A walk around the tree
DeKalb County’s guide for homeowners includes the checklist its arborists use to judge a tree’s condition, part by part. In shortened form:
| Part | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Roots | Poor anchorage; a small root area for the size of the crown; damage from digging; roots circling the trunk; compacted or waterlogged soil |
| Trunk | Cavities or soft wood; cracks; swollen or sunken areas; bark trapped between two stems; injury from machines or fire |
| Limbs | Weak attachments; decay; dead limbs; dense sprouting from the trunk |
| Twigs and leaves | Less growth than in past years; dead twigs; small, pale or wilted leaves |
| Everywhere | Signs of insects or disease |
The International Society of Arboriculture’s list of warning signs overlaps: dead branches, cracks, two stems of similar size from one point, decay, mushrooms at the base, a new lean, and roots damaged by construction.
What raises the stakes
A defect matters in proportion to what the tree would hit. The same dead limb over a back fence and over a bedroom is two different problems. Arborists call the things a falling tree could hit its targets; make a list of yours before you call.
Work near a tree raises the stakes too. Trenching for a sewer line, a new driveway or an addition can cut the roots on one side, and the tree may decline over the next few years or blow over in the first strong wind.
Why it matters legally
In Georgia, according to the University of Georgia Extension, an owner is liable for damage from a falling tree only if they knew, or reasonably should have known, that it was diseased, decayed or dangerous. The law does not require owners to inspect their trees on any schedule. But once you have seen the signs above, you know; acting on them protects the people around the tree and you.
Next step
An ISA Certified Arborist can tell a cosmetic problem from a structural one, and DeKalb accepts a certified professional’s risk assessment as the basis for removing a hazardous tree. See Having a tree checked.
Checked against the sources below on 2026-10-11.