Marietta, GA
Tree Permits & Neighborhood Notes for Marietta, GA
From the old oaks shading the neighborhoods around the Square to the pine-heavy lots out toward Kennesaw Mountain, we connect Marietta homeowners with a local tree service.
The trees that define Marietta
The historic core around Marietta Square is shaded by mature hardwoods, many of them wedged into tight spaces between older homes. West and north of downtown, toward Kennesaw Mountain, lots get bigger and steeper and the mix shifts toward loblolly and shortleaf pine.
For the full overview, see our tree service in Marietta page, or go straight to tree removal in Marietta for costs and what to expect.
Both settings demand care rather than muscle. A large water oak between two historic houses cannot simply be felled; it has to be taken apart and rigged down. The pines have a different clock: the Georgia Forestry Commission says southern pine beetles and Ips beetles can kill pines within weeks in summer, and the first sign most people notice is needles turning red. A pine near the house whose needles are fading to yellow should be looked at that week, not next season.
Historic District
Old, large hardwoods in tight quarters around Marietta Square. Rigging-heavy removals and careful pruning to protect neighboring homes and gardens.
Kennesaw Mountain Edge
Pine-heavy, sloped, wooded lots on the west side, where a beetle-killed pine is the tree most likely to fail next.
Established Subdivisions
Mid-century neighborhoods with mature canopy over rooflines, where routine trimming and deadwooding keep trees healthy and off the house.
West Cobb Lots
Larger parcels and new builds, where clearing triggers development rules that a finished single-home lot does not.
Marietta permit rules, explained
A finished single-home lot inside the City of Marietta is exempt from the city's tree protection standards. Most other property is not. The rules are in the city's zoning ordinance, Division 712.08 (updated April 2025). They apply to all real property in the city, then list exemptions:
- Exempt: any single residential lot with one dwelling of no more than two units, any property zoned Central Business District, and tree loss caused by a government or utility project.
- Not exempt, even for one house: lots developed under the Residential Infill Development Overlay District, and residential developments with tree plans approved by the Mayor and City Council.
- On a lot that is not exempt, trees cannot be removed without prior authorization from the city's Department of Development Services, unless a sudden storm left an imminent hazard.
- Dead, dying, diseased, or infested trees on a non-exempt lot can come down only after a Notification of Tree Removal form is submitted and city staff verify the tree's condition.
If you are not sure which side of that line your lot is on, ask Development Services before you book the work, and check your HOA covenants too. Outside city limits, a Marietta mailing address may fall under Cobb County instead; our East Cobb page covers the county side.
Who picks up the wood in Marietta?
Not the city, if a tree company cut the tree. City of Marietta Sanitation's rules say: "The city will not pick up any parts of a tree that a tree surgeon cuts down. The tree surgeon is responsible for removing the tree." What the city does take from homeowners:
- Brush and yard trimmings on Wednesdays, kept out of the regular garbage.
- Limbs six feet long or shorter, with no single piece over four inches across or heavier than 100 pounds.
- Leaves and grass in biodegradable paper bags, because state law keeps plastic out of compost landfills.
- Big piles cost extra: $100 per load of about 200 cubic feet, or 48 bags or more.
Questions go to Marietta Sanitation at 770-794-5595. Practical upshot: on any real removal, the quote should say the company hauls the logs and brush. If you would rather keep mulch, Marietta Power offers its customers free wood chips, delivered within its service area.
Power lines and outages in Marietta
Marietta has its own city-run utility, Marietta Power, which runs a tree trimming program around its lines. Depending on your address, the wires may instead belong to Georgia Power or Cobb EMC. Your bill tells you which, and it matters:
- A tree or limb on a line: stay away and call 911. Marietta Power's number for power emergencies is 770-794-5160; Georgia Power's downed-line number is 1-888-891-0938; Cobb EMC takes outage reports at 770-429-2100.
- A tree near the line to your house: Georgia Power leaves tree removals and limbs over 3 inches to the owner and will disconnect the service wire for tree work with 72 hours' notice (1-888-660-5890). Cobb EMC may remove a dead or weakened tree near the service wire once you report it.
- Any tree company working within 10 feet of a line over 750 volts has to notify Georgia 811 at least 72 hours ahead, excluding weekends and holidays, so the utility can guard it.
Common Marietta questions
Usually not for a single home. The City of Marietta's tree protection standards (Zoning 712.08) exempt a single residential lot with one dwelling of up to two units, except lots in the Residential Infill Development Overlay and developments with approved tree plans. Commercial lots, new subdivisions, and other development go through the city's review. Confirm with the city and your HOA before work starts.
Yes, but not on your own schedule. On a non-exempt lot, dead, dying, diseased, infested, or hazardous trees can be removed only after a Notification of Tree Removal form is submitted and city staff verify the condition. The exception is a tree that a sudden storm turned into an imminent hazard.
No. City Sanitation will not pick up any part of a tree that a tree surgeon cuts down; the company is responsible for removing it. The city collects homeowner brush on Wednesdays in pieces up to six feet long, four inches across, and 100 pounds.
Call 911 first and keep everyone away; assume the line is live. Then call the utility: Marietta Power's power emergency line is 770-794-5160, Georgia Power's downed-line number is 1-888-891-0938, and Cobb EMC takes outage reports at 770-429-2100. Do not try to move limbs off a line.
Yes. We connect homeowners near the Square with a local tree service for the big, old trees in tight spaces between historic homes. That is careful, rigging-heavy work, so ask how the crew will lower wood without touching the neighboring houses.
Marietta homeowners, let's talk trees.
We connect you with a local tree service anywhere in the city. Ask for the estimate, the haul-off, and the stump in writing.