or two-family dwelling is being built, property already occupied by an owner-occupied single- or two-family home, lots where the code allows 100 percent lot coverage, public utility work on rights-of-way, tree farming, and bona fide agricultural clearing. Where the zone does apply, trees are measured in "tree units" tied to trunk diameter at breast height, using separate tables for existing trees and new replacement plantings, and every development site must end up with a number of trees equal to 15 units per acre, not counting land under buildings.

The core removal protection follows directly from that math: existing significant trees, or any other tree 10 inches DBH or larger, that sit in excess of the required 15-units-per-acre minimum and outside the actual construction area of buildings, accessory uses and parking, may not be removed unless adjacent development would cause irreparable damage to their critical root zones. Significant trees carry extra weight in the calculation, earning a 15 percent bonus to their tree-unit value. Where a site's construction footprint is simply too large to leave the required 15 units per acre standing, the code directs the developer to shrink the built area instead, by cutting excess parking spaces, adding planting islands, or reducing building footprint, rather than removing more trees. The Chief Building Inspector reviews tree conservation compliance during land-disturbance and development permitting under Article 7.