Rockdale County, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Rockdale 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
- Plan required
- before any land disturbance permit
- Small-lot exemption
- 4 lots or fewer, single/duplex
- Tree density, subdivisions
- 10 units per acre minimum
- Tree density, other
- 15 units per acre minimum
- Fencing required
- 4-ft orange plastic, before disturbance
- Replacement fund
- 100% of planting cost if short
Summary
Removing trees ahead of development in unincorporated Rockdale County requires an approved landscape and tree protection and replacement plan under County Code Section 328-18 before the county will issue a land disturbance or building permit. Small exemptions cover single-family and duplex subdivisions of four lots or fewer, additions to an existing home, and removal of diseased or hazardous trees confirmed by a certified arborist.
The following activities are specifically exempted from this article:(1)The construction of single-family detached and duplex dwellings in subdivisions of no more than four lots. ... All applications for a land disturbance permit or a building permit pursuant to chapter 302, article 5, shall require submission and approval of a tree protection and replacement plan as defined in this article. ... The department shall not issue a land disturbance permit without an approved landscape and tree protection and replacement plan.
Full Breakdown
Article II of Chapter 328, the Rockdale County Landscaping and Tree Protection and Replacement Ordinance, applies to land disturbance and building permits in the unincorporated county. Section 328-17 exempts several narrow categories from the article: single-family and duplex construction in subdivisions of four lots or fewer, additions or remodeling of an existing residence, tree removal by individual homeowners on their own single-family or duplex lots, agriculture, nurseries and botanical gardens, active orchards, and removal of diseased or hazardous trees confirmed in writing by a certified arborist or the director.
Everyone else must submit a tree protection and replacement plan for review by the director of stormwater management or a designee, and Section 328-18(d) bars the department from issuing a land disturbance permit without an approved plan. ' Where the site can't support the required density, Section 328-29 lets a developer pay into the county's tree replacement fund instead, at 100 percent of the estimated planting cost.
Violations & Fines
Section 328-32 lets the director post a written notice to comply on-site; failing to comply within 24 hours brings an immediate stop-work order. Anyone who violates the article is guilty of an offense punishable under Chapter 110, with each day a separate violation, and the county can also order replacement trees planted and withhold future permits on the property until every outstanding violation is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need county approval to clear trees for a new subdivision in Rockdale County?
Can I cut down a dead or diseased tree on my property without a permit?
What happens if a developer ignores Rockdale County's tree protection fencing rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockdale County
Compare Rockdale County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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