State overview
Tree removal in South Carolina
South Carolina: 4,684 National Weather Service thunderstorm wind reports from 2016 through 2025 mention trees, across 46 counties. Licensing, permits, insurance contacts and every county.
- wind reports mentioning trees
- 4,684
- thunderstorm wind reports
- 5,168
The call is free and commits you to nothing. A provider prices the work after seeing the tree.
Where trees come down most
Counties by storm reports mentioning trees, 2016–2025
| County | Reports |
|---|---|
| Colleton County | 440 |
| Richland County | 272 |
| Lexington County | 236 |
| Beaufort County | 232 |
| Dorchester County | 180 |
| Newberry County | 174 |
| Charleston County | 157 |
| Jasper County | 154 |
| Aiken County | 153 |
| Orangeburg County | 146 |
| Sumter County | 146 |
| Spartanburg County | 126 |
| Berkeley County | 123 |
| Greenville County | 118 |
| Hampton County | 117 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events
Counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high
| Hurricanes | 15 of 46 counties |
|---|---|
| Ice storms | 29 of 46 counties |
| Strong wind | 14 of 46 counties |
| Tornadoes | 7 of 46 counties |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index
Licensing
Our research found no South Carolina license that applies to tree work statewide. Cities and counties can still require contractor or business licenses, so check locally, and before any work begins ask the company for a certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers’ compensation coverage.
Insurance
What a homeowners policy pays for a fallen tree is written in the policy, so the insurer is the first call. Complaints about a claim go to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Who pays when a tree falls
Largest towns and cities
- Charleston
- Columbia
- North Charleston
- Mount Pleasant
- Rock Hill
- Greenville
- Summerville
- Goose Creek
- Sumter
- Florence
- Greer
- Spartanburg
- Hilton Head Island
- Myrtle Beach
- Aiken
- Bluffton
- Anderson
- Fort Mill
- Carolina Forest
- Conway
- Mauldin
- Simpsonville
- North Augusta
- Socastee
- Lexington
- Easley
- Taylors
- Greenwood
- Hanahan
- St. Andrews
- Wade Hampton
- North Myrtle Beach
- Five Forks
- Clemson
- West Columbia
- Berea
- Red Hill
- Ladson
- Seven Oaks
- Dentsville
All counties
- Abbeville County
- Aiken County
- Allendale County
- Anderson County
- Bamberg County
- Barnwell County
- Beaufort County
- Berkeley County
- Calhoun County
- Charleston County
- Cherokee County
- Chester County
- Chesterfield County
- Clarendon County
- Colleton County
- Darlington County
- Dillon County
- Dorchester County
- Edgefield County
- Fairfield County
- Florence County
- Georgetown County
- Greenville County
- Greenwood County
- Hampton County
- Horry County
- Jasper County
- Kershaw County
- Lancaster County
- Laurens County
- Lee County
- Lexington County
- Marion County
- Marlboro County
- McCormick County
- Newberry County
- Oconee County
- Orangeburg County
- Pickens County
- Richland County
- Saluda County
- Spartanburg County
- Sumter County
- Union County
- Williamsburg County
- York County
Questions people ask
- Is this tree an emergency?
- A tree is touching the power lines. What happens next?
- After the storm: what should I check?
- Should this tree come down?
What are the warning signs a tree may fail?- Can pruning solve this instead of removal?
- Can cables or braces keep this tree standing?
- What does an arborist’s assessment tell me?
- Who pays when a tree falls?
- What changes the price of removing a tree?
- What happens on the day a tree is removed?
- What should I know before clearing a lot?
- What if the problem tree is the neighbor’s?
- Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
- How do I choose a tree crew?
- What happens when I call?