Tree Removal in Charleston, SC

Tree removal in Charleston is often a two-part job: the paperwork question, then the cutting. Before quoting we measure the trunk at four and a half feet, because inside the city a tree 24 inches or more across, other than a pine or a sweet gum, is a grand tree and needs a city inspection and permit before it comes down. Smaller trees on single-family and duplex lots need no permit. After that, the job is about access and targets. Most yards here have a roof, a screened porch, a pool or a neighbor's fence under the canopy, so a tree is rarely dropped in one piece; a climber or a lift takes it down in sections, and heavy pieces are lowered on ropes.

Trees that usually should come out

Some cases are clear: a dead pine, an oak with a hollow trunk or shelf fungus at the base, a fresh lean with soil heaved up on one side, a split trunk after a storm. Laurel oaks deserve special attention. University of Florida research notes that they do not compartmentalize decay well, so old wounds and root damage turn into hollows, and older laurel and water oaks blow down more often in hurricanes. Many Charleston neighborhoods were planted with them decades ago, and some of those trees are near the end of their safe life. Clemson Extension also lists pines as only medium-low for hurricane resistance, and pecans as prone to blowing over.

Trees that may not need to come out

A healthy live oak is a different case. Clemson rates live oak among the most wind-resistant trees in the state, and many problems with one (a limb over the roof, roots near a walk, too much shade) can be solved with pruning. When a tree could be kept, we say so, and the quote shows both options if you want to compare.

Grand tree permits

The city approves removal of a protected or grand tree that is hazardous, diseased, irreparably injured, or damaging a habitable building where the damage cannot be fixed without removal. The process starts with a tree inspection request. If there is a question about hazard or disease, the Zoning Administrator may ask for documentation from an ISA Certified Arborist or another qualified person. Trees in an OCRM critical line buffer along the marsh cannot be removed. In unincorporated Charleston County, the county has its own protected and grand tree definitions and a permit application with a $25 residential fee.

Asian longhorned beetle and red maples

If you live in or near the Asian longhorned beetle quarantine in parts of Charleston and Dorchester counties, wood from host trees such as red maple, elm, willow, birch and sycamore cannot simply be hauled out. Firewood and host material half an inch or more across has to be processed under the rules or taken to an approved site inside the quarantine. We confirm your address against the current quarantine map before we cut, and the quote spells out where the wood goes.