Land Disturbance Permits for Tree Work in Dawsonville, GA

1Why tree work becomes land disturbance

Cutting a tree at the stump disturbs little soil. Pulling stumps, pushing brush into piles, grading a pad and cutting a driveway disturb a lot. Georgia's erosion and sedimentation law, adopted locally in Dawson County's code, regulates land-disturbing activity: any activity that may result in soil erosion and the movement of sediment into state waters. That is why the county's permit thresholds talk about acres, subdivisions and distance to state waters rather than trees.

The practical effect is that the same job can need a permit or not depending on how it is done. Leaving stumps in the ground, avoiding grading and staying well back from a creek can keep a small job below the thresholds. Clearing a whole lot for a house will usually not.

2The county thresholds

Dawson County's 2026 requirements sheet sets out the cases. One acre or more always requires a county Land Disturbance Permit plus a Notice of Intent registered with Georgia EPD. Under an acre, work within 200 feet or less of state waters needs a permit but no NOI. In a subdivision first platted after August 1, 2000, both are needed; before that date, neither, as long as the work is away from state waters. Outside a subdivision and away from state waters, neither is required.

The NOI is filed with the state, not the county. Dawson County's Notice of Intent page and the requirements sheet point applicants to Georgia EPD's online system.

3Erosion control plans come first

A Land Disturbance Permit requires soil erosion and sediment control plans that county staff review and approve before a county building permit can be issued. For an owner planning to clear trees and then build, that sets the order of work: plan, permit, erosion controls installed, then clearing and grading, then the building permit. Clearing first and applying later is the kind of construction before permit issuance that the fee schedule penalizes with double permit fees.

Dawson County's civil plan submittal page asks for a tree preservation and replacement plan as part of a civil plan packet, along with a hydrology study and a recorded plat, and recommends a pre-submittal meeting with staff. That applies to civil site plans for development, not to a homeowner removing a tree, but it shows that the county expects trees to be addressed in development plans.

4Published fees

The fee schedule effective August 1, 2026 lists the residential land disturbance application for an individual lot, the per-acre subdivision and commercial fee with its minimum, the erosion control plan review, the per-acre NOI line, an administrative fee and the penalties. Use the estimator on this page to add the lines that apply to your job, and confirm the total with Community Development before you pay.

The county's fee schedules page also links an older schedule. If the figures you are quoted differ from the ones here, ask which schedule is current; the one reproduced below is labeled effective August 1, 2026.

5Before you call the county or city

Have the property address, the parcel number from your tax bill and the owner's name ready, along with a rough sketch of which trees are coming down, where any creek or pond is, and how much ground the work will disturb. Photos help. Ask whether the job needs a Land Disturbance Permit, whether an erosion and sediment control plan is required, and whether any buffer applies. Write down the name of the person you spoke with, the date and what they told you, especially any fee amounts or documents they say you need. Fee schedules and forms change, and a short note of the call can save a second trip. If a contractor is handling the permit, ask for a copy of the application and the permit number once it is issued, and keep the approval with your property records. Ask, too, whether the office prefers its online portal, email or in-person applications, because the county and the city handle this differently.

6A short checklist

Confirm whether the property is inside the City of Dawsonville or in unincorporated Dawson County. Note how much ground the work will disturb and how close it comes to any creek, stream, pond or the lake. Check the subdivision's first plat date if the lot is in one. Look for power lines above the trees and call the utility on your bill if any tree is near them. Call Georgia 811 before any stump grinding or digging. Decide whether wood and brush will be chipped, hauled or burned, and check the burn permit rules if burning. Get written quotes that list the trees, the stumps, the debris and any permits. Ask for proof of insurance. Photograph the site before and after the work, and keep every permit, receipt and approval together.

7After the permit

Keep the permit posted and the erosion controls maintained until the site is stabilized. If an inspection fails, the county lists a re-inspection fee; a stop work order has a release fee. When clearing produces large brush piles, burning them is a land-clearing burn that needs a Georgia Forestry Commission permit; see the burn permit page.

For the bigger picture of clearing a lot, read the lot clearing guide; for creeks and the lake, read the buffer guide.