Tree Removal Permit in Charleston, SC

The short answer

• City of Charleston house lot: no permit for a tree under 24 inches; grand trees (24 in. or more) need one.
• North Charleston: permit before any removal, applied for by the contractor.
• Mount Pleasant: permit for protected trees (16 in. or more on house lots), $50.
• Summerville: permit for any tree over 8 inches, $10.
• Everywhere: confirm your address is inside that town’s limits first.

There is no single Charleston-area rule. South Carolina lets each city, town and county decide how to protect trees, so the answer changes at every jurisdiction line. Most ordinances protect trees by trunk diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground (DBH), and the threshold runs from 6 inches on Sullivan’s Island to 24 inches on Seabrook Island.

A healthy tree under 24 inches on a single-family lot in the City of Charleston does not need a permit, according to the city’s own page. The same tree can need one in North Charleston, Mount Pleasant or Summerville. Dead and hazardous trees are usually easier to get approved, but most places still want paperwork.

To estimate DBH, wrap a tape around the trunk 4.5 feet up and divide the circumference by 3.14.

We are a referral service, not a government office or law firm, so treat this guide as general information and not legal advice. Ordinances change: confirm with the office listed for your address before anyone cuts.

Step 1: find out which jurisdiction your tree is in

Your mailing address can mislead you. A “Mount Pleasant” or “James Island” address may sit outside that town’s limits, and parts of West Ashley, James Island and Johns Island are unincorporated Charleston County. Use the official lookup, not the neighborhood name. Our service areas page shows which towns and counties we cover.

• City of Charleston “What Jurisdiction Am I?” lookup
• Unincorporated Charleston County: call County Zoning and Planning (planning@charlestoncounty.org) with your parcel number or address.
• Summerville property lookup tool
• Mount Pleasant’s tree rules apply only inside the town limits. Ask the Town if your address is borderline.

Checklist: before you remove a tree

1. Confirm the parcel’s jurisdiction with the official lookup, not the mailing address.
2. Measure the trunk at 4.5 feet (DBH) and note the species.
3. Check that town’s row in the table above, then read its section for exemptions and fees.
4. Check HOA, architectural review or property owners’ association rules, which are separate.
5. If the tree is dead or hazardous, get a written ISA Certified Arborist report and dated photos first.
6. Ask who files the permit (in North Charleston, the contractor) and who pays the fee.
7. Check power lines, and call 811 before any digging or stump grinding.
8. Get the approval in writing before the crew starts.

Permit rules at a glance

Sizes are trunk diameter (DBH). “Single-family lot” describes what the ordinance or the town’s own page says for a house on its own lot. Cost of the work by town: tree removal cost guide.

Rules differ at every line on this map, and a mailing address does not tell you which one applies. Confirm the exact parcel with the town before work starts (Step 1 above).

City of Charleston

Do you need a permit to remove a tree in the City of Charleston? Often not on a house lot. The City protects any tree 8 inches or more in diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground (DBH), except multi-stem crepe myrtles, and calls a tree of 24 inches or more (pine and sweetgum excluded) a grand tree. But the City says trees under 24 inches on lots zoned single-family or two-family residential, or used only for one or two dwellings, do not need a removal permit. Grand trees do. So an 8-inch tree on a house lot is protected but needs no permit, which is why some sites say 8 inches and others 24. Commercial lots, lots with three or more dwellings and residential lots of one acre or more must keep 15 protected trees per acre, and need no permit only if they can. Trees in the critical line buffer cannot be removed.

• What counts: a grand tree is 24 inches or more (pines and sweetgums excluded); a protected tree is 8 inches or more. Source: Zoning Ordinance Secs. 54-327 and 54-120.
• Your house lot: the city says trees under 24 inches on lots zoned single-family or two-family residential (or used only for one or two dwellings) do not need a permit. Grand trees do. Commercial lots, 3+ units and lots of one acre or more follow tree-density rules, so call first.
• Dead or hazardous: a tree that is hazardous, diseased or irreparably damaged is approved for removal, with documentation from a qualified arborist (Sec. 54-329(c)).
• How to apply: online form, with each tree marked with tape. The city page says results come within 17 business days. We did not find the fee.
• Risk: the city warns that removing a grand tree without a permit leads to a municipal summons with a fine and/or up to 30 days in jail.
• Contact: Citizen Services, 843-724-7311, citizenservices@charleston-sc.gov. City tree removal page.

Unincorporated Charleston County

• What counts: grand trees are 24 inches or more (not pine or sweet gum); protected trees are 8 inches or more before development.
• Your house lot: single-family detached lots of record are exempt, except for the grand tree rules. Duplexes, commercial and multifamily lots do not get the same exemption in the text.
• Watch out: removing three or more branches 6 inches or larger needs a zoning permit, and “removal” includes cutting more than 25% of the foliage. That matters for tree trimming jobs too.
• Dead or dangerous: the Zoning and Planning Director can approve a diseased, dead or dying tree, or an imminent safety hazard, with documentation from a qualified tree care professional. In a storm or flood emergency the Director can waive the process; photos and a report come afterward.
• Penalty: up to $500 per violation and/or 30 days, plus the Tree Fund fee ($250 per inch).
• Contact: planning@charlestoncounty.org (general Zoning and Planning). We did not find a fee or timeline. County zoning ordinance (Sec. 9.2).

Mount Pleasant

• What counts: protected trees are 8 inches or more, but on single-family and townhouse lots the table sets the protected size at 16 inches or more. Live oaks of 24 inches or more are always historic.
• Exempt species: sweet gum, Callery pear, river birch, mimosa, chinaberry, Chinese tallow, camphor, white poplar, mulberry and Leyland cypress. Pines are exempt too, except pines over 24 inches, which the Town treats as historic. Trees in buffers or easements can be protected at any size.
• Dead or hazardous: the Zoning Administrator can authorize removal of a severely damaged or hazardous tree, and may ask for an ISA certified arborist, TRAQ assessor or engineer.
• After a storm: Town Council can waive the rules; fallen or badly damaged trees may be cut until the Council decides otherwise.
• How to apply: online through OPAL, $50 non-refundable fee, then a Town inspection. Staff do not give tree consultations.
• Penalty: up to $500 and/or 30 days, and/or a civil penalty up to $1,000, per tree and per day.
• More: costs, the 2025 changes and storm rules, on our tree service in Mount Pleasant page.
• Contact: trees@tompsc.com, (843) 884-1229. Town tree page.

North Charleston

• What counts: healthy trees of 10 inches or more. Grand trees are 24 inches or more (pine, sweetgum and invasives excluded).
• Permit first: the code says removal is prohibited before a permit, on all sites.
• Who applies: the contractor you hire. The owner applies only when removing the tree themselves.
• How to apply: the city’s customer portal, with the contract or proposal attached (and HOA or ARB approval if you have one). The fee starts at $30 for a contract of $1,000 or less and rises with the contract value. The permit lasts 6 months.
• Exempt: a dead, dying or diseased tree certified by an arborist or landscape architect, with the Zoning Administrator’s agreement; damage to structures or walks; and ordinary trimming that is not abuse.
• Penalty: up to $500 and/or 30 days, each day separate.
• More: costs, the fee table, storm rules and who applies, on our tree service in North Charleston page.
• Contact: Zoning, 843-740-2581 or 2582. City tree removal permit page.

Summerville

• What counts: any tree over 8 inches, any species except invasives. Protected trees (8 to 15 inches) go to staff; grand trees (16 inches or more) go to the Tree Protection Board.
• When it is approved: the tree is dead, the risk cannot be reasonably reduced in the opinion of a certified arborist, or the tree is within 8 feet of a primary structure.
• How to apply: the owner applies online through Citizenserve; the fee is $10. The company doing the work needs a Town business license and signs an affidavit. A permit lasts 6 months.
• Penalty: up to $500 and/or 30 days, each day separate.
• More: costs, storm rules and who applies, on our tree service in Summerville page.
• Contact: jcarpenter@summervillesc.gov, 843-871-6000. Town tree permit page.

Other towns and the Lowcountry islands

• Goose Creek: a Land Disturbance Permit is needed for grand (24 in.) or protected (8 in.) trees, sweet gum and invasives excluded. Routine pruning, and dead or storm-damaged trees with documentation, are exempt. How the existing-home exemption fits is unclear, so call Planning and Zoning at (843) 797-6220 ext. 1114.
• Hanahan: protected trees are 8 inches or more. Single-family lots skip replanting, but still need a permit for trees in the buildable area or driveway, pines, sweetgum, water oaks, Bradford pear, crepe myrtle, and trees dead or damaged by storm or fire. Topping counts as removal.
• Moncks Corner: protected trees are 10 inches or more of any species, and flowering trees (dogwood, redbud, magnolia) from 2 inches. After a storm the town administrator can suspend the rules for up to 30 days for fallen or badly damaged trees. Contractors who cut without a permit can lose their removal license.
• Town of James Island: grand trees are 18 inches or more (not pine or sweet gum). Single-family detached lots are exempt from the rest. Removing three or more branches of 6 inches or larger needs a permit. Call (843) 795-4141.
• Folly Beach: a tree alteration permit comes before removal or before pruning limbs over 6 inches. Protected: live oak 6 in. or more; magnolia, willow oak, laurel oak, red maple, red cedar, sabal palmetto, holly and dogwood 12 in. or more. Fine: $500 per tree. permits@follybeach.gov, 843-588-2447.
• Isle of Palms: a “tree” is 8 inches or more, palms included, pines excluded. Permit from the Zoning Administrator first. Pruning to ANSI A300 standards does not need a permit. Building Department, 843-886-9912.
• Sullivan’s Island: protected from 6 inches, with a higher tier at 16 inches or 40 feet tall, and palmettos have their own rules. The fee is $25. A tree that is an imminent threat can be removed without prior approval; report it within 5 days.
• Kiawah Island: whether a single-family development is covered depends on architectural review board oversight, but removing a specimen tree (24 in. or a live oak of 16 in.) is never exempt. Dead or hazardous trees need prior notice with photos and arborist documentation. Fine: $1,080 per tree plus replanting. Association and ARB rules are separate.
• Seabrook Island: a permit is required for trees of 24 inches or more ($50 per tree), decided within 10 working days. Residential lots in the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA) area need the association’s approval first. The beach and dune zone needs written permission. Call (843) 768-9121.
• Unincorporated Dorchester and Berkeley counties: Dorchester County has tree protection rules, so confirm the size limits and permit with Planning and Zoning. We did not find a general permit requirement for a single residential tree in unincorporated Berkeley County; confirm with Planning and Zoning before you cut.

Dead, dying or dangerous trees

Almost every ordinance above has a faster route for a tree that is dead, diseased or a hazard. The usual proof is a written report from an ISA Certified Arborist plus dated photos. Get the report and the approval before the saw starts. Not sure whether the tree needs to come out at all? See our trimming vs. removal guide. For keeping live oaks and palmettos healthy, see our tree care guide. Cutting first and documenting later is how a hazard tree becomes a violation.

After a storm the rules differ. Moncks Corner, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach and the Town of James Island have emergency provisions in their ordinances, and Mount Pleasant’s Council can waive the rules. Photograph everything first. For a tree that is already on the house, see emergency tree removal; to get ready before the season, use our hurricane tree checklist.

Replanting fees and penalties

Where a permit is granted, many towns want the tree replaced or a fee paid in lieu. Examples from the ordinances: $200 per inch in Summerville, $217.50 per inch in North Charleston, $250 per inch in unincorporated Charleston County. Removing without a permit raises the bill: Mount Pleasant asks for twice the inches removed, and Charleston County asks for at least three times the diameter of a grand tree.

Fines are usually a misdemeanor of up to $500 and/or 30 days, with every tree and every day counted separately (Charleston County, North Charleston, Summerville, Moncks Corner, Isle of Palms, Seabrook Island). Mount Pleasant adds a civil penalty up to $1,000, and Kiawah charges $1,080 per tree.

Before you cut: power lines, 811 and who you hire

• Power lines: Santee Cooper says never to trim around a power line yourself, even on your own property. Federal safety rules (OSHA) keep untrained workers at least 10 feet away. Call your utility before work near a line.
• 811: digging needs a free call to SC811 at least 3 full working days ahead, and planting a tree counts as digging. We recommend the same call before stump grinding, since the law covers digging that moves soil. Your crew usually makes the call; check that it was made. See stump grinding.
• Insurance: South Carolina requires workers’ compensation from employers with four or more regular employees (S.C. Code § 42-1-150), and an owner who hires a subcontractor can be responsible for that subcontractor’s employees (§ 42-1-400). Ask for current certificates of liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Credentials: ISA certification and TCIA accreditation are voluntary but checkable. A company working inside the City of Charleston also needs a city business license.

Not sure what your tree needs? See our checklist for hiring a tree service, then request a free quote and tell the crew the address; local companies handle these permits every week. For prices by town, see our tree removal cost guide; for how crews work, see tree removal in Charleston. We connect you with independent, insured pros (how it works) and do not issue permits.

A tree on the property line, or a neighbor’s tree

This is general information, not legal advice. A Charleston law firm reports no South Carolina statute that lets you cut a neighbor’s overhanging branches, and no published appellate decision on the question. S.C. Code § 16-11-520 makes it a crime to willfully and maliciously injure someone else’s tree. Bills that would allow trimming branches that cross onto your land (H.3624 and S.39) had not passed when we checked. Talk to your neighbor first, and to a lawyer before cutting. A boundary tree is also a permit problem: Mount Pleasant requires written consent from every owner.

How we checked this guide

Each rule comes from the town or county’s own ordinance or permit page, linked in the table and below. We re-read the City of Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and North Charleston pages on October 15, 2026 and found the thresholds and fees above unchanged. The other towns were last read on October 13 and 14, 2026. Where a source was silent or unclear, the guide says so instead of guessing. Some town sites show only the code online and may lag behind the newest ordinance.

This site is a referral service that connects homeowners with independent tree care companies. We are not a government office, a law firm or a licensed tree removal contractor, and we do not issue or file permits. Found something out of date? Email the address at the bottom of this page. To cite or link the table, use this page’s permit table.

Official sources

Every rule above comes from the documents below, read on October 13 and 14, 2026 (four town pages re-read October 15). Some town sites only show the code online and may lag behind the newest ordinance, so always confirm with the town.

• City of Charleston: Tree removal page
• City of Charleston: Zoning Ordinance, Art. 3 Part 6
• Charleston County: Zoning and Land Development Regulations, Sec. 9.2
• Mount Pleasant: Town tree page
• Mount Pleasant: Code, Ch. 156 Subchapter E
• North Charleston: Tree removal permit page
• North Charleston: Code, Appendix A Sec. 6-16
• Summerville: Tree permit page
• Summerville: Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 8.3
• Goose Creek: Code of ordinances (Ch. 151, Sec. 5.1)
• Hanahan: Zoning Ordinance, Ch. 7 Tree Protection
• Moncks Corner: Code, Ch. 16 Art. III
• Town of James Island: Town page
• Folly Beach: Code, Sec. 166.01
• Isle of Palms: Zoning page
• Sullivan’s Island: Code, Art. XVII
• Kiawah Island: Zoning, Sec. 12-129
• Seabrook Island: Zoning permits page
• South Carolina: S.C. Code Title 6, Ch. 29 (local tree rules)

Frequently asked questions