Charleston, SC Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

), with two exclusions. , except pine and sweetgum trees, and removing, relocating, destroying, or otherwise abusing one is prohibited on non-exempt land unless the owner secures a variance, special exception, or staff approval under Section 54-329. Subdividers cannot dodge the rule by platting a lot so a grand tree sits at the center where a house would have to remove it. H. Before a building permit or subdivision is approved, an owner cannot remove more than 25 percent of the protected trees on a parcel within any five-year span, and the total count on the parcel cannot drop below 15 protected trees per acre.

Once development is underway or complete, the code layers on a save requirement: parcels must retain at least 15 protected trees per acre, or all of a parcel's existing protected trees if the site has fewer than that to begin with, and saved grand trees count toward the total. , get separate absolute protection. Removal approvals under Section 54-329 generally require replacement, and the Board of Zoning Appeals-Site Design can require mitigation up to three times the removed tree's caliper inches on a single-family lot, or ten times on other properties, for trees removed unlawfully.