The code exempts removal of five or fewer non-specimen trees on a single-family property in one calendar year.
City of Tucker, Georgia · 2026 guide
Tucker tree removal and protection, in plain language.
The number of trees, specimen status, condition, stream proximity, and any related construction determine the likely permit path.
Read the requirementsCurrent Section 22-34 tree-protection processLast reviewed September 17, 2026
At a glance
Start with the property, the tree, and the proposed work.
Large hardwoods in fair or better condition are specimen trees at thirty inches DBH.
Large softwoods in fair or better condition are specimen trees at thirty inches DBH.
Dogwoods, redbuds, sourwoods, and similar small trees can qualify as specimen trees at ten inches DBH.
Specimen size depends on the tree’s mature class.
Tucker’s examples group trees as large hardwoods, large softwoods, and small trees. Identify the species first; do not choose a threshold from bark, foliage, or current height alone.
Large hardwood
Examples include oaks, hickories, and yellow poplars. The specimen threshold is based on both size and qualifying condition.
Large softwood
Examples include pines, evergreens, and similar species. The ordinance wording is broader than a strict botanical definition.
Small tree
Examples include dogwoods, redbuds, and sourwoods. A small-tree species uses its own threshold even when an individual has grown taller than expected.
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 Tucker?
A Tucker postal address may fall outside the incorporated City. Confirm City jurisdiction before applying; unincorporated DeKalb County uses a different tree-review process.
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.
Five or fewer trees
The residential exemption is limited.
A single-family property may remove up to five non-specimen trees in a calendar year without a tree-removal permit. Specimen status, project permits, buffers, and other restrictions can override that simple count.
More than five trees
A removal permit is required.
The City’s published guidance requires a permit when more than five non-specimen trees are removed in a calendar year.
Healthy specimen tree
Preservation is the starting point.
A healthy specimen tree requires permit review. On permitted development sites, unapproved specimen removal requires a special exception, and approved specimen removal carries enhanced replacement.
Diseased, insect-infested, or hazardous
Document the exemption before acting.
The City recognizes condition-based exemptions, but its application asks for an arborist letter for dead, dying, diseased, or insect-infested trees. Document the facts and confirm the path with Land Development.
03 / Project record
Connect the tree survey to the development plan.
Land-disturbance, development, and building permits can require a tree survey and tree-protection plan. A coordinated submittal can include:
01
Trees 18 inches DBH and larger, plus all specimen trees
02
Species, size, location, and preservation status
03
Limits of clearing, grading, trenching, and disturbance
04
Tree-save areas, critical root zones, and fencing
05
Existing and proposed utilities
06
Density, preservation, replacement, and planting calculations
04 / Condition + risk
Risk documentation should support the requested action.
For a condition-based removal, identify the relevant defects, tree condition, targets, likelihood of failure and impact, risk rating, and reasonable mitigation. Tree Collective can collect point data and provide a TRAQ-informed assessment; the City decides whether the documentation supports an exemption or permit.
05 / Conservation + replacement
Specimen trees and permitted projects carry the larger obligations.
For permitted development, Tucker requires preservation of either 120 inches DBH per acre or 25 percent of existing significant trees per acre, whichever is less, subject to the detailed code rules.
A removed specimen tree is replaced at 1.5 times its equivalent DBH using trees with comparable mature size and quality. Construction damage to a designated saved tree can also trigger treatment or replacement.
06 / Professional support
Use professional field data where the decision turns on size or condition.
The code requires specimen trees to be identified by a certified arborist, and a condition-based exemption may require a certified-arborist letter approved by Community Development. For development, early work with the City Arborist helps align the survey, protection plan, utilities, and inspections.
Official applications + sources
Go directly to Tucker.
Official source
Tree Removal Guidelines
Official homeowner-facing thresholds, specimen sizes, exemptions, and application link.
Open source+Official sourceTree Removal Application
Official form and checklist for photographs, sketch, measurements, and arborist letter.
Open source+Official sourceTree protection code
Section 22-34 governing applicability, exemptions, surveys, protection, and replacement.
Open source+Official sourceLand Development
City contacts, land-disturbance guidance, and development resources.
Open source+Official sourceLDP handbook
Current land-disturbance application process and plan-set requirements.
Open source+Source review
Reviewed September 17, 2026.
Reviewed against Tucker’s official tree-removal page and application, current Section 22-34 code, Land Development page, and current LDP handbook. Confirm current staff instructions before beginning 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.