Tree rules matter most to two kinds of buyers: someone who plans to tear down and rebuild, and someone who plans an addition, a pool or a new driveway. If that is you, read this before you set your offer price. The trees on a lot can change what a project costs and how long it takes.
The ordinance and its dates
Atlanta’s Tree Protection Ordinance
- Atlanta City Council unanimously adopted a new Tree Protection Ordinance (Ordinance 24-O-1691, replacing City Code Chapter 158, Article II) on June 16, 2025. City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
- The City says the second phase of the Tree Protection Ordinance took effect January 1, 2026. City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
Plenty of older articles describe the previous rules. When you read about Atlanta tree law, check that it refers to the ordinance adopted in 2025 and the phase that took effect at the start of 2026.
Which trees need a permit
Under Atlanta's tree ordinance, no one may remove, destroy or 'impact' a regulated tree on private property without a permit from the City Arborist. On private property, a regulated tree is any non-pine tree 6 inches or more in diameter at breast height (DBH), or any pine 12 inches or more. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
| Tree on private property | Regulated when its diameter at breast height is |
|---|---|
| Any tree that is not a pine | 6 inches or more |
| A pine | 12 inches or more |
Two things decide it: whether the tree is a pine, and how thick the trunk is at breast height. The rule also uses the word “impact”, not just “remove”. A permit question can come up even when a tree stays standing, so ask the City Arborist how the rule applies to any work planned near a regulated tree.
What removing a healthy tree costs in 2026
Under the new ordinance, the established recompense value for removing a healthy tree is $140.00 (per diameter inch, per the ordinance's worked example), effective January 1, 2026. From January 1, 2027 it adjusts each year for Atlanta-area inflation (CPI-U). (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
The arithmetic follows the ordinance’s worked example: diameter inches of the healthy trees removed × $140.00, the 2026 recompense value per diameter inch.
From January 1, 2027 the value changes each year with Atlanta-area inflation, so use the figure for the year you apply.
Which trees count, how the inches are measured and whether anything offsets the total are questions for the City Arborist about your specific plan. Treat the formula as a way to see the size of the number before you offer, not as a quote. Our journal piece on tree recompense per inch goes through it in more detail.
How the City Arborist handles removals
The City of Atlanta Arborist Division (Department of City Planning) protects the tree canopy on private property. Tree removal is permitted either under a building permit or through an application to remove a dead, dying, diseased or hazardous tree, and properties are posted before removal under building permits so the public can appeal. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
So there are two routes: removal tied to a building permit, or an application for a tree that is dead, dying, diseased or hazardous. Under a building permit, the property is posted before removal so the public can appeal. For a buyer, that posting is a step in your schedule, and an appeal can add time to it.
Tree decisions by a City official can be appealed to the Tree Conservation Commission; the City lists 404-330-6235 for appeal information. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
Before you offer on a lot you plan to change
- Walk the lot and note every tree that looks close to the size thresholds. A private arborist or surveyor can measure and map them.
- Mark which trees stand where the new house, addition, pool or driveway would go.
- Multiply the inches of healthy regulated trees you expect to remove by the current recompense value, and put that line in your budget.
- Ask the seller for any past tree permits or Arborist Division letters for the lot.
- Look for posted removal notices on the street. A neighbor’s project can be appealed the same way yours can.
- Talk to the City Arborist about your plan before you rely on the numbers.
Zoning is a separate question from trees. We do not publish zoning for any lot. If you plan to subdivide, add a unit or change the use, ask the City’s Department of City Planning about that parcel before you offer.
NPUs: the neighborhood layer of City planning
The City of Atlanta is divided into 25 Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), lettered A through Z (there is no U). Each NPU groups several official neighborhoods. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
Buckhead’s three NPUs
- NPU A includes 11 official City of Atlanta neighborhoods: Chastain Park, Kingswood, Margaret Mitchell, Mt. Paran Parkway, Mt. Paran/Northside, Paces, Pleasant Hill, Randall Mill, Tuxedo Park, West Paces Ferry/Northside and Whitewater Creek. City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
- NPU B includes 16 official neighborhoods: Brookhaven, Buckhead Forest, Buckhead Heights, Buckhead Village, East Chastain Park, Garden Hills, Lenox, Lindbergh/Morosgo, North Buckhead, Peachtree Heights East, Peachtree Heights West, Peachtree Hills, Peachtree Park, Pine Hills, Ridgedale Park and South Tuxedo Park. City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
- NPU C includes 21 official neighborhoods: Arden/Habersham, Argonne Forest, Brandon, Castlewood, Channing Valley, Collier Hills, Collier Hills North, Colonial Homes, Cross Creek, Fernleaf, Hanover West, Memorial Park, Peachtree Battle Alliance, Ridgewood Heights, Springlake, Wesley Battle, Westminster/Milmar, Westover Plantation, Wildwood, Woodfield and Wyngate. City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
An NPU groups official neighborhoods, and each NPU holds its own monthly meeting. To see what is on the table near a home you like, look up its neighborhood in the lists above and read the agendas for that NPU.
NPU A and NPU B each meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm; NPU C meets the first Tuesday at 6:45 pm (per the City's NPU directory, June 2026). (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
Meeting times and places can change, so confirm them on the City’s NPU contacts page before you go.
Atlanta City Council districts covering the Buckhead NPUs: NPU A is in District 8; NPU B spans Districts 6, 7 and 8; NPU C spans Districts 8 and 9. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
We do not name council members, because the names change. The City’s pages show who represents each district today.
Fulton County Board of Assessors
Homestead filings, parcel records and assessment appeals
Apply online or at any of six offices; file by April 1 for the current year
Source: Fulton County, checked 2026-10-19
City of Atlanta Arborist Division
Tree permits on private property · Atlanta
Appeals go to the Tree Conservation Commission
Source: City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
Atlanta Public Schools, Student Assignment & Records
School zones for an address
Use the School Zone Locator first
Source: Atlanta Public Schools, checked 2026-10-19
City of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Units
NPU A, B and C meetings and neighborhood lists · Atlanta
Source: City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
City of Atlanta short-term rental office
Short-term rental licenses · Atlanta
Source: City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19
MARTA
Rail stations at Lindbergh Center, Buckhead and Lenox
Source: MARTA, checked 2026-10-19
This page summarizes City rules for planning purposes. It is not legal or arborist advice. Confirm with the City of Atlanta Arborist Division before you remove, prune or build near any tree.
Questions buyers ask
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree on my Buckhead lot?
Usually, yes. On private property in Atlanta, removing or impacting any non-pine tree 6 inches or more in diameter, or any pine 12 inches or more, needs a permit from the City Arborist.
Source: City of Atlanta
How much is Atlanta’s tree recompense in 2026?
The established recompense value for removing a healthy tree is $140 per diameter inch, effective January 1, 2026. It adjusts each year for inflation from January 1, 2027.
Source: City of Atlanta
When was Atlanta’s current tree ordinance adopted?
The City Council adopted the new Tree Protection Ordinance (24-O-1691) on June 16, 2025, and the City says its second phase took effect January 1, 2026.
Source: City of Atlanta
Next step
Answer “yes” to the trees question in the buyer due-diligence checker to add the tree steps to your list, or read the Buckhead luxury homes guide if you are looking at larger lots.
Rules, rates and maps change. Every rule on this page links to the office that sets it; confirm with that office before you rely on it.
