Tree Removal in Ball Ground, GA

Start with the tree, then the property line

Every removal starts with two plain questions: what is the tree, and whose is it? Cherokee County's Article 27 defines a tree as a self-supporting woody perennial plant that normally reaches a trunk diameter greater than three inches and a height of over ten feet at maturity. It measures size by diameter at breast height, or DBH, taken four and one-half feet above the ground; if the trunk splits below that height, it is measured at the narrowest point beneath the split.

Ownership comes next. The ordinance defines a Boundary Tree as one with a DBH of ten inches or larger that stands on an adjacent property and whose critical root zone or canopy extends into the property being permitted. On a development site, if a boundary tree cannot be saved, or the work encroaches on more than ten percent of its root zone, the county requires evidence that the neighbor was notified. Even when no permit is involved, that rule is a sensible model: talk to your neighbor before anyone cuts a shared tree.

The homeowner exemption, and its one big exception

Article 27 lists activities that are specifically exempt from the ordinance. Among them: tree removal by existing individual single-family detached and duplex homeowners, unless the tree is noted as a Heritage Tree. Additions, remodeling and accessory structures on an existing residence are also exempt, as is construction of a single-family or two-family home that is not part of a Major Subdivision.

Heritage Trees are the exception that matters. The ordinance describes them as trees of unique and intrinsic value to the public because of size, age, history, rarity or ecological value, or trees designated as state, national or world champions, and the county arborist keeps a registry. Unauthorized removal of a Heritage Tree on a permitted site carries a stop-work order, a fine of not less than $1,000 and replacement at eight times its density value. Our specimen and heritage tree guide covers the details.

Root zones and why they matter even when you keep the tree

Many removal jobs are really about the trees that stay. The ordinance defines the critical root zone as the area beneath a tree that must be left undisturbed to preserve enough root mass to give it a reasonable chance of survival. On plans, it is drawn as a circle with a radius in feet equal to one and one-half times the tree's DBH in inches. A 20-inch oak, by that rule, has a 30-foot protected radius.

That matters when a crew brings equipment onto a lot. Heavy machines parked under a tree you want to keep can compact the soil, which Article 27 describes as an increase in soil weight per volume and a loss of pore space caused by repeated traffic and weight. Ask the provider where trucks, chippers and log piles will sit. You can check any tree's numbers with our root zone calculator.

Questions to settle before the crew arrives

Ask what the price includes: felling only, removal of wood and brush, or stump grinding as well. If stumps are included, ask who will submit the Georgia 811 locate request, because the Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act states that stump removal is considered excavation. Our stump grinding page explains the rule.

Ask how debris will leave the property. Georgia EPD's summer burn ban runs from May 1 to September 30 in 54 counties including Cherokee, and land-clearing burns require a Georgia Forestry Commission permit at other times of year. If your plan involves burning, read the burning rules first. And if there are wires anywhere near the tree, see trees near power lines before anyone climbs.

When the removal is part of a bigger project

Clearing for a new driveway, barn or house pad can move a job out of the homeowner exemption and into county permitting. Cherokee County Development Services says its land disturbance permit regulates clearing and grading of one acre or more, removal or destruction of trees or other vegetation, and any disturbance of soil within two hundred feet of state waters; smaller clearing and grading is handled through an erosion control permit.

If you are planning more than a few trees, read land and lot clearing in Cherokee County before you schedule anything. Timber sales are a separate case again: the ordinance notes that, under Georgia law, timber harvests or sales must be reported on Department of Revenue form PT-283T, and harvesters must notify the county arborist.