Tree Service in Cartersville, GA

Cartersville's tree rule in one sentence

Cartersville is a Bartow County city on I-75, west of Cherokee County. The city's Planning and Development page on trees is short: a permit is not required for tree removal or pruning, but trees removed that were included on a landscape plan, as part of approved development plans, must be replaced. For most homeowners inside the city limits, that means no city permit for an ordinary yard tree.

The exception matters for commercial sites, townhome and apartment communities, and newer developments built under an approved plan. If your tree was part of that plan, removing it creates a replacement obligation. Ask Planning and Development at City Hall, 10 North Public Square, 770-387-5600, before cutting anything on a commercial or common-area lot.

What the landscaping ordinance covers

The city's landscaping ordinance applies to activity that needs a land disturbance permit or building permit inside the city. It exempts single-family residential developments shown on a site plan approved by the planning commission, single-family residential lots of record, nurseries and tree farms, renovations below 51 percent of assessed value, and commercial sites in the Downtown Business District. For non-exempt sites, required trees must come from the city's approved list, be at least eight feet tall when planted and reach at least fifteen feet at maturity.

If you are a business owner replacing parking-lot trees, the ordinance also sets planting rates: one tree per thirty feet of right-of-way frontage in planted strips, with at least two, and one per seventy-five feet of border along adjoining property. A provider who handles commercial work should know those numbers; ask whether the quote includes replanting.

Clearing and land disturbance

Larger clearing is handled through the city's development process. Cartersville publishes a land disturbance permit application, development regulations and an erosion and sedimentation control notice on its Development page. If you are clearing for a building, pool or parking area, the land disturbance permit typically comes first. Our land clearing guide explains how clearing jobs are planned under Georgia's erosion rules.

Burning in Cartersville and Bartow County

Bartow County is one of the 54 counties in Georgia EPD's summer open burning ban, listed under EPD's Mountain District, so no yard or land-clearing debris may be burned from May 1 to September 30. Bartow is also one of the 19 metro non-attainment counties where EPD does not allow the forestry prescribed-burning exemption during the ban. Outside the ban, the Georgia Forestry Commission requires permits for land-clearing and storm-debris burns. City lots are usually better served by chipping and hauling. See burning tree debris for the state rules.

Allatoona Lake lots

Allatoona Lake lies east of Cartersville, and much of its shoreline is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps requires permits for uses of its land, and lists removing hazardous trees as a use under its Specified Acts Permit. If the tree is on or near Corps property, check before cutting; our shoreline guide explains the process.

Lines, stumps and hiring

Georgia Power says no one should climb trees near power lines and asks customers to report trees touching lines; see trees near power lines. Georgia's Utility Facility Protection Act treats mechanized stump removal as excavation, so a Georgia 811 locate request comes before grinding. When you request quotes, say whether the tree is on an approved landscape plan, how close it is to structures and lines, and whether you want stumps ground and wood hauled. Get the scope in writing.