12 servicesTree removal
Whole trees taken down in controlled sections, from a single dead pine to a water oak leaning over the house.
Atlanta tree service, answered 24/7
Atlanta tree removal and trimming for the city in a forest
Almost half of Atlanta sits under tree canopy, and most of those trees stand on house lots. We take them down, trim them back and keep them healthy from offices in Atlanta and Duluth, with a crew line that is answered every hour of the day.
- Answered 24/7
- Atlanta and Duluth offices
- Permit paperwork handled
- Cleanup on every job
City of Atlanta tree rulesMost private trees 6 inches across and up need a city permit before removal, pines from 12 inches. We measure, photograph and prepare the paperwork first. Read the permit guide
- STIHL
- Husqvarna
- Vermeer
- Bandit
- Morbark
- Rayco
- Altec
- Petzl
- Echo
- Kubota
- Bobcat
- Toro
- Teufelberger
- Sherrill
Tree service, the short version
Tree work sized for Atlanta lots, not open fields
Atlanta's canopy covered 45.7 percent of the city in 2023, according to a Georgia Tech study commissioned by City Council, and about 72 percent of the remaining trees grow on land zoned for single-family homes. That is why so little tree work here is a simple felling job. The water oak over a Morningside slate roof, the row of loblolly pines behind a Duluth subdivision, the split pear hanging over a Smyrna driveway: each one has something underneath it that cannot get hit.
So we work from the top down. Our climbers tie in, rig the heavy wood on lowering lines, and bring every piece down where the ground crew wants it, with plywood mats under the stacks and the yard raked before we leave. When a tree is too big or too rotten to climb, a crane lifts it out. Model City Tree Service keeps two offices, one off Chestnut Drive in the 30340 ZIP and one in Duluth, so the north and east metro are close to a crew most days.
We keep saws, chippers, stump grinders and climbing gear in working order, the kind of equipment made by STIHL, Husqvarna, Vermeer, Bandit, Rayco and Petzl. The gear matters less than how it is used, but well-kept gear is part of working safely over somebody's house.
Quick answer
A tree service removes, trims and cares for trees on your property. In Atlanta that usually means lowering big oaks and pines in sections over roofs, clearing limbs off houses and service drops, grinding stumps, and handling the city permit when a tree is 6 inches or more across. Model City crews work across the city and the north and east metro, and the phone is answered 24/7.
What we do
Forty tree services in four groups
Every service has its own page with how we do it, typical Atlanta prices and the local rules. See all tree services or jump to a group.
11 servicesTrimming and pruning
Cuts that keep limbs off the roof, open the crown to wind and light, and keep young trees growing into a sound shape.
7 servicesStumps, roots and cleanup
Grinding, root work, brush hauling and clearing the vines, bamboo and underbrush that take over Atlanta yards.
10 servicesTree health and care
Risk checks, treatments, cabling, planting and protection for the trees you want to keep for another fifty years.
Fall zone check
Could that tree reach the house if it fell?
Slide in the height of the tree and its distance from the house, garage or fence. It is a rough first check, not an inspection, but it shows why most Atlanta removals are done in sections.
What could it hit?
Within reach of the houseAn 80 ft tree standing 60 ft away can land on the house if it fails toward it.
Height is easy to underestimate. A tree that clears a two-story roof by its own height again is often 60 to 70 feet tall. Book an on-site look for a real answer.
Atlanta trees
What goes wrong with the trees we see most
Eight trees make up a big share of our calls inside the Perimeter and across the north and east metro. Pick one to see the usual trouble and the work that fixes it.
Water oak
Fast-growing, short-lived and everywhere in mid-century neighborhoods
Water oaks were planted by the thousand when Atlanta's ranch-house subdivisions went in, and many are reaching the end of their run. Heart rot hollows the trunk from the inside while the crown still looks green, and dead upper limbs start dropping in summer storms.
Signs to watch
- Dead limbs in the top third
- Mushrooms or conks at the base
- Hollow sound low on the trunk
Loblolly pine
Tall, single-stemmed and exposed to every gust
North metro subdivisions kept the pines that were already on the land, so many homes have 80 foot loblollies within reach of the roof. Saturated red clay lets them uproot in long rains, and drought invites pine bark beetles that can kill a tree in a single season.
Signs to watch
- Pitch tubes and fine sawdust on the bark
- Needles fading to rust
- Soil heaving on one side
Tulip poplar
A straight giant with brittle limbs
Tulip poplars grow tall and straight fast, which is why so many tower over Atlanta backyards. The wood is light and brittle, so limbs snap in thunderstorms, and in a dry August the tree drops yellow leaves early, which worries people more than it should.
Signs to watch
- Broken limbs hanging in the crown
- Cracks at forks
- Early leaf drop in drought
Sweetgum
Gumballs, surface roots and sprouting stumps
Sweetgums are sturdy, but their roots run along the surface and lift walks, and the spiky gumballs cover driveways each fall. Cut one down without grinding the stump and it often sends up a ring of sprouts.
Signs to watch
- Roots lifting pavers or sidewalks
- Gumballs in gutters
- Sprouts around an old stump
Callery pear
Pretty in March, split by June
Bradford and other Callery pears grow tight V-shaped forks with bark trapped inside, so the tree splits down the middle in wind or ice, usually at about twenty years old. They also seed into woods and fence lines across the metro.
Signs to watch
- Narrow V forks with a seam
- A crack opening below a fork
- Half the crown leaning away
Crape myrtle
The summer bloomer that gets topped too often
Crape myrtles line Atlanta streets and blooms come on new growth, which leads people to chop them back to knuckles every winter. Topping weakens the tree and the sprouts that follow, and crape myrtle bark scale now shows up as black, sooty bark.
Signs to watch
- Knobby knuckles at the same height
- Black sooty bark
- Whippy sprouts that flop when blooming
Red maple
Quick shade with thin bark
Red maples were the go-to builder tree for decades. Their thin bark bruises from mowers and string trimmers, roots girdle around the trunk in tight planting holes, and older maples develop decay behind old wounds.
Signs to watch
- A trunk that goes straight into the ground with no flare
- Wounds from mowers
- Dead branches on one side
Dogwood
Georgia's spring signature, sensitive to stress
Dogwoods prefer the dappled shade under taller oaks. Too much sun, drought and anthracnose leave them with spotted leaves and dying twigs, and they bruise easily during nearby construction.
Signs to watch
- Tan blotches on leaves
- Twig dieback from the bottom up
- Bark cracks on the sunny side
When to call
Six things that are worth a look this week
None of these means a tree has to come down. Each one means it is time for someone to look closely. A risk assessment is the usual first step.
A limb resting on the roof
Even a light limb grinds shingles every time the wind moves it, and heavier ones load rafters during storms.
Mushrooms at the trunk base
Fungus growing from the root flare usually means decay in the roots or lower trunk, where you cannot see it.
A new crack or a changed lean
Cracks below forks and leans that got worse after rain are the two failures that come with little warning.
Dead wood over parking and paths
Bare, barkless branches over a driveway or sidewalk will come down eventually, usually in the next summer storm.
Branches on the service drop
Limbs rubbing the wire to your house can pull it loose in wind. That work starts with a call to the utility, then us.
Construction planned near a tree
Trenching, grading and new driveways cut roots. Planning protection before the excavator arrives saves trees that would otherwise decline.
From the top down
How a removal day runs, crown to stump
The same order on nearly every removal, whether it is a dead pine in Snellville or a water oak over a Grant Park Victorian.
- 1
A look before the price
We walk the tree and everything under it, check for decay and measure the trunk for permit rules.
- 2
Paperwork and lines
Permits are prepared where the city or county requires them, and any utility work is coordinated before we climb.
- 3
Ground protection
Mats go down over lawns and soft clay, and furniture, grills and planters are moved clear.
- 4
Limbs lowered on ropes
The climber works from the top, lowering each limb on a controlled line to the ground crew.
- 5
Trunk in rounds or by crane
The trunk comes down in short sections, or a crane lifts it out when climbing is unsafe.
- 6
Chip, haul, rake
Brush is chipped, wood is hauled or stacked, and the stump is ground if you asked for it.
Rules by address
The tree rules change at the city line
Whether a removal needs a permit depends on where the house sits, not on the size of the job. These are the three we run into most.
City of Atlanta
Permit needed for most private trees 6 inches across or larger, pines from 12. Dead, dying and hazardous trees go through the Arborist Division with no application fee.
Unincorporated DeKalb
Up to five healthy, non-specimen trees per single-family lot each year with no notice. More than five, or a specimen tree, goes to the County Arborist first.
Unincorporated Gwinnett
Usually no permit for homeowners on a developed lot, unless the tree sits in a buffer, a tree save area or the Chattahoochee River Corridor.
Check your address with the permit checker · How each permit works · Our permit help service
Coverage
Where our crews work across the metro
Twenty-four intown Atlanta neighborhoods, twenty-six cities and six counties, worked from our Atlanta office near Chamblee and Doraville and our office in Duluth.
Atlanta neighborhoods
Cities
How we work
What you can expect from the first call to the last rake
A person on the line at 2 a.m.
Storms do not keep business hours. The crew line is answered around the clock, and the person who answers can tell you what to do before the truck arrives.
Rigging that protects the roof
Heavy wood comes down on lowering lines and rigging blocks, so nothing free-falls near gutters, fences or the neighbor's carport.
Paperwork before the saw
We check the address against city and county tree rules first, then measure, photograph and prepare whatever the permit asks for.
A yard that looks raked, not wrecked
Mats under the wood, chips blown off the drive, sawdust swept from the walk. You should be able to tell a tree came down only by the light.
Prices
Typical prices for common tree work in Atlanta
Real ranges for the jobs we do most. Access, size and what sits under the tree decide where your job lands, and the price guide lists every service.
| Service | Typical range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Removal | $285 to $2,475 | per tree |
| Tree Trimming | $185 to $1,940 | per tree |
| Stump Grinding | $65 to $485 | per stump |
| Crane Tree Removal | $2,650 to $8,400 | per tree |
| Emergency Tree Removal | $1,150 to $5,900 | per tree |
| Tree Risk Assessment | $165 to $385 | per visit |
Typical Atlanta ranges in 2026, not quotes. See every service in the price guide.
Questions
Questions Atlanta homeowners ask first
Does Model City answer the phone at night for tree emergencies in Atlanta?
Yes. The crew line is answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. If a tree is on the house or across the driveway, the person who answers will walk you through staying safe and get a crew moving as soon as conditions allow.
Which parts of metro Atlanta does Model City Tree Service cover?
We work inside the city, from Buckhead and Morningside to Grant Park and Cascade Heights, and across the north and east metro, including Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Decatur, Duluth, Lawrenceville, Marietta and the counties around them. Check your ZIP with the tool above or call.
Can Model City handle the City of Atlanta tree permit for me?
We measure the trunk, take the photos and prepare the application for trees inside city limits, then walk you through submitting it or file it with your authorization. Approval is the city's decision, so we never promise it, but we make sure the paperwork is complete.
How does Model City price a tree job in Atlanta?
We price after seeing the tree. Access, height, lean, wood condition, what sits underneath and whether a crane is needed matter more than height alone. The quote covers the cutting, cleanup and hauling, and stump grinding is listed separately.
Is a tree service the right call for limbs touching my service line?
For the wire running from the pole to your house, yes, after the utility is in the loop. We never cut around a live line. Trees touching the main lines on the poles are Georgia Power's to clear, so report those to them first.
What happens to the wood after Model City takes a tree down?
Brush goes through the chipper on site. Logs are hauled away unless you would like them cut to firewood length and stacked, and many customers keep a load of chips for their beds and paths.
From the Tree Blog
Straight answers for Atlanta homeowners
Written by our Tree Blog editor from what our crews see on Atlanta jobs. Read the Tree Blog.
June 3, 2026 · 7 min read
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Atlanta?
The answer depends less on the tree than on the address. A water oak in Kirkwood, one in Brookhaven and one in unincorporated Gwinnett can fall under three very...
June 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Why so many Atlanta water oaks are failing now
Drive through almost any neighborhood built in the 1950s and 1960s and you'll see them: tall water oaks shading brick ranches, many of them planted or spared when...
July 14, 2026 · 6 min read
A tree fell on the house: what to do in the first hour
When a tree comes through the roof, the noise and the shock make it hard to think straight. This checklist puts the steps in the order that keeps people safe first...
Reach us
Call the crew line any hour
One number for both offices, answered every hour of the year.
- Phone
- (470) 745-9324
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, holidays included
- Atlanta office
- 3162 Chestnut Dr #102, Atlanta, GA 30340
- Duluth office
- 4212 Pleasant Lake Village Ln A, Duluth, GA 30096
- Coverage
- Atlanta, the north and east metro, six counties
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