Beaufort County, SC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Beaufort 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
- Governing section
- CDC § 7.2.50
- Decision-maker
- Director, Dept. of Community Development
- Appeal body
- Zoning Board of Appeals
- Permit expiration
- 6 months if unused
- Specimen oak/pine threshold
- 16 inches DBH
- Grand Live Oak threshold
- 24 inches DBH
Summary
Beaufort County requires a Tree Removal Permit before cutting, relocating, or substantially altering a protected tree, under Community Development Code Section 7.2.50. Protected trees include specimen, grand, and mitigation trees defined in the county's tree protection standards, and the permit review runs through the Director of the Department of Community Development.
B.Applicability. Unless exempted in accordance with Subsection 7.2.50.C below, a Tree Removal Permit approved in accordance with this section is required before any land disturbing activities or the removal, relocation, or substantial alteration of a protected tree, as defined in Division 5.11 of this Development Code
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
11 (Tree Protection). G. 100 defines the protected categories: specimen trees (understory species such as Dogwood, Redbud, and Southern Magnolia at 4 inches DBH or larger; overstory species such as Live Oak, Longleaf Pine, and Bald Cypress at 16 inches DBH or larger; and all other species at 24 inches DBH or larger) and grand trees (Live Oak, Black Walnut, or Longleaf Pine at 24 inches DBH or larger, certain pines at 36 inches DBH, and other species at 30 inches DBH or larger). On single-family lots with a dwelling completed less than five years ago, a permit is required to remove specimen, grand, or mitigation trees; on older lots, only grand and mitigation trees require a permit, and all other trees may come down without one. C, and the permit expires automatically if removal has not started within six months. 7 where on-site replanting is not feasible.
Violations & Fines
Cutting down trees before obtaining all necessary county permits blocks issuance of a development permit for that property for two years unless the owner mitigates, per Section 5.11.100.D.6. Mitigation requires replanting at 2.5-inch minimum caliper trees totaling 1.25 to 2 times the DBH removed, or paying the county's reforestation fee when on-site replanting cannot fit the disturbed area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remove any tree on my Beaufort County lot?
Who decides a Tree Removal Permit application in Beaufort County?
What happens if I cut a protected tree before getting a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaufort County
Compare Beaufort County to another location·View the South Carolina landscaping rules overview
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