Tree Service in Lancaster, SC
Need a tree taken down, cut back or cleared after a storm in Lancaster, SC? Tell us about the tree and where it is on your property. Your request goes to one independent local contractor, who comes out, looks at it and puts a price in writing.
- Each request goes to one contractor
- Lancaster, Heath Springs, Kershaw, Van Wyck and Elgin
Where people were when a falling tree killed them
Geographer Thomas Schmidlin tallied 407 people killed across the country by trees that failed in wind from 1995 through 2007, in a study published in Natural Hazards. Almost half of them were in a car or truck. Thunderstorm deaths fell mostly in May through August, and deaths in snow and ice storms in December through April. The Lancaster County storms listed below show the winter side of that pattern.
Source: Natural Hazards, volume 50 (2009), Schmidlin's study of deaths from wind-related tree failures nationwide, 1995–2007. The vehicle share counts people in a car struck by a tree and people who drove into one lying across the road. See storm and emergency removal.
Storms that have hit Lancaster County
Ice is what breaks the most trees here. During the February 12–13, 2014 ice and snow storm, the South Carolina State Climatology Office logged 8 inches of snow at Lancaster. Ice buildup cut electricity to 346,000 homes across the state, five deaths were blamed directly on the storm, and the Forestry Commission's estimate of timber damage came to $360 million over more than 1.5 million acres.
It came back on Sunday, January 16, 2022. The same office reported an ice storm warning for parts of the state near and between Interstates 20 and 85, with up to half an inch of ice in places under that warning. Hurricanes can reach this far inland too: on the night of September 21, 1989, a National Weather Service Columbia statement on Hurricane Hugo, addressed to Lancaster and other South Carolina counties, warned of winds strong enough to drop large limbs and uproot trees across roads.
| Date | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Sept 21, 1989 | Hurricane Hugo: NWS Columbia warned of falling limbs and uprooted trees blocking roads (NWS statement) |
| Feb 12–13, 2014 | Ice and snow: 8 inches of snow at Lancaster; 346,000 homes statewide lost power (SC State Climatology Office) |
| Jan 16, 2022 | Ice storm warning between I-20 and I-85, with up to half an inch of ice in the warned area (SC State Climatology Office) |
How it works
Describe the job
Phone us or fill in the form with your road or town, what sort of tree it is if you know, how close it stands to the house, carport or wires, and what you want done.
Sent to one contractor
A single independent contractor working in Lancaster County receives it. It isn't sent to any other contractor.
They see it and price it
The contractor gets in touch, walks the site, checks where the tree can fall or be lowered, and gives you a price and scope in writing.
You decide
Hire them or don't. The schedule, any permit, payment and what happens to the wood are settled between you and the contractor.
Tree work in Lancaster County
Every guide here is written for a homeowner in Lancaster or the towns and countryside around it. Rules come from the county, city and state offices that write them, and prices come with the name of the source and the date.
Tree removal
Lancaster County's tree standards are written for development, and the current code leaves out single-family homes on lots that were already platted. The guide covers the cases where a rule still applies, how a crew takes a big oak down beside a house or a metal carport, what becomes of the logs and brush, and the national prices per tree.
Tree trimming
Clemson Extension's pruning fact sheets explain where a cut belongs, why wound paint isn't needed, and why a tree topped to shorten it often has to come out within ten years. The guide also covers timing, the service line to your house, and trimming prices by height.
Stump grinding
A grinder cuts below the grass, where water, gas, power and phone lines can run, so the guide starts with the SC811 locate ticket. It then covers grinding versus pulling, what to do with a pile of chips and red clay, and why the hole sinks if the chips stay in it.
Storm and emergency removal
A trunk on the roof or a pine across the drive after a summer storm or an ice storm calls for steps in the right order: people out, wires left to Duke Energy or your electric co-op, photos for the insurer, and then the saw. The guide covers who handles a tree from a state or county road and the state's price gouging law.
Dead or leaning trees
Water oaks whose trunks often rot by age 50, pines fading from green to rust, and trees that started to lean after the last blow are the calls that shouldn't wait. The guide sets out the warning signs, the crown-loss line the North Carolina Forest Service uses after storms, and what a neighbor's dead tree means for your claim.
Pine tree removal
Loblolly pine grows 90 to 110 feet tall, and on clay soil its taproot stays short and stout. The guide explains why tall pines near a house worry owners in wind and ice, how to spot southern pine beetle and engraver beetle attacks, and how a crew takes a pine down in pieces when it can't simply be felled.
Planning guides
Tree rules and burning
Lancaster County spent 2026 rewriting its development ordinance, and its tree-save rules were part of the discussion. The guide explains what the current code says for existing homes, trees along SCDOT and county roads, the city burn permit, the Forestry Commission notice outside town limits, and leaf and limb pickup.
What tree work costs
Taking down one tree runs $450 to $1,450 nationally in Thumbtack's March 2026 figures, and a trim runs $402 to $1,158 in its October 2026 guide. Big, wide trees cost well beyond that. The page lists each figure with its date and shows what makes a Lancaster County job cost more or less.
Lancaster County trees
Clemson calls water oak more weak-wooded than most oaks, NC State Extension puts pecan and Bradford pear on its list of trees likely to break in wind, snow and ice, and loblolly pine draws southern pine beetle. The page collects what extension and forestry experts say about the trees in local yards.
Hiring a tree service
Whether a tree job goes smoothly is mostly settled before anyone pulls a starter cord: where each piece of trunk lands, who hauls the brush, when the bill is due. The guide covers the questions to ask, what the written agreement should spell out, and the cautions South Carolina's Attorney General issued in January 2026.
What sets the price
Thumbtack's national cost guide, updated March 24, 2026, puts the usual price to cut down one tree at $450 to $1,450, rising to $884 to $1,627 when the stump comes out as well. It sorts trees by trunk width and canopy spread rather than height, and its largest tier, a 24- to 36-inch trunk under a canopy wider than 30 feet, runs $1,562 to $4,117. Nobody collected Lancaster County contractors' prices for this site, so the figure that counts for your tree is the one the contractor writes down.
Leaving a bad tree standing has a cost too. In 2010 the Insurance Information Institute said a standard homeowners policy generally covers a tree that wind drops onto the house, with removal coverage usually around $500 to $1,000, but that a tree landing in the yard without hitting an insured structure generally isn't covered for removal.
| What changes | How it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Trunk and canopy | Thumbtack's tiers (March 2026) start at $226 for a small, narrow tree and reach $4,117 for a large, wide one |
| What's below it | A roof, carport, shed, fence or wires underneath means limbs are lowered on ropes, not dropped |
| Getting there | A tree at the back of a wooded lot, past a septic field or a soft clay yard, can limit what equipment reaches it |
| Wood and brush | Hauled away, chipped on site, or cut to firewood length and left; each is priced differently |
| Stump | Grinding alone runs $267 to $494 by stump size in Thumbtack's table (March 2026) |
| Number of trees | Several trees in one visit spread the cost of bringing the crew and machines out |
| Urgency | A pine resting on the roof after a storm is slower, riskier work than a planned removal |
Local rules, in short
In Lancaster County's current development code, the landscaping and tree standards for new construction leave out single-family and two-family homes on lots that were already platted. Its replacement, Ordinance 2026-2059, passed first reading in September 2026 and was due for a final vote this fall; the county's FAQ says its tree preservation section applies to "some developments" and that lawfully established uses can carry on without changes. Before a big removal, call County Planning to confirm what applies to your lot. Burning the brush is a separate set of rules; the rules guide has the details.
County Planning
Tree rules for land outside town limits, and the status of the new development ordinance: (803) 285-6005.
Burning in the city
The City of Lancaster Fire Department issues burn permits valid October 1 through April 30. Call (803) 283-4385. No burning May through September.
Burning outside town
State law requires notifying the SC Forestry Commission before burning leaves and limbs in unincorporated areas. Lancaster County's line: 1-800-705-8610.
Areas served
This site takes requests for homes in Lancaster, South Carolina, and the towns and rural roads of Lancaster County around it. Each town has its own hall, and land outside town limits answers to the county, so the office to call depends on where the tree stands.
City of Lancaster
Homes inside the city limits. The city runs its own burn permits, leaf season and solid waste pickup. City Hall, 216 S. Catawba Street: (803) 283-2489.
Heath Springs, Kershaw and Van Wyck
Each is its own town. Heath Springs Town Hall: (803) 273-2066. Kershaw Town Hall: (803) 475-6065. Town of Van Wyck: (803) 712-4993.
Elgin and rural Lancaster County
Homes outside any town limits, from the Elgin area to the farm roads, fall under Lancaster County's rules. County Planning: (803) 285-6005.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in my yard in Lancaster County?
The county's current landscaping and tree standards are written for development and leave out single-family homes on lots that were already platted. Trees in a subdivision's tree save area, trees in a road right-of-way, and homes inside a town are different cases. Call County Planning at (803) 285-6005 if you're unsure, and see the rules guide.
Can I burn the limbs after the tree comes down?
Inside the City of Lancaster, only with a Fire Department permit, and only from October 1 through April 30. Outside town limits, state law requires notifying the Forestry Commission first, at 1-800-705-8610 for Lancaster County. Neither applies during a burning ban.
A tree fell across the road in front of my house. Who clears it?
It depends on who maintains the road. The county's Public Works department lists tree removal among its jobs on county-maintained roads; for state roads, SCDOT's Lancaster County maintenance office is at (803) 283-3397. See storm and emergency removal.
Will the city haul the brush away?
The city's solid waste FAQ covers bagged leaves and a leaf season that usually runs mid-November to mid-March, but it doesn't spell out limb sizes or whether a tree crew's debris is collected. Ask Solid Waste at (803) 286-8471, and have hauling written into the contractor's price.
Who actually comes out and does the job?
An independent contractor based in the area. This site only forwards your request; it owns no saws and sends no crews. You and the contractor work out the price, the paperwork and the cleanup.
Have a tree that needs to come down or be cut back?
Call or send the short form. Your request goes to one independent local contractor, who looks at the tree and puts their own price in writing.