South Fulton, GA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

For everyday yard maintenance, South Fulton does not regulate routine pruning of trees on private property. The City's tree controls focus on land development: under the Tree Preservation Ordinance and its Administrative Guidelines (adopted via the City Council's tree ordinance), specimen and heritage trees, stands of trees, and designated tree-protection zones cannot be disturbed during land-disturbance activity, and protective fencing must be installed before any grading. Root pruning, limb removal, or other disturbance inside a specimen tree's root-protection zone requires City Arborist approval; unauthorized disturbance doubles the tree's recompense value (see tree-removal entry). For disputes over a neighbor's tree, Georgia common law controls because the City has no overhang ordinance: a property owner may trim branches and roots that cross the boundary back to the property line, using reasonable care not to kill or seriously injure the tree. A 'boundary tree' (whose trunk straddles the line) is owned in common, and neither owner may remove it without the other's consent. For protected-tree work or a pre-construction meeting, contact the City of South Fulton Arborist at 470-809-7202.