Tree Removal in Marietta, GA

What a full tree removal includes

A complete removal is more than a chainsaw and a truck. A good tree service starts with a walk-around: the tree's lean and health, the target zone below it, and how equipment will reach it. Then the climber rigs and cuts the tree down in sections, lowering heavy limbs and trunk wood on ropes instead of free-dropping them. On a tight lot, or with a tree right over the house, the company may bring in a crane so the wood is lifted away instead of felled.

Once the tree is down, the brush is chipped, the trunk is cut into rounds, and the wood is hauled off or left for you, whichever you agreed to. The work area gets raked out. Stump grinding is usually its own line. Get every one of those items written into the quote: inside the City of Marietta, sanitation crews will not pick up any part of a tree that a tree company cuts down, so whatever the quote leaves out stays in your yard.

Signs a tree needs to come down

Not every tree needs removal, and a good arborist will tell you when a trim will do. But some signs mean it is time:

• A leaning trunk that has shifted after a storm, with soil heaving or roots lifting on one side.
• A pine with fading needles, pale green to yellow to red. The Georgia Forestry Commission says southern pine beetles and Ips beetles can kill pines within weeks in summer, and a pine they have infested cannot be saved with spray.
• Bark falling off an oak in patches, with a tan, gray, or black crust underneath. That is usually hypoxylon canker, and the Forestry Commission says a tree showing it will not survive, whatever the treatment.
• Mushrooms or fungus at the base, a sign of internal rot that hollows out a trunk you cannot see inside.
• Cracks or splits in a major fork, which can fail suddenly under wind or ice.
• The tree is simply too close to the house, foundation, or septic field to stay where it is.

Why removals are trickier in north metro Atlanta

Big trees grow close to houses here, and the weather tests them. When Irma crossed Georgia on September 11, 2017, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City recorded sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph with gusts of 50 to 65 mph, numerous trees and power lines down, about 1.5 million Georgia customers without power, and at least two people killed in north Georgia by falling trees.

Helene in September 2024 added water to wind. The Weather Service measured 6 to 14 inches of rain across north and central Georgia, with some of the highest totals in metro Atlanta (12.17 inches near Dunwoody), and reported millions of trees down and numerous structures damaged or destroyed, mostly by falling trees. The Weather Service put the damage down to the combination of strong winds and heavy rain. Taking a compromised tree down on a calm day is a planned job. Waiting for the storm to decide makes it an emergency.

How the job works

How much does tree removal cost in Marietta, GA?

Most tree removals cost between about $200 and $2,000, with a national average near $750, according to HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide. Height sets the starting range. What sits under the tree and how a crew can reach it decide where you land. These are national figures, not a Marietta price list. Trees over a house or in a tight backyard cost more: HomeAdvisor says access problems alone can add 25 to 50 percent.

Source: HomeAdvisor tree removal and stump removal cost guides, both updated June 19, 2026. By species, the same guide lists pines at $250 to $1,500 and oaks at $200 to $2,000. Permit fees are extra where a city charges one (Kennesaw's tree cutting permit is $25). Our tree removal cost guide for Marietta walks through each size, and stump pricing is on the stump grinding page.

What makes one tree cost more than another?

Five things drive the price: the tree's size and weight, what is underneath it, how equipment can reach it, its condition, and how much cleanup you want. When one quote is far above another, it is almost always one of these.

• Size and weight. Trunk diameter matters as much as height. A broad water oak can carry far more wood than a taller, thinner pine.
• The target zone. Open lawn is the cheap case. A roof, deck, pool, fence, or a neighbor's driveway means every piece has to be roped and lowered.
• Access. If a bucket truck or crane can set up in the driveway, a big job can go faster. If every log has to come out through a backyard gate by hand, it takes longer.
• Condition. A dead, beetle-killed, or storm-cracked tree is more dangerous to climb and rig, so it can cost more than a healthy tree of the same size.
• Cleanup and the stump. Hauling every log and chip off site costs more than leaving the wood, and stump grinding is usually its own line.

Power lines add another layer. Who handles the wires depends on who sends your power bill:

• Georgia Power. It trims limbs that are rubbing on or pushing the service wire to your house, on a limited basis. Tree removals and limbs over 3 inches across are the property owner's job. To have the service wire disconnected so a tree company can work safely, call Georgia Power at 1-888-660-5890 at least 72 hours ahead.
• Cobb EMC. It will consider removing a tree within 15 feet of the primary wire along the road, trims back 15 feet on each side of a primary pole, and, once you tell it about a tree near the service wire to your house, may remove it if it is dead, weakened, rubbing the wire, or endangering the line.
• Marietta Power (the City of Marietta's own utility) runs its own tree trimming program near its lines. For a power emergency, its number is 770-794-5160.
• The 10-foot law. Under Georgia's High-Voltage Safety Act, anyone doing this work as a business must notify Georgia 811 (811 or 1-800-282-7411) at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays, before a person or tool comes within 10 feet of a line over 750 volts, then wait for the utility to guard the line. The arrangements can include who pays for that protection, so ask about it up front.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Marietta?

Inside the City of Marietta, a single house lot with one home on it is generally exempt from the city's tree protection standards. Kennesaw, Roswell, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs are different: each has its own permit rule for homeowners. Rules depend on which city you are in, so check before the saw comes out.

• City of Marietta. The zoning ordinance's tree protection section (712.08) exempts a single residential lot with one dwelling of no more than two units. The exemption does not cover the Residential Infill Development Overlay District or developments with a tree plan approved by the Mayor and City Council. On a lot that is not exempt, trees cannot come down without the city's prior authorization, and even dead, diseased, or hazardous trees need a Notification of Tree Removal form and a city check first, unless a sudden storm created an imminent hazard. More on our Marietta tree permits page.
• Kennesaw. The city's tree cutting permit goes to Public Works, costs $25, and has to be used within six months. Homes in the historic district also need Historic Preservation Commission approval. See our Kennesaw page.
• Acworth. Existing single-family and duplex homes are exempt from the city's tree permitting unless the work expands the house's footprint. Vacant lots are not exempt. See our Acworth page.
• Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Dunwoody. Roswell asks for a permit for any tree larger than 3 inches in diameter. Sandy Springs requires one for trees 18 inches across or larger, dogwoods and redbuds from 10 inches, and any tree in a stream buffer. Alpharetta wants an approved application before any living tree comes off a single-family lot. Dunwoody bars tree removal in its 75-foot stream buffers without permits. Details on the Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta and Dunwoody pages.
• Creeks and the Chattahoochee. Georgia keeps a 25-foot buffer along streams, and some cities add more. Along the Chattahoochee, the Metropolitan River Protection Act covers a 2,000-foot corridor on each bank, with a 50-foot undisturbed vegetative buffer next to the river. If the tree is near water, call your city or Cobb County before anyone cuts. In East Cobb and the rest of unincorporated Cobb, also check with the county before any grading or construction.
• Your HOA. Read your covenants before you schedule anything. Kennesaw's own permit form asks whether HOA approval is required.

Rules change, so confirm with your city before work starts. A good local tree service deals with these offices all the time and can tell you what applies to your street.

Who hauls the wood away?

Not the city. The tree company does, if the quote says so. City of Marietta sanitation picks up brush on Wednesdays, but only limbs six feet or shorter, no piece over four inches across or 100 pounds, with leaves and grass in paper bags. Big loads carry a $100-per-load fee, and the city's rules say plainly that it will not pick up any part of a tree that a tree surgeon cuts down. Questions go to Sanitation at 770-794-5595.

Burning it is not an easy way out either. Cobb, Fulton, and DeKalb are on Georgia EPD's lists where land-clearing and storm debris cannot be burned at any time of year, and yard debris burning is banned from May 1 through September 30. Never burn lumber, shingles, or trash.

If the tree was a beetle-infested pine, the Forestry Commission says not to keep the wood as firewood unless it is treated, and to spread fresh pine chips only around hardwoods, since fresh resin draws more beetles. If you would rather have mulch, ask the tree service to leave hardwood chips. Marietta Power also offers its customers free wood chips, delivered within its service area.

Can I remove a tree myself?

A small tree in open ground, maybe. Anything tall, leaning, dead, near the house, or near a power line belongs to a trained crew. The danger in tree work is rarely the cut. It is where the wood goes, and how a dead or cracked trunk can break in a way nobody expected.

Never work near a power line, including the line that runs from the pole to your house. Assume every line is live, and do not touch a tree that is touching one. Before grinding a stump or digging out roots, contact Georgia 811 (811 or 800-282-7411, free) at least 3 business days ahead. Utilities mark only their own lines, which usually end at the meter. Your sprinkler lines, landscape lighting, the power line to a detached garage or pool heater, and the water and sewer lines from the meter to the house are yours, and a private locator has to find those.

When you hire someone, ask to see proof of liability and workers' compensation coverage. If an uninsured worker is hurt in your tree, or drops a limb through the roof, that can become your problem. A written quote should also say whether cleanup, haul-away, and the stump are included.

Should the tree come down, or can it be saved?

If the problem is a few dead limbs or branches over the roof, trimming is usually enough. If the trunk is rotten, cracked at a major fork, leaning more than it used to, or the tree is mostly dead, removal is usually the safer call.

Pines are the exception to waiting. Southern pine beetles leave white pitch tubes about the size of a pencil eraser in the bark crevices; Ips beetles leave pinkish ones on the bark plates, sometimes too high to see. The Forestry Commission's advice for either is to remove the tree as soon as the needles start to fade, before the infestation spreads, and it notes that an owner who knows about an infestation and leaves it may be liable to neighbors. Black turpentine beetles, with big pitch tubes in the lower 10 feet of the trunk, are the one kind where the Forestry Commission recommends spraying instead of removal.

A healthy oak with one bad limb is a tree trimming job, not a removal. If a storm has already pushed a tree over, see our guide to a tree leaning after a storm, and our post on the signs a tree is dying covers what to look for before then.

Will insurance pay for tree removal?

It depends on what the tree hit. According to the Insurance Information Institute, if a tree hits your house or another insured structure like a detached garage, a standard homeowners policy covers the damage to the structure and its contents, and covers removing the tree, generally up to about $500 to $1,000 depending on your insurer and policy. If the tree fell and hit nothing, there is generally no coverage for removing it, though some insurers pay when it blocks a driveway or a wheelchair ramp. It does not matter whose tree it was, and damage from poor maintenance is not covered.

A healthy tree you remove by choice is your own cost. After a storm, call your insurer, take photos before anything is moved, and ask the tree service to put the work in writing for your claim. Our emergency storm cleanup page explains the first hour.

How do I choose a tree service?

Check the credential, the insurance, and the paperwork before you check the price. The International Society of Arboriculture suggests:

• Look up the arborist. ISA's "Verify a Credential" tool on TreesAreGood.org shows whether someone is an ISA Certified Arborist.
• Ask for proof of insurance, then call the insurance company to confirm it is current.
• Get more than one estimate and ask for references. The lowest bid is not always the best deal; compare the written scope.
• Be wary of people who go door to door offering bargains.
• Get it in writing. The quote should name who contacts Georgia 811, who coordinates with the utility, and whether cleanup, haul-off, and the stump are included.

Tree removal questions