Greenville County, SC Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Where Greenville County does have direct regulatory authority is within the county road right-of-way. The Greenville County Public Works Division, headquartered at County Square, maintains all county-jurisdiction roads, ditches, and the adjoining ROW strip. Public Works staff routinely trim and remove trees that compromise sight distance, vehicle clearance, drainage, or road structure in the county ROW; routine ROW tree maintenance is performed at no charge to the abutting property owner, and homeowners can request a Public Works review by calling 864.467.7016. (Trees in the South Carolina Department of Transportation right-of-way — i.e., along state-numbered routes — fall under SCDOT jurisdiction, not the County, and should be reported to SCDOT's Greenville District office at 864.241.1224.)

Any private party — homeowner, contractor, or utility — that wishes to perform work in the county road right-of-way, including tree trimming or removal, must first obtain an Encroachment Permit under Greenville County Code § 18-65. The permit ordinance was last substantively amended by County Ordinance No. 3673 (amending Chapter 18, Article 6 — Permits for Encroachments). Under § 18-65, no encroachment permit is issued until the applicant has deposited a check, money order, or bond of indemnity sufficient to cover restoration of the right-of-way, and the bond is held for one year after the work is completed. Permits are issued to individual property owners only when the encroachment does not affect roadway integrity or public safety; work in, on, under, or over the paved travel surface must be performed by a licensed and bonded contractor, subcontractor, or utility, not by the owner.

The encroachment permit application fee is $35.00, with additional fees that may apply after Public Works reviews the submitted plan. Applications may be filed online through the Greenville County Encroachment Permits portal, downloaded from the Public Works Forms & Instructions page, or obtained in person from the Engineering office at County Square. The permit info line is 864.467.7011. All work performed under an approved permit is inspected during construction and re-inspected approximately nine months after permit issuance to verify it meets County standards. Licensed telephone, electric, and other public utilities are exempt from the bonding requirement if they have a Cooperative Agreement on file under the County's Encroachment Enforcement Program.