The current public form requests location, species, and DBH for existing trees, plus total, specimen, and non-specimen counts.
City of Stone Mountain, Georgia · 2026 guide
Stone Mountain tree review, in plain language.
Stone Mountain separates ordinary tree requests from development, construction, specimen-tree, floodplain, stream, and property-maintenance review.
Read the requirementsCurrent reviewed ordinance packageLast reviewed September 17, 2026
At a glance
Start with the property, the tree, and the proposed work.
Exceptional or historical classification follows the City’s species-specific diameter and height table rather than one universal number.
Tree protective zones include zoning buffers and a 20-foot development perimeter under the reviewed provisions.
The code protects the area immediately below the crown and does not publish a separate universal critical-root-zone formula.
01 / First question
Is the property inside Stone Mountain?
This guide applies inside the incorporated City of Stone Mountain. 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.
Tree-removal request
Show each affected tree and the reason.
The City form uses photographs, location, species, DBH, removal marks, and the basis for specimen-tree removal.
Development or construction
Coordinate trees with the site plan.
Structures, roads, drainage, contours, floodplain information, protection, grading, and erosion controls belong in the same review record.
Specimen or historic tree
Use the exact City classification table.
Do not apply a generic size threshold to an unlisted species. Confirm classification and current City interpretation.
Stream, floodplain, or buffer
Verify the protected area before work.
Floodplain vegetation, stream-bank protection, and separate buffer rules may affect removal and disturbance.
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
Tree inventory, photos, DBH, species, and removal reason
02
Specimen-tree classification evidence
03
Protective zones, buffers, streams, and floodplain
04
Site plan, grading, drainage, erosion, and utilities
05
Inspections, revisions, and closeout 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 Stone Mountain.
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.