How much does tree removal cost in South Carolina?
Lawn Love’s 2026 cost guide puts tree removal at $385 to $1,070, with a national average near $850. ProMatcher’s South Carolina cost report lists about $417 for a standing tree under 30 feet. Height and access move the number more than anything else. Your yard sets the real price, so plan on an on-site look.
What does tree removal cost by tree size?
Tree size drives most of the bill. Lawn Love’s 2026 guide prices a tree up to 30 feet at $285 to $435. A 60 to 80 foot tree runs $870 to $1,160, and anything over 80 feet climbs past that. Taller trees mean more cuts and more weight to move.
| What you are having done | Published cost range |
|---|---|
| Small tree, up to 30 feet | $285–$435 |
| Medium tree, 30–60 feet | $435–$870 |
| Large tree, 60–80 feet | $870–$1,160 |
| Very large tree, over 80 feet | $1,160–$2,000 |
| Stump removal added to the job | $180–$525 |
| Hauling the debris off | $100–$200 |
| Emergency or same-day removal | $450–$3,000 |
Every range in that table comes from Lawn Love’s 2026 tree removal cost guide. ProMatcher’s South Carolina report is the closest thing to a state number. It lists $417.40 for a standing tree under 30 feet, inside a range of $373.20 to $461.59. Those are averages, not a quote for your tree, and how a tree comes down here changes the math.
Other guides spread wider. Fixr reports a national average of $435 for a medium tree of 19 to 24 feet. LawnStarter puts the typical job at roughly $10 to $14 per foot, and Thumbtack puts the national average at $985.
What makes one tree cost more than another?
Two trees the same height can price very differently. Height and trunk diameter set the base, then access takes over. That means how close a machine can get, and how far the wood travels to a clear drop zone. An open side yard is a smaller job than a spot boxed in by a fence.
Dead and storm-damaged wood costs more to take down. Thumbtack says dead, damaged or diseased trees have to be taken apart limb by limb, which drives up the cost.
Species matters as well. LawnStarter’s averages run about $775 for an oak and $925 for a pine. Time of year plays in too, since demand spikes right after a storm.
The extras are where two estimates drift apart. Lawn Love adds $180 to $525 when the stump comes out with the tree. Haul-off adds $100 to $200 in Lawn Love’s numbers, and Fixr puts it closer to $150 to $300.
We can dig the stump out on the same visit. Our guide to what a stump costs to take out breaks that down.
How does excavator removal compare with a climbing crew?
On an open yard or lot, a machine beats a climb almost every time. That is how our tree removal work runs. A mini excavator can push a smaller tree over and pull the root ball out in one motion. Bigger trees get cut down in sections with a saw.
The stump comes out on the same visit and the ground gets pushed back level. That matters when the spot is going to a driveway or a fence line. If the trees are part of clearing a whole lot at once, the same machine handles both.
The method has a limit. A tall tree over a roof or a power line has no drop zone. It has to come down from the top. That job needs a climbing crew, and we say so at the estimate.
Does hurricane season change what tree work costs here?
Yes, and the calendar is predictable. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center runs the Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 to November 30. The peak falls on September 10. Demand for tree work jumps inside that window.
Fixr says an emergency call can run two or three times a standard removal, as much as $450 to $5,000. Lawn Love puts urgent removal at $450 to $3,000. A tree already on the ground is cheaper, at $90 to $300, because the hard part is done. Dead pines and leaning trees are worth removing before the next storm rather than after it.
The Pee Dee takes its share. The National Weather Service logged a downed tree damaging a house in Florence during Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It noted another on Highway 378 near the Great Pee Dee River. The same office recorded wind damage to Florence County trees from Hurricane Florence in September 2018, and called it generally minor.
Who pays when a tree falls across a property line in South Carolina?
It usually turns on whether the tree was already failing. Futeral and Nelson, a Charleston law firm, says an urban or residential owner has to prevent risks from unsound trees. The firm adds that a rural owner most likely gets a free pass. You prove fault by showing the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, and that it caused the damage. Attorney William C. Dillard Jr. frames it as a duty to inspect trees for decay.
A healthy tree that falls in a severe storm is a harder case to pin on the owner. Futeral and Nelson also notes South Carolina has not settled air rights over a property line. Both are attorney commentary rather than a statute, so ask a lawyer about your own situation.
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Florence, SC?
For a house lot inside the city, usually not. The City of Florence Unified Development Ordinance requires an individual tree removal permit for protected trees. That covers multi-family, nonresidential, mixed use, and public or institutional property. It also exempts individual lots of record used for existing single-family or two-family dwellings from its tree standards.
The downtown historic and overlay districts are the exception. There, taking out a hardwood six inches across or bigger, or a conifer eight inches across, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city first. Dead or dying trees can be approved administratively. If the address sits outside the city limits, check with the local planning office first.
How do you get a real number for your yard?
Published ranges get you in the neighborhood. The bill comes down to what we see standing in your yard. Quotes are free, and we give them on site after looking at the trees.
Have a few things ready. Know roughly how tall the tree is and how wide the trunk is. Note what sits around it, like a fence or a power line. Say whether you want the stump gone and the ground left level.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to cut down a tree in South Carolina?
Lawn Love’s 2026 cost guide puts tree removal at $385 to $1,070 nationally, with an average near $850. ProMatcher’s South Carolina report lists about $417 for a standing tree under 30 feet. Height and access move the number most. A free on-site look gets you a real figure.
Do you remove the stump too?
Yes. The stump gets dug out with the excavator, root ball and all, usually on the same visit as the tree. The hole gets filled and the ground pushed back level. Lawn Love prices stump removal as an add-on of $180 to $525, though your yard sets the real number.
Do you trim or prune trees?
No. We take trees down and remove them. Trimming and pruning need a climbing crew with different gear, so that is not work we take on. If a tree is dead, leaning or in the way of a build, removal is the service to ask about.
Can you take down a tree next to my house?
It depends on the drop zone. If there is open ground to lay the tree into, the excavator can handle it. Bigger trees come down in sections with a saw. A tall tree hanging over a roof or a power line is different. That job needs a climbing crew, and we say so at the estimate.
What happens to the wood and the brush?
It leaves the property. Trunks get cut into sections and loaded into the dump trailer with the limbs and brush. Then the ground gets pushed back level so the spot is usable. Lawn Love prices debris haul-off at $100 to $200 when a tree service handles it separately.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Florence?
Usually not on a single-family lot inside the city. The Florence Unified Development Ordinance exempts individual lots of record with an existing single-family or two-family home from its tree standards. Inside the downtown historic and overlay districts, removing a hardwood six inches across or bigger needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. Check with the city planning office for your address.
Give us a call and we can set up a free on-site estimate.