Tree Service in Sandy Springs, GA

Of all the cities we work in, Sandy Springs has one of the more detailed codes, so Tree Service in Sandy Springs usually begins with a tape measure. The city requires a removal permit for any tree 18 inches in diameter at breast height or larger, for dogwoods and redbuds from 10 inches, and for any tree in the 75-foot protected corridor along designated streams and bodies of water. If the work is tied to grading, a pool, a patio or an addition, the city wants a Tree Conservation Plan instead.

Protected, landmark and canopy

Trees 18 inches and up are Protected Trees. Hardwoods 27 inches and up, pines 30 inches and up, and dogwoods or redbuds 10 inches and up are Landmark Trees when they are in fair condition or better. Residential lots are expected to keep 35% canopy coverage, with each Protected Tree credited at 1,000 square feet.

When a removal leaves a lot below that coverage, the owner either replants or pays into the City Tree Fund. Replanting is one tree for each Protected Tree removed and one and a half for each Landmark Tree, at least 2.5-inch large-canopy species, kept alive for three growing seasons. The payment option is $1,200 per Protected Tree.

Dead and hazardous trees still need paperwork

A dead, dying, diseased or hazardous tree can come down without a full permit, but only after documentation goes to the City Arborist and is approved. The city asks for the address, a description of the problem and photos. We can photograph decay, cracks, fungal conks or dead tops during our visit and describe them plainly so your email to arborist@sandyspringsga.gov is complete. Healthy trees removed alongside a dead one still need a permit.

Terrain, river and creeks

The Riverside area has winding, hilly roads and older forest. The Chattahoochee forms the city's western and northern edge, and properties along it are subject to a 50-foot undisturbed buffer from the bank and a 150-foot impervious-surface setback. Nancy Creek cuts through neighborhoods to the east. On these lots, the job is often rigging limbs and trunk sections down a slope without damaging the trees that must stay.

Storm history

In 2014 a snowstorm and then an ice storm left much of the region without power. During Helene in 2024, downed trees and lines closed Riverside Drive at River North, Castleton Drive, Johnson Ferry and Climbers Way, and residents near Nancy Creek were told to evacuate as it flooded. Ice loads and saturated creek soils are the two conditions we watch most here.

Call (770) 758-8959 or send photos through the form. We will measure, tell you which category each tree falls in, and give you a written estimate.