Tree rules and limb pickup in Rome and Floyd County

Three layers of rules touch tree work here: the Rome-Floyd County land development code and its offices, the services that haul or burn the debris, and a few Georgia laws that apply everywhere. Cave Spring is a separate city, so ask its city hall about anything local there.

One code for city and county

The City of Rome and Floyd County adopted a Unified Land Development Code together in August 2001; a 2021 edition is posted on the city's planning page. It regulates land use, buildings and site improvements. We couldn't read the code's tree sections in a citable form, so for a single tree on a home lot, ask before cutting:

• Rome-Floyd County Building Inspection: 706-236-4480. Handles land disturbance permits, erosion control and floodplain management.
• Planning & Zoning: through the City of Rome. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews Certificates of Appropriateness in Rome's historic districts; ask whether removing a tree on your property needs one.

Street and park trees

Rome's Tree Board is responsible for planning and caring for trees and shrubs in parks and along streets, and meets on the third Tuesday of every other month at the Rome-Floyd ECO Center. In April 2026 the city's Street Department removed a dead tree beside the Civic Center parking lot on Jackson Hill, and the Solid Waste Division hauled off the debris. The Tree Board phone listed on the city site is (706) 236-4456.

Clearing, rivers and creeks

• Land disturbance permit: development plans include a buffer, landscaping and tree conservation plan. Plan review $50; permit $175 plus $25 per disturbed acre.
• River Overlay District: property within 200 feet of the Etowah, Oostanaula or Coosa River banks needs the River Overlay District Committee's approval.
• State waters: Georgia law sets a 25-foot buffer along the banks of state waters where land-disturbing activity isn't allowed, with limited exceptions.

Limb and brush pickup

For city questions call the solid waste office at 706-236-4580. Floyd County's remote sites, including ones near Cave Spring and in Shannon, are set up for household garbage and recyclables. Walker Mountain Landfill takes leaves, limbs and land clearing debris as inert waste, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

State rules that travel with the job

• Georgia 811: a locate ticket at least 3 business days before digging or grinding.
• High-Voltage Safety Act: 10 feet of clearance from lines over 750 volts, and at least 72 hours' notice (weekends and holidays excluded) through 811 before working closer. See power lines.
• Burning: hand-piled leaves and limbs need no Georgia Forestry Commission permit if the fire is 25 feet from woods and 50 feet from buildings, burned between sunrise and sunset and watched until out. Land-clearing and storm debris need a permit or notification, 54 northern counties are under a May 1 to September 30 ban, and local ordinances apply.

Licenses

Georgia's contractor licensing definitions (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2) are written around building work, such as residential-basic work on one- and two-family homes, and don't mention trees. We found no separate Georgia license for tree removal, so ask to see a certificate of insurance covering liability and workers' comp before anyone starts. Applying pesticides to someone else's property for a fee takes both a Commercial Applicator License and a Pesticide Contractor License from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. In the city, business licenses go through the City Clerk's Office.