Canton address, two possible rulebooks
A Canton mailing address does not tell you which government regulates your trees. Part of the 30114 and 30115 area lies inside the City of Canton, and part lies in unincorporated Cherokee County. Cherokee County's Article 27, Tree Preservation and Replacement, is part of the county zoning ordinance for unincorporated land; the city adopts its own development rules for property inside its limits.
The county fire department makes the same distinction for burning. Its guidance says that the county approach to hand-piled yard debris applies to unincorporated Cherokee County and the cities of Nelson and Waleska, while residents inside Ball Ground, Holly Springs, Canton and Woodstock follow their own city's outdoor burning ordinance. Your property tax bill or the county's parcel records will show whether you are inside the city.
If you are inside the City of Canton
Contact the city's planning or development office before removing large trees, especially on commercial property, in a new subdivision, or anywhere a site plan was approved with trees to be saved. We have not reproduced Canton's tree rules on this page because we could not verify the current text from an official source we could load when we checked; ask the city directly and get any answer in writing.
For burning inside the city, follow Canton's outdoor burning ordinance, per Cherokee County Fire. The state rules still apply on top of city rules: Georgia EPD's summer burn ban covers all of Cherokee County from May 1 to September 30, and the Georgia Forestry Commission requires permits for land-clearing and storm-debris burns. See burning tree debris.
If you are in unincorporated Cherokee near Canton
For unincorporated addresses, Article 27 applies. It exempts tree removal by existing individual single-family detached and duplex homeowners unless the tree is a Heritage Tree, and it says homeowners do not need arborist approval to remove dead and diseased trees. Development sites need a tree protection and replacement plan as a condition of the county land disturbance permit.
If you are clearing for a new structure, Cherokee County Development Services says its land disturbance permit covers clearing and grading of one acre or more, tree and vegetation removal, and any soil disturbance within 200 feet of state waters, with smaller clearing handled by an erosion control permit. Our county ordinance guide and land clearing guide cover those rules in full.
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Free Quote RequestCommon Canton tree jobs
Canton homeowners ask about the same jobs as the rest of the county: removing trees too close to the house, pruning limbs over roofs and driveways, grinding stumps, clearing storm damage and dealing with pines killed by beetles. Each has a page on this site: tree removal, trimming and pruning, stump grinding, storm damage and pine beetles.
The rules that come from the state, rather than the city or county, are the same everywhere in Canton. Georgia's Utility Facility Protection Act treats stump removal as excavation, so a Georgia 811 locate request comes before mechanized stump work. Georgia Power warns that no one should climb trees near power lines and asks customers to report trees touching lines immediately.
Hiring a provider for a Canton job
Tell the provider whether your property is inside the city limits; it changes who they may need to talk to. Ask for a written scope that says what is removed, what happens to the wood and brush, and whether stumps are included. In summer, ask them to chip or haul, since burning is banned from May through September.
Ask how they will protect the trees you are keeping. Article 27 defines a critical root zone with a radius of one and one-half feet per inch of trunk diameter, and our calculator gives the number for any tree. Even inside the city, it is a useful guide for where to keep equipment off the ground.
Lake and creek lots around Canton
Some Cherokee County properties border Allatoona Lake, where shoreline land is often managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps requires permits for uses of its land, and it lists removing hazardous trees as a use under its Specified Acts Permit. Creekside lots anywhere in the county fall under the county's 200-foot rule for soil disturbance near state waters.
Before cutting near water, read the shoreline and stream buffer guide. For the north end of the county, see our home page for Ball Ground, and for the western side, tree service in Waleska.