R & R Tree Service is proud to offer dependable and affordable tree care to homeowners and businesses throughout Dunwoody, GA. Whether you need to remove a hazardous tree, prune branches for better health and appearance, grind stumps, or get fast emergency cleanup after storm damage, our experienced crew is ready to keep your property safe and looking great.
We understand the unique tree care needs of Dunwoody’s neighborhoods, from historic areas to newer developments, and tailor our services accordingly.
Call us today or contact us online to schedule your free estimate in Dunwoody!
On a single-family lot it comes down to one question: is the tree inside the 75-foot stream buffer? For the parts of a single-family property that sit outside Dunwoody's 75-foot stream buffer, no tree removal permit is required. Inside that buffer the answer flips completely — you need a permit and a certified arborist's report setting out the tree's condition. Unpermitted work in a stream buffer is not a slap on the wrist either: the city puts it at up to $1,000 per violation or up to six months in jail.
There is a second rule single-family owners routinely miss. Dunwoody enforces a minimum tree density on residential lots under section 16-109(b)(2) of its tree ordinance, scaled to the property's square footage. Take out enough trees and you do not simply end up with a clearer garden — you acquire an obligation to plant new ones to bring the site back up to density. Different thresholds apply on non-residential, mixed-use and multi-family land, where a permit is triggered by any hardwood of ten inches DBH or more, softwoods at twenty inches, and understory trees at six.
Rules change. Confirm anything load-bearing with the local office before you cut — we do that check as part of every quote.
Dunwoody protects a 75-foot undisturbed strip either side of its streams, and that line does not care about fences or where the mown lawn stops. The city publishes the answer: pull your address up on its SmartMap, switch on the State Waters layer, and if a yellow and pink band crosses the lot, the buffer is on you. We check this before quoting, because 'I didn't know the creek counted' is not a defence anyone has won with.
The city describes its own urban forest as a dense mix of native pines and hardwoods across roughly 150 miles of public right of way, plus more than 170 acres of parks. That mix is why Dunwoody sees two distinct failure modes in the same storm: pines shearing at height under ice or gust load, and hardwoods letting go at the root plate in saturated ground. A street that lost pines last winter and oaks this spring is not unlucky, it is mixed.
The ordinance carves out trees damaged during an emergency — the city names tornado, ice storm, windstorm or other act of nature — and lets the community development director waive the permit requirement in those circumstances. That is deliberately built for the week after a storm, when waiting on paperwork to clear a smashed tree off a roof would be absurd. It is also why documenting the damage with photographs before you clear matters.
The commercial density around Perimeter Center sits very close to established residential streets, so the same suburb contains both mature interior canopy and hard-edged sites with utilities, kerbs and structures on every side. Rigging over a quiet cul-de-sac and rigging beside a parking deck are not the same operation, and the second is where owning our own crane stops being a boast and starts being the reason the job is doable at all.
A tree that has become, or threatens to become, a danger to life or property can be dealt with once a certified tree professional has documented it through a risk assessment. What we look for is structural, not cosmetic: included bark in a fork, a cavity opening at the base, fungal brackets on the buttress roots, a fresh lean with cracked soil on the far side. A full green crown reassures owners and tells an arborist almost nothing about the stem holding it up.
Dunwoody adopted a full Tree Inventory and Assessment in 2012 as an amendment to its comprehensive land use plan, covering the trees on public land. Practically, that means the city knows what it has and manages it deliberately rather than reactively. For a homeowner it means the paperwork expects specifics — species, approximate size and location of everything coming out and everything staying — rather than a vague description of a big tree at the back.
Dunwoody incorporated and runs its own tree ordinance, so the DeKalb County homeowner rules — the ones about notifying the County Arborist above five trees or a specimen tree — are not the rules that govern inside the city limits. Neighbours a short drive away in unincorporated DeKalb genuinely are playing by a different rulebook. DeKalb's own guidance puts the burden on the property owner to know which jurisdiction they are in.
R & R Tree Service offers licensed, bonded, and insured tree removal, trimming, stump grinding, mulching, and more throughout Dunwoody, GA.
Regular trimming keeps your trees healthy, improves their appearance, and reduces the risk of falling limbs, especially during storm season. Our certified team members use proper techniques to promote long-term tree health.
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Most RequestedWe safely remove hazardous, dead, or unwanted trees of all sizes, using the right equipment and techniques to prevent damage to your property. From single trees to full lot clearing.
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24/7 AvailableStorm damage? Fallen trees? We're available for fast, reliable emergency response to protect your property and restore safety. Our crew responds 24/7 across Dunwoody and surrounding areas.
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After a tree is removed, we can grind down the stump to restore your yard and prevent regrowth or pest infestations. We remove all debris for a clean, finished result.
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SpecialtyFor large or hard-to-reach trees, our specialized crane equipment provides the safest solution, protecting your property, fencing, and landscaping during removal.
Get a Quote →We serve residential and commercial clients throughout Dunwoody, including these neighborhoods and surrounding areas.
We understand the unique tree care needs in Dunwoody's neighborhoods and take pride in protecting your home or business while enhancing the natural beauty of your landscape.
From first call to final cleanup, we make professional tree care easy for Dunwoody homeowners.
Call or message us. We visit your Dunwoody property, assess the situation, and answer all your questions, with no obligation.
You receive a clear, itemized quote with transparent pricing. We explain exactly what work will be done and why, with no surprises.
Our own certified crew arrives on time with the right equipment. We protect your property and complete the work safely and efficiently.
We remove all debris, branches, and wood. Your Dunwoody yard is left immaculate. We follow up to confirm your satisfaction.
"For the past eight years, R and R Tree Service has meticulously tended to our landscape needs. From pine tree removal to diagnosing damaged or diseased trees, I fully and completely trust this honest and hard working crew. They estimate fairly and give competitive prices. It's reassuring to know they will 'take care of business'."
"We have used R and R Tree Service since we moved to the Dunwoody area over 16 years ago. They are professional, dependable, and do an excellent job. Their crane service is a definite advantage. There is never any damage to surrounding trees."
"Within 24-hours of being contacted, Randy and his team gave me a quote and removed two mature trees uprooted during Hurricane Helene. Arrived at the crack of dawn and finished before lunch. True professionals."
Full details on the licensed, insured tree care R & R provides in Dunwoody. Tap any service to learn more.
Not for the parts of the lot outside the 75-foot stream buffer — Dunwoody explicitly does not require a tree removal permit there. If the tree stands inside the buffer, you need a permit plus a certified arborist's report on its condition. Separately, the city's minimum density rule can require you to plant replacements if removals take the property below the density set for its square footage.
The city's SmartMap does it. Enter the address, open the Layer List, and turn on the State Waters layer; a yellow and pink band across the lot means the 75-foot buffer applies. Dunwoody also asks for an aerial with the trees to be removed marked with an X and the property square footage written on it as part of a single-family permit application.
The ordinance anticipates exactly this. Trees damaged during an emergency such as a tornado, ice storm or windstorm fall under a provision letting the community development director waive the permit requirement. Photograph the damage before anything is cut — that record is what supports the waiver, and it is also what your insurer will ask for.
It depends whose rulebook applies. In unincorporated DeKalb County a specimen tree must have a life expectancy of fifteen years or more, a sound trunk with under twenty percent decay or cavity and no major pest or disease problem, and measure at least thirty inches DBH for overstory species like oak, poplar and pine, or ten inches for understory species like dogwood and redbud. Inside Dunwoody the city applies its own thresholds under its tree preservation division.
A completed application, a site plan or detailed sketch showing the species, approximate size and location of every tree being removed and every tree being kept, a photograph of each tree to be removed including any evidence that it is dead, diseased, dying, insect-infested or hazardous, and the fee from the city schedule. The city arborist can ask for more — a tree survey, a replacement plan, a third-party arborist report or a planting plan.
That is most of the work here. Tight lots with structures, fences and services on several sides mean the tree comes down in controlled sections with rigging, or by crane where the reach is not there. We own our crane rather than hiring one in, so a technical removal does not wait on someone else’s schedule, and the crew quoting the job is the crew doing it.
Yes — licensed, fully insured, and a member of the Tree Care Industry Association. R & R has worked North Georgia since 1987 as a family business, owns its equipment and never subcontracts. Estimates are free and emergency cover runs 24/7 on (678) 482-9994.
It can. Dunwoody sets a minimum density for residential sites scaled to the lot square footage, so the calculation is not how many trees you took out but what remains against that figure. Owners who clear several stems at once are the ones who end up planting. Worth modelling before the work rather than discovering it afterwards — and worth choosing which trees go with that number in mind.
In unincorporated DeKalb, trees must be removed within sixty days of submitting the Notification of Tree Removal and getting the County Arborist’s approval, and the review itself is capped at five working days from receipt. Inside Dunwoody the city runs its own permit process, so confirm the validity period when the permit is issued rather than assuming it matches the county.
Sources: City of Dunwoody — Tree Regulations (Ch. 16, Div. 6, Tree Preservation) · DeKalb County — Homeowner Guide for Tree Removal (2025)
When you need trusted tree service in Dunwoody, GA, turn to the professionals at R & R Tree Service. We deliver quality work, excellent customer service, and affordable rates every time.
Licensed · Insured · Serving Dunwoody Since 1987
