Tree removal permit rules in Charleston County, SC — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
In unincorporated Charleston County, Grand Trees (24-inch-plus diameter, including live oaks) cannot be removed without a Grand Tree Removal Permit, granted only when the tree is dead, diseased, dying or hazardous, or by the Board of Zoning Appeals for hardship.
Charleston County's ZLDR Article 9.2 makes tree removal a genuine county matter. A Grand Tree is any tree 24 inches or greater in diameter (except pine and sweetgum), measured at 4.5 feet. All Grand Trees are prohibited from removal unless a Grand Tree Removal Permit is issued, and a permit is approved based on whether the tree is dead, diseased, dying, or a hazard. Otherwise removal must be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals in a hardship case. On non-single-family-residential land, all trees 8 inches or greater are protected. Clearing any land also requires a Zoning Permit before work begins.
Removing a Grand or Protected tree without a permit violates the ZLDR and triggers Zoning and Planning enforcement, mitigation/replanting requirements, and monetary penalties.
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See how Charleston County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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