The reviewed specimen size begins at 28 inches for the large-hardwood group, with the full condition test also required.
City of Dacula, Georgia · 2026 guide
Dacula tree and landscape review, in plain language.
Dacula connects tree protection to development, grading, buffers, zoning, the Downtown Overlay, conservation design, and project-specific landscape requirements.
Read the requirementsCurrent reviewed ordinance packageLast reviewed September 17, 2026
At a glance
Start with the property, the tree, and the proposed work.
The reviewed specimen size begins at 30 inches for the large-softwood group, subject to species and condition confirmation.
Four named flowering-tree categories use a 12-inch criterion. Confirm the exact species wording before classification.
The reviewed code does not publish one general standalone removal permit for every existing-lot tree. Other project and property controls may still apply.
01 / First question
Is the property inside Dacula?
This guide applies inside the incorporated City of Dacula. A postal address does not establish jurisdiction. Confirm the property point, parcel controls, approved plans, easements, buffers, and current City instructions before relying on a general rule.
Best first step
Use the address lookup on the Tree Collective ordinance map, then confirm the result with the governing jurisdiction before beginning work.
Open the ordinance lookup02 / Permit paths
The condition of the tree and the reason for work shape the path.
Existing residential property
Check property controls before assuming no permit.
A standalone citywide trigger was not found, but buffers, approved plans, easements, zoning conditions, public areas, or land disturbance can create a review route.
Clearing, grading, or development
Use the City development-review sequence.
Tree, erosion, stormwater, grading, utility, inspection, and closeout information should be coordinated before the preconstruction meeting.
Downtown Overlay
Apply the overlay streetscape rules.
Covered primary and secondary streets have specific pedestrian zones, furnishing zones, tree sizes, spacing, lighting, parking, and landscape requirements.
Buffer or conservation project
Preserve the mapped resource and approved plan.
Natural buffers, conservation areas, frontage protection, forest resources, and open space can impose separate project-specific controls.
03 / Project record
Connect the tree record to the property and proposed work.
The exact package depends on the site and project. Useful information can include:
01
Retained and removed trees with size, location, and credit
02
Specimen-tree and protection-area information
03
Buffers, floodplain, streams, grading, utilities, and stormwater
04
District, overlay, and property-specific zoning conditions
05
Replacement, surety, inspection, and warranty records
04 / Condition + risk
Tree condition and permit authority are different questions.
A TRAQ-informed assessment can document condition, targets, likelihood, consequences, and reasonable mitigation. Tree Collective can collect the tree point and field evidence. The City decides whether that evidence satisfies its ordinance and permit process.
05 / Conservation + replacement
Preservation, replacement, and site controls must be read together.
Tree size alone rarely supplies the whole answer. Project type, location, buffers, zoning, approved plans, tree condition, and proposed disturbance can change the review path.
Confirm current forms, calculations, fees, bonds, planting standards, inspection steps, and closeout requirements with the City before work.
06 / Professional support
Use the arborist record to make the next decision clearer.
A consulting arborist can identify and map trees, document condition and risk, coordinate root protection with grading and utilities, and prepare a record for owners, contractors, designers, and reviewers. Regulatory approval remains with the governing authority.
Official applications + sources
Go directly to Dacula.
Source review
Reviewed September 17, 2026.
Prepared from the source-backed AskR Tree Collective publication reviewed September 17, 2026. This guide explains the reviewed record; it does not determine property-specific applicability or replace City confirmation.
This is practical educational information, not a permit decision or legal advice. Requirements can change and may depend on site conditions, project scope, administrative standards, and staff findings.
Tree Collective consulting
Bring the tree question into focus.
Tree Collective can help interpret ordinance requirements, inventory trees, assess condition and risk, review construction impacts, prepare tree protection plans and arboricultural prescriptions, and organize permit documentation for the project team.
Tree Collective does not issue permits, control municipal decisions, or act on behalf of the City.