Marietta, GA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Credit for saved specimen tree
- Double the standard Table D unit value
- Large hardwood threshold
- 18-inch diameter or larger
- Large softwood threshold
- 24-inch diameter or larger
- Understory tree threshold
- 9-inch diameter or larger
- Verification required
- Certified arborist, before land disturbance permit
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Development Services
Summary
Marietta has no separate landmark-tree registry, but its code singles out large, healthy 'specimen trees' for special protection: saving one during construction earns a developer double density credit, so long as a certified arborist confirms it meets fixed size and condition criteria before land disturbance begins.
Specimen trees warrant special consideration and encouragement for preservation. In order to encourage the preservation of specimen trees and the incorporation of these trees into the design of projects, additional density credit will be given for specimen trees that are successfully protected during the land disturbance and construction process [Subsections (I)(3) and (I)(4)]. Credit for any specimen tree thus saved shall be calculated at twice the assigned unit value shown in Table D. ... In order to obtain double density credit for specimen trees, a certified arborist must provide written verification that the tree(s) meets the following criteria prior to the issuance of a land disturbance permit. ... Size: • Large hardwoods: 18-inch diameter or larger • Large softwoods: 24-inch diameter or larger • Understory trees: 9-inch diameter or larger Condition: • Life expectancy of greater than 15 years • Relatively sound and solid trunk with no extensive decay • No more than 1 major and several minor dead limbs (hardwoods only) • No major insect or pathological problem
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
08(D)(4)(d) rewards developers who preserve specimen trees during construction with additional density credit calculated at twice the assigned unit value under Table D, rather than the standard single credit given for ordinary preserved trees. To qualify, a tree must meet both a size and a condition test verified in writing by a certified arborist before a land disturbance permit is issued: large hardwoods need an 18-inch diameter or larger, large softwoods 24 inches or larger, and understory trees 9 inches or larger, while the tree must also have more than 15 years of remaining life expectancy, a relatively sound trunk without extensive decay, no more than one major dead limb (plus minor ones for hardwoods), and no major insect or pathological problem.
08(D)(1). If a specimen tree is not continuously protected during construction, the extra credit is lost, the previously approved tree protection and landscape plan is voided, and a revised plan must be resubmitted for review and approval. 08(E)(3), and tree protection fencing must be shown around the full canopy drip line on the site plan.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep continuous, active protection around a specimen tree during land disturbance or construction voids the double density credit for that tree and renders the approved tree protection and landscape plan void, forcing the developer to resubmit a new plan to Development Services. Encroaching into a specimen tree's protective zone without prior Department approval is itself treated as a plan violation subject to the same correction process as other tree protection failures under § 712.08(O).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Marietta have a heritage or landmark tree list?
How big does a tree have to be to qualify for double credit?
Who verifies a tree qualifies as a specimen tree?
What happens if a protected specimen tree is damaged during construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marietta
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