A homeowner may generally remove a tree outside designated buffers, open space, river corridor, tree-save areas, and the street-tree system.
Unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia · 2026 guide
Gwinnett County tree rules, in plain language.
For an occupied residential lot, location usually matters more than trunk size; development and commercial properties follow a more detailed tree-plan process.
Read the requirementsCurrent Unified Development Ordinance processLast reviewed September 17, 2026
At a glance
Start with the property, the tree, and the proposed work.
The County’s homeowner guidance says at least two live trees must remain on the residential lot.
A live tree in a zoning or stream buffer, conservation/open space, river corridor, tree-save area, or street-tree location cannot be treated as ordinary yard removal.
Commercial, office-institutional, industrial, multifamily, and development work can require a Land Disturbance Permit and certified tree plan.
What do these protected-location labels mean?
Gwinnett’s homeowner rules turn on mapped restrictions. They are legal and plat-based areas, not descriptions of how the yard looks today.
Zoning buffer
A required separation area associated with zoning or an approval condition. Its width and permitted disturbance should be shown in the governing records or plat.
Stream buffer
A protected strip measured from state waters or other regulated water features. A dry-looking channel can still require review, so do not estimate the boundary by eye.
Tree-save area
An area committed to retained trees on an approved development plan or recorded plat. Ownership of the lot does not erase the designation.
Street tree
A tree associated with the road frontage or right-of-way system. Confirm road ownership and the recorded or approved location before authorizing work.
Not sure which category applies? Record clear photographs and the tree’s leaves, needles, bark, branching, and fruit or cones when present. A qualified arborist or the reviewing jurisdiction can confirm the species and regulatory class.
01 / First question
Is the property inside Gwinnett County?
This guide applies to unincorporated Gwinnett County. Cities inside Gwinnett, including Norcross, Duluth, Lilburn, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Peachtree Corners, and others, may administer different rules. Confirm the property point before using the County guidance.
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.
Occupied residential lot
Check the plat and protected areas first.
For an existing house with a Certificate of Occupancy, an individual homeowner generally does not need permission for a tree outside the listed protected locations, provided at least two live trees remain.
Dead or dying buffer tree
The homeowner guidance recognizes a narrow path.
The County states that a homeowner may remove a dead or dying tree in a stream buffer on the owner’s property. Document condition, ownership, and location before acting, and confirm whether other corridor rules apply.
Protected live tree
Do not remove it as ordinary yard work.
Live trees in zoning buffers, stream buffers, conservation or open space, the Chattahoochee River Corridor, tree-save areas, or street-tree locations require County review or other authorization.
Commercial or development property
Use the land-disturbance and tree-plan process.
Commercial, office-institutional, industrial, and multifamily properties need an LDP to remove trees. New development and qualifying land disturbance require coordinated preservation, replacement, and landscape documentation.
03 / Project record
Make the tree plan part of the civil plan set.
Gwinnett requires Tree Preservation and/or Replacement Plans to be drawn with the development plans and certified by an authorized registered professional, registered forester, or certified arborist. The package can include:
01
Specimen-tree survey and concept plan where applicable
02
Existing retained trees with trunk size and tree-protection areas
03
Buffers, floodplain, easements, overhead utilities, and power lines
04
Tree fencing, sediment controls, staging, storage, and access
05
Replacement trees, spacing, caliper, and tree-density calculations
06
Tree-canopy calculations and plan summary tables
04 / Condition + risk
Risk assessment and permit status answer different questions.
A TRAQ-informed assessment can document whether a tree is dead, dying, defective, or presenting unacceptable risk. It does not erase a buffer, tree-save, corridor, street-tree, or ownership restriction. Tree Collective can collect the tree point and condition evidence, while Planning and Development determines the applicable authorization.
05 / Conservation + replacement
Development sites must demonstrate preservation and replacement compliance.
Gwinnett’s UDO requires development projects to show retained tree-protection areas, replacement planting where needed, tree-density calculations, and canopy calculations. These elements are reviewed with the broader permit set.
Limited clearing, tree thinning, timber harvesting, and removal for disease or insect infestation can require a Limited Land Disturbance Plan showing property boundaries, protected areas, streams, buffers, wetlands, floodplain, disturbance limits, access, and erosion controls.
06 / Professional support
The County requires a qualified preparer for the development plan.
A Tree Preservation and/or Replacement Plan must be prepared and certified by an authorized registered professional, registered forester, or certified arborist. A consulting arborist can inventory and map the trees, coordinate protection with grading and utilities, and maintain the tree record through construction and inspection.
Official applications + sources
Go directly to Gwinnett County.
Official source
Homeowner tree-removal guide
Official County guidance for occupied residential lots, protected locations, remaining trees, and commercial-property distinctions.
Open source+Official sourceCurrent UDO
Current Unified Development Ordinance, including development plans, buffers, landscaping, and tree protection.
Open source+Official sourceDevelopment plan requirements
Limited tree-removal plans and certified Tree Preservation and/or Replacement Plan requirements.
Open source+Official sourceCurrent Title 3 PDF
Official County publication of current development and permitting provisions.
Open source+Official sourcePlanning and Development
County permitting services, contacts, inspections, and jurisdiction scope.
Open source+Source review
Reviewed September 17, 2026.
Reviewed against Gwinnett County’s official homeowner tree-removal guide, current Unified Development Ordinance, current Title 3 publication, and Planning and Development resources. Confirm the recorded plat, municipality, road ownership, buffers, and current permit path before work.
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.