York County, SC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in York County, SC, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Homeowner replant rule
- None
- Tree-save rate
- 150 sf per inch DBH
- Replant rate
- 0.75:1 per inch
- Fee-in-lieu
- York County Tree Fund
- Applies during
- Development only
Summary
When a grand tree is removed during development in unincorporated York County, Section 154.200 requires mitigation: extra tree-save area at 150 square feet per inch of DBH, replanting at 0.75:1, or a fee-in-lieu to the York County Tree Fund. Homeowners on existing lots face no replant rule.
(a) Preserving additional tree save area above the minimum required in § 154.199(A), at a rate of 150 sf per inch of DBH of the trees removed; (b) Planting new trees at a rate of 0.75:1 per inch of DBH of the trees removed; or (c) In cases where the total amount of additional tree save or planting is impractical or would compromise the health of preserved or planted trees, as determined by the Planning and Development Services Director, the Director may approve a fee-in-lieu of mitigation by payment to the York County Tree Fund.
Full Breakdown
York County does not make an existing homeowner replace a tree, but on a development or subdivision site the Land Development Code ties grand-tree removal to mitigation. A developer may preserve additional tree-save area at 150 square feet per inch of the removed DBH, plant new trees at a rate of 0.75 to 1 per inch of DBH, or, where those are impractical, pay a fee-in-lieu into the York County Tree Fund. No more than half of the removed DBH may be covered by the fee, and the fund pays for tree planting and canopy on public land and rights-of-way. Rock Hill and Fort Mill set their own replacement standards in site-plan review.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide required mitigation for a removed grand tree blocks further non-agricultural development on the site. There is no replacement duty on an existing homeowner, and city conditions are enforced separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must I replace a tree I remove in York County?
How much replanting does removing a grand tree require?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina landscaping rules overview
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