Tree rules in Savannah: permits, protected trees and fees
What Chapter 11 of the City of Savannah's code, the Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance of March 16, 2017, says about protected trees by size, the clearing permit, exemptions, tree protection zones and violations.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the City of Savannah's Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance, Chapter 11 of Part 8 of the Code of Ordinances, in the version dated March 16, 2017 that the City publishes, with the City's Tree Ordinance Administration page and its Urban Forestry page, all read on October 9, 2026. The Tree Ordinance Administration page also lists a text amendment about tree lawns, which was not read. The wider list of cities is on the guide to tree permits in the largest US cities.
What the ordinance is for
Section 8-11003 gives three purposes: to protect and maintain the urban forest by managing the impact of development, to preserve the environmental and aesthetic assets of the community by requiring tree planting and landscaping for development, and to protect all trees in the city from removal without a permit unless exempted. The City's administration page adds that the provisions apply to property being developed or redeveloped for commercial, industrial, institutional, multi-family and single family subdivision uses. Section 8-11002 says the chapter applies to all lands within the city, and section 8-11005 says the City Manager or a designee administers it.
Protected trees
Section 8-11005(3) says a property owner may not clear land, or let it be cleared, or remove any tree, without first obtaining a clearing permit under section 8-11006, except as the chapter provides. Clearing is defined as removing trees or other vegetation of 2 inches dbh or greater. Section 8-11005(4) lists the protected trees.
| Protected tree | Section 8-11005(4) |
|---|---|
| Undeveloped property | Any tree greater than 2 inches dbh |
| Developed property | Any tree of 12 inches dbh or more, except on single-family residential lots |
| Retained or planted for quality points or greenspace | Any tree kept for the Tree Quality Point or greenspace requirements, and any tree planted for Tree Quality Points |
| Wetland | Any tree in a wetland |
| Designated | Any tree designated a Specimen Tree or an Exceptional Tree |
A Specimen Tree is a preferred large canopy species over 24 inches dbh, designated on commercial, industrial, institutional or multifamily property if the administrator finds it meets the listed criteria. An Exceptional Tree is a hardwood canopy tree over 36 inches, a softwood over 30 inches or an understory tree over 8 inches dbh on that kind of property, nominated to the Park and Tree Director and confirmed or denied by the City Manager. Once designated it is a public landmark that may not be destroyed or endangered.
Exemptions
Section 8-11005(5) exempts utility easements for power lines and pipelines (except where they cross tree easements, set-asides or natural buffers), the clear areas of airports and heliports, land zoned and used for agriculture while that use lasts, and residential lots with an existing single family or duplex dwelling until they are converted to non-residential or multi-family use. It also exempts any tree an ISA Certified Arborist determines is hazardous or an imminent threat to public safety, with a written tree assessment submitted to the administrator for approval before removal.
Permits and protection zones
Section 8-11006 has the application go to the development services department, with a project description, plans and a boundary survey. If a permit is denied, the reason must be given in writing. The administrator may waive some plans where three or fewer trees are proposed for removal, no grading is to occur and removal is not contrary to the chapter's purpose. Section 8-11007 sets a tree protection zone of one foot of radius per inch dbh, never less than 2.5 feet, surrounded at minimum by 4-foot temporary chain link fencing. The zone must stay open and unpaved, and the section bars root raking and trenching in it throughout clearing, grading and construction.
For rights of way, section 8-11005(2) says no person may trim, prune or remove a tree on public property without the administrator's written approval, and the City's Urban Forestry page says residents can call 311 to request services for trees in City rights of way.
Appeals and violations
Under section 8-11010, a variance request goes in writing to the Park and Tree director, who decides within ten working days, and a person aggrieved by a decision may appeal to the City Manager and request a hearing, which the section says is held within 30 days after receipt or on a date the appellant and the City Manager agree. Section 8-11011 lets the director issue a notice of violation, with seven calendar days to complete remedial action, and a stop-work order, including when clearing proceeds without an approved permit. Section 8-11012 says violators are punished on conviction under the City Code, that tree damage and replacement fees are set in the City's annual Revenue Ordinance, and that each day a violation continues is a separate offense. It also says a person who damages a City tree must pay the loss in value, evaluation and correction costs, stump removal and replacement.