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Inside the city, the question is not really the permit — it is what you owe back afterwards. Snellville runs tree removal through its Planning and Development department on Oak Road, and the application is only half the submission. It has to arrive with a Tree Replacement Plan showing how the total Tree Density Units you are removing will be replaced. On commercial property the trigger is absolute: removing any healthy tree requires the application and replacement plan to be submitted and approved first.
Two figures shape every decision here. Replacement trees must be at least two-inch caliper, and they cannot be planted in utility or drainage easements or on public rights-of-way. And if you cannot replant — only for a genuine, non-financial hardship — the fallback is payment into the city's Tree Bank at $1,000 per density unit. Specimen trees are heavier again: they must be replaced with species capable of comparable size and quality at twice their density units, and the city expects reasonable effort to preserve them in the first place. If your Snellville postal address sits outside the city limits, Gwinnett County's far lighter homeowner rules apply instead.
Rules change. Confirm anything load-bearing with the local office before you cut — we do that check as part of every quote.
Snellville converts diameter into Tree Density Units on a published chart, and the curve is steep. A three-inch stem is worth half a unit; a twenty-four-inch tree is worth over six; a forty-inch tree runs past thirty-four. Taking out one big tree can therefore cost more in replacement obligation than clearing several small ones. Reading that chart before choosing which trees go is the single most useful thing an owner can do here.
Small native flowering trees qualify as specimens at twelve inches DBH, overstory hardwoods at twenty-eight, softwood evergreens at thirty. Remove one and the replacement obligation is twice its density units, using species with the potential to reach comparable size and quality — not whatever is cheapest at the nursery. The city also expects reasonable effort to preserve specimens, and warns that removal without a permit may bring additional penalties on top.
The application makes this explicit: verifying property lines and tree ownership is the property owner's responsibility, and so is obtaining HOA approval. Snellville is heavily subdivided with active homeowners' associations, so there is frequently a second approval running in parallel with the city's. Boundary stems and HOA common ground are where jobs stall, and both are worth resolving before a crew is booked.
The instructions are specific in a way that tells you how the review works. Measure each tree by taking the circumference at four and a half feet and converting it, physically mark every tree on site, then sketch the property showing the trees coming out alongside existing structures, driveways and any proposed improvements — numbered to match the list on the application, with replacement trees drawn in too. A vague sketch is the usual reason a submission comes back.
A Snellville tree removal permit is valid for ninety days from issue. That is generous enough for planning and tight enough that you should not apply months ahead of a job you have not scheduled. It also means a permit obtained for a storm-damaged tree last season does not cover a fresh removal now.
Removal is the last option, not the first. What decides it is structural: decay pockets or a hollow in the lower stem, included bark where two co-dominant leaders squeeze together, fungal brackets emerging from the buttress roots, girdling roots strangling the collar, and any new lean with soil lifting behind it. Crown thinning, small leaves and dieback starting at the top usually mean root damage rather than anything wrong overhead. Plenty of trees that worry owners need a reduction and a deadwooding, not a saw at the base.
The Piedmont mix through Snellville runs to water oak and willow oak for shade, loblolly pine, sweetgum, tulip poplar and a scattering of Bradford pear from the subdivision planting era. Water oak hollows from the middle while the crown still looks full. Pine snaps at height under ice rather than tipping. Sweetgum drops heavy deadwood in summer with no warning. Bradford pear splits at its own union, usually around fifteen years old and almost always across a drive.
Snellville grew as subdivision housing on Piedmont clay, and those neighbourhoods now carry forty-year-old canopy over roofs, fences, pools and boundary lines. Clay holds water and keeps root plates shallow and wide, so after a long wet spell a full-crowned tree can go over root and all in an unremarkable gust. Little of what fails here lands on open ground, which is why so much of the work is sectional rather than straight felling.
R & R Tree Service offers licensed, bonded, and insured tree removal, trimming, stump grinding, mulching, and more throughout Snellville, 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 Snellville 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 Snellville, including these neighborhoods and surrounding areas.
We understand the unique tree care needs in Snellville'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 Snellville homeowners.
Call or message us. We visit your Snellville 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 Snellville 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 Snellville 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 Snellville. Tap any service to learn more.
The completed application plus a Tree Replacement Plan demonstrating how the total density units removed will be replaced, and a property sketch showing the trees coming out, existing structures, driveways, proposed improvements and the replacement trees — with the trees numbered to match the list. Each tree also needs to be measured by DBH and physically marked on site.
Measure the circumference of the trunk at four and a half feet above ground level and convert that to diameter. It matters that this is done properly, because the diameter figure drives the density unit value, and the density unit value drives what you owe in replacement planting.
There is an order of preference. Replant on the same property first; failing that, on a city-approved alternate site; and only as a last resort, pay into the city's Tree Bank at $1,000 per density unit. The city restricts that payment route to cases of genuine hardship that is not financial — it is not an option you can simply elect to buy your way out with.
A minimum of two-inch caliper. They also cannot be planted in utility or drainage easements or on public rights-of-way, which on a typical Snellville lot removes a surprising amount of the available ground. Work out where they can actually go before committing to a replacement plan.
No. The application states plainly that obtaining HOA approval is the property owner’s responsibility, as is verifying property lines and tree ownership. In practice that means two approvals to line up, and the HOA is often the slower of the two. Start it early.
Ninety days from the date of issuance. Plan the work inside that window, and do not assume an old permit covers a new tree — a fresh failure after a storm is a fresh application unless it falls under a different provision.
Then you are under Gwinnett County, which is far lighter: no permit for a live tree on your own occupied residential lot unless it stands in a required zoning buffer, stream buffer, conservation or open space, the Chattahoochee River Corridor or a designated tree save area, or is a street tree — and you must keep at least two live trees on the lot. Check which side of the line you are on before assuming either set of rules.
Routinely. On tight subdivision lots the stem comes down in controlled sections with rigging, or gets lifted out by crane where there is no drop zone between the house, the fence and the neighbour. We own our crane rather than hiring one, so the technical option is always available. Licensed, insured, TCIA member, family-run since 1987, and we never subcontract. Free estimates on site; emergencies 24/7 on (678) 482-9994.
Sources: City of Snellville — Tree Removal Permit Application (rev. 1 Apr 2025) · Gwinnett County — Tree Removal Information for Homeowners (rev. 20 Jun 2025)
When you need trusted tree service in Snellville, GA, turn to the professionals at R & R Tree Service. We deliver quality work, excellent customer service, and affordable rates every time.
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