Lexington · Lake Murray · Irmo · West Columbia
Tree Removal in Lexington, SC
A ninety-foot loblolly pine behind the house, a water oak that keeps dropping limbs on the driveway, a Bradford pear that split in the last storm. We connect homeowners in Lexington and across Lexington County with experienced, qualified local tree professionals for removal, stump grinding, storm cleanup and trimming. You describe the tree; a local pro gives you a price for that job.
One call to (803) 784‑3426 puts you in touch with an experienced local pro.
- Free to useYou pay only the pro you hire
- Local, independent prosWorking across Lexington County
- The job you asked forNo pressure to cut more trees
- No obligationSee the estimate first
What a professional tree removal involves
Lexington has grown from a small county seat into one of the busiest towns in the Midlands, and much of that growth was built into wooded land. Plenty of houses went up among pines and oaks that were left standing for shade. Decades later those trees tower over roofs, fences, pools and wires, and taking one down safely is rarely a matter of one cut at the base.
A careful removal usually goes like this:
- A look at the tree and everything around it. Lean, decay, the house, the fence, the septic tank and drain field, the overhead wires and where a truck can park. That walk-around decides how the tree comes down.
- A plan for where the wood lands. In an open yard a tree may be felled in one piece. Near a house it is usually taken down in sections, with limbs and trunk pieces lowered on ropes.
- The right equipment. Climbing gear, a bucket truck, or a crane for big trees over roofs. Fenced backyards may need smaller machines that fit through a gate.
- Cleanup and hauling. Brush chipped, wood cut to length or hauled away, and the lawn raked. Ask whether you keep the firewood and whether the chips stay.
- The stump. Cut low, ground below the surface, or both. Grinding is often priced separately, so say up front if you want it.
Two quotes can look alike and describe very different jobs. Ask each pro how the tree will come down, what equipment they will bring, whether the stump and the hauling are in the price, and whether they carry liability and workers' compensation coverage for tree work. Check anything you rely on yourself.
Signs a tree may need to come down
Most trouble is visible from the yard. Walk around the tree and look up:
- A pine turning yellow or rust-brown: Often bark beetles or root failure. Dead pines turn brittle fast.
- Mushrooms or shelf fungus at the base: Decay in the roots or lower trunk, common in older water oaks.
- A new lean, or soil lifting on one side: Roots letting go, often after soaking rain or high wind.
- Cracks, splits or a hollow trunk: Weak wood right where the tree takes the most strain.
- Big dead limbs over the roof or driveway: Sometimes trimming fixes it; sometimes the whole tree is failing.
Go through the full tree risk checklist for Lexington County. It prints on one page and explains what each sign means and how urgent it is.
How getting connected works
Lexington SC Tree Removal is a referral service. We don't have crews or equipment; we put you in touch with an independent local tree pro.
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Tell us about the tree
Call or use the form. Say roughly how tall it is, what it would hit if it fell the wrong way, and whether a stump needs grinding too.
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We connect you with a local pro
Your request goes to an independent, experienced tree professional who works in Lexington and the surrounding county.
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Get an estimate, then decide
The pro looks at the tree and gives you their own price. Nothing to sign up front and no obligation to hire.
Tree services for Lexington County homes
Most calls are about one tree. Here is what else tends to come up.
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Tree Removal
Whole trees taken down, in one piece where there is room or in sections where there isn't, with the wood and brush hauled off.
Get a removal estimate → -
Dead & Dying Tree Removal
Pines killed by beetles or drought, water oaks rotting from the inside, and trees that lean more every year, taken down before they fall on their own.
Learn more → -
Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below the surface so you can mow, plant or lay sod again, with the chips and the surface roots dealt with.
Learn more → -
Storm Damage Tree Cleanup
Trees on roofs, fences and driveways after hurricanes, ice storms and summer downbursts, removed with the rigging and cranes those jobs need.
Learn more → -
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Deadwood out, limbs lifted off the roof and thinned for wind, done with proper cuts instead of topping.
Learn more →
The trees behind most Lexington calls
Lexington County sits where the red clay of the Piedmont meets the sand of the Sandhills. The Lake Murray and Chapin side leans toward clay; Gilbert, Pelion and the southern county lean toward sand. Shallow roots in soaked clay and tall pines in loose sand fail in different ways, but the same few species come up again and again.
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Loblolly pines
Tall, straight and everywhere in Lexington County. Their crowns catch wind far above the roofline, and pines stressed by drought, lightning or storm damage are the usual target of bark beetles.
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Water and laurel oaks
Fast-growing shade trees planted in many older neighborhoods. As they age they often rot from the inside, and a hollow trunk or big dead limbs can hide behind a green crown.
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Sweetgums
Tough but messy, with heavy limbs, spiky seed balls and surface roots that lift walkways and make mowing miserable.
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Bradford (Callery) pears
Planted by the thousands along subdivision streets. Their tight, upright forks split open in wind and ice, often right down the middle.
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Pecans and old yard trees
Big, brittle limbs over houses in the older parts of Lexington, West Columbia and Cayce.
Storms, ice and the trees that come down in them
The Midlands gets its tree damage from a few directions. Summer thunderstorms bring short, violent gusts that snap the tops out of pines. Tropical systems arrive as soaking rain and hours of wind after landfall: in 2024 the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought down trees and wires across the Midlands and left many Lexington County homes without power. Ice storms are rarer, but when freezing rain coats pines and oaks, the added weight can bring down limbs and whole trees across the region.
After a big storm the calls come in all at once and crews book up quickly. If a tree is on your house, keep people out of the damaged rooms, photograph everything for your insurer, and get on a pro's list early. How fast someone can come depends on the pro and on how widespread the damage is, so ask when they can realistically get there.
Storm damage tree cleanup · What to do when a tree falls on your house
Trees near power lines: never cut these yourself
Dominion Energy South Carolina (formerly SCE&G) and Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative both serve large parts of Lexington County; your bill tells you which one is yours. Utilities keep trees clear of their main lines, but the wire running to your house, and a tree that is merely close, can be handled differently, so ask your utility how it treats your situation.
- Tree or limb touching a wire: stay well back, keep kids and pets away, and call the utility first.
- Tree near the main lines along the road: call the utility; it usually handles trees near its main lines.
- Tree that could fall on the line to the house: a pro can often arrange with the utility to drop or cover the line before cutting.
Trees near power lines in Lexington County: who handles what →
What sets the price of a tree removal
Two trees of the same height can be very different jobs. These are what a pro weighs:
- Height and trunk size: More wood to cut, lower and haul away.
- What it could hit: Roofs, pools, fences and wires mean cutting in pieces and lowering on ropes.
- Access: A crane or bucket truck needs a driveway; a fenced backyard may mean carrying everything out by hand.
- Condition of the tree: Dead or rotten wood is less predictable and slower to climb.
- Stump and cleanup: Grinding, chip removal and log hauling are often separate line items.
- Timing: After a big storm, demand spikes and emergency work costs more.
Permits, HOAs, the lake and burning: what to check
- Town of Lexington and county rules. Local tree rules tend to focus on new building and development rather than established yards, but they vary. Before a big removal, ask the Town of Lexington planning office, or Lexington County if you live outside town limits, whether anything applies to your lot, especially if it is newly built or under construction.
- Your HOA. Many subdivisions around Lexington, Chapin and Irmo require written approval before a large tree comes down, even a dead one.
- Lake Murray shoreline. Dominion Energy manages the shoreline around the lake, and cutting trees near the water without checking first can cause problems. Ask Dominion Energy's Lake Management office before any cutting there. See tree removal on Lake Murray.
- Burning brush. Outside town limits, notify the South Carolina Forestry Commission before you burn yard debris, and check Lexington County's outdoor burning rules. Inside town limits, ask the town first.
- Who does the work. South Carolina has no statewide tree-service or arborist license. ISA certification is a voluntary credential, and anyone applying pesticides to trees for pay needs a state pesticide license. Towns and the county may also require a local business license.
Where we connect homeowners
We take requests from the Town of Lexington and across Lexington County: the Lake Murray shore and Chapin, Irmo, Oak Grove, Red Bank, Gilbert, Pelion, West Columbia and Cayce. When you call, ask whether a pro is available for your address.
Free, no obligation
Ask for a tree estimate
It takes a minute or two. We'll send your request to an experienced, qualified local tree professional, who will contact you to arrange a look at the tree.
- Rough height and what's underneath help the pro plan
- Your details are used only for this request
- Tree on the house or a wire? Call (803) 784‑3426
Get a free estimate
We'll connect you with an experienced, qualified local professional. Free, no obligation. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
Lexington tree removal questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my own lot in Lexington, SC?
For an ordinary single-family yard, often not, but check three things first. Ask the Town of Lexington planning office (or Lexington County, outside town limits) whether any tree rules apply to your lot, especially if it is newly built or under construction. Many subdivisions require HOA approval before a large tree comes down. And on Lake Murray, shoreline trees can fall under Dominion Energy's lake management rules, not just local ones. See the Lake Murray page.
How much does it cost to take down a tree in Lexington?
Height, where the tree would land, and how the crew gets equipment to it matter most. A small tree in an open yard sits at the low end; a tall loblolly pine leaning over the roof, taken down piece by piece, can cost several times as much. The cost guide has ranges by size, or call (803) 784-3426 and we will connect you with a pro for a free estimate.
A pine by my house is turning brown. Is it dead?
If the whole crown fades from green to yellow to reddish brown over a few weeks, the tree is very likely dying, often from bark beetles attacking a pine already stressed by drought, lightning or storm damage. Dead pines dry out and shed limbs quickly, so have it looked at soon rather than next season. See dead and dying tree removal.
A limb is resting on the wire to my house. Can a tree crew just cut it?
Not until the electric company says the line is safe. Stay away, keep everyone else away, and report it to your provider (Dominion Energy or Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative in most of Lexington County). Once the line is de-energized or cleared, a tree pro can handle the rest. Read trees near power lines.
Is the stump included when a tree is removed?
Often not. Many estimates cover cutting the tree down and hauling it off, and price stump grinding separately. Ask which is included, and whether the grindings are left in the hole or taken away. See stump grinding.
Can I burn the brush myself after a tree comes down?
Sometimes. Outside town limits, South Carolina expects you to notify the SC Forestry Commission before burning yard debris, and Lexington County has its own outdoor burning rules. Inside town limits, burning may not be allowed at all. Check with the Forestry Commission and your town or the county before you strike a match, and never burn on a burn-ban day.
Who actually comes out to look at the tree?
An independent local tree professional, not us. Lexington SC Tree Removal is a referral service: we connect you with experienced, qualified local pros who give their own estimates and are responsible for their own work, licensing and insurance. See how it works.
Get connected with an experienced local pro
Tell us about the tree, the stump or the storm mess and we'll connect you with an independent, experienced, and qualified professional serving Lexington and the rest of Lexington County. Getting connected is free.