Tree Service in Johns Creek, GA

Tree Service in Johns Creek got simpler for homeowners in 2025. At its July 28, 2025 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the Tree Preservation Ordinance aimed at single-family properties. The city had adopted the ordinance when it incorporated in 2006 and had changed it only once before, in 2023, to add standards for public trees under Tree City USA requirements.

What the amendment did

According to Appen Media's coverage:

• A homeowner can remove a tree without a city permit if it is in immediate danger of falling on the home and is not in a protected zone.
• Large hardwoods and softwoods now count as specimen trees only at 31 inches in diameter at breast height. Small native flowering trees qualify at 12 inches.
• Pines of any size are no longer specimen trees.
• Removing a specimen tree in fair condition calls for one replacement of at least 15 gallons, or 1 to 1.5 inches in caliper.

The mayor's example of the old rules: a resident who removed two specimen pines was told to plant 18 four-inch magnolias. That kind of outcome is what the change set out to prevent.

What did not change

Protected zones still matter. Johns Creek has 13.5 miles of Chattahoochee River frontage along its southern edge, plus many small creeks and stream buffers running through subdivisions. Trees in those areas are not covered by the homeowner shortcut. If your back lot slopes to a creek or the river, check the plat or ask the city before any cutting.

The trees we see most here

The name Johns Creek first described a place in 1981, when Georgia Tech graduates bought 1,700 acres for Technology Park/Johns Creek, and the neighborhoods grew up around it. In many yards, the tallest trees are loblolly pines that were already standing when the streets went in. Decades later, plenty of them are tall, thin-crowned and leaning over decks and roofs. With pines off the specimen list, taking down an over-mature pine is now a much more ordinary job. We still recommend keeping healthy oaks and hickories where they are not a hazard, since they add shade and stand up better to wind.

A quiet Helene, and the next storm

The city said it 'dodged a bullet' with Helene in September 2024, with only a couple of downed trees and a few dark traffic signals. Not every storm will be that kind. A walk-through of the trees over your house, before the next big one, is the cheapest tree work you can buy.

Call (770) 758-8959 or send the form. We will tell you which trees fall under the new rules and give you a written estimate.