Tree Trimming and Pruning in Mount Pleasant and Charleston, SC

What Our Trimming and Pruning Covers

Experienced tree climbers do our pruning and trimming in accordance with ISA standards. The work includes:

• Crown thinning, crown raising and view enhancement
• Crown reduction
• Removing damaged, broken, dead and diseased branches, part of our pruning and trimming process
• Cabling, bracing and corrective trimming
• Shrub trimming and hazardous tree assessments

Our post on tree service methods explains several of these techniques: canopy thinning, dead wooding, crown raising, cabling and bracing. Job sites are always left in better condition than when we arrive.

Our pruning examples page covers live oak pruning around Mount Pleasant and Charleston.

Pruning Lowcountry Trees

Live oaks

Live oak pruning is not a do-it-yourself job. Live oak branches that pose the risk of falling on property or people should be removed, and which ones do is for an arborist to assess. Branches near power lines carry a risk of electrocution and are work for qualified utility line clearance contractors: see the power lines question below. Consider having an arborist inspect your live oaks once a year to see whether they need pruning for health, safety or looks.

Crape myrtles and flowering trees

Clemson Extension's crape myrtle fact sheet says topping crape myrtles is very common, that gardeners call it "Crape Murder," and that typically only light pruning, if any, is needed. Our post on flowering trees covers crape myrtles, redbuds, dogwoods and others.

Trees before a storm

Ahead of a major storm, an arborist can look over your trees and recommend pruning where a tree needs it, such as dead wood or a hazardous limb. If a storm has already done damage, see storm and hurricane tree removal.

Crown Reduction, Not Topping

The ISA's guide to topping calls it "perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known." As our post on Lowcountry tree service puts it, arborists do not top trees as a quick fix for maintenance; the proper approach is crown reduction.

Pruning Rules Where You Live

Local tree codes cover pruning as well as removal. In Mount Pleasant, the Town's code says "Pruning specifications as provided in the latest version of ANSI A300 shall be used in all pruning cases" (§ 156.706(B)(4)). The City of Charleston, the Town of James Island, Charleston County, Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island each have their own pruning rules and definitions, and inside the Wild Dunes Community Association's jurisdiction, which its architectural review page defines, the Association's Architectural Review Board has its own standards. Before pruning a tree, check the page of the government your address falls under:

• Town of Mount Pleasant: Trees
• City of Charleston: Tree Removal Information
• Town of James Island: Tree Information
• Charleston County: Zoning and Planning
• City of Isle of Palms: Zoning
• Town of Sullivan's Island: Tree Preservation
• Wild Dunes Community Association: Architectural Review

What Drives the Cost of Tree Trimming

In general, what a pruning job costs depends on things like:

• The number of trees and their size
• The kind of pruning the trees need
• How easily the trees can be reached near the house, a fence or a neighbor's yard
• Hazards such as decayed wood, storm damage or a limb over a building
• How much brush and wood there is to haul away
• Any approval a town or community association requires

We don't publish prices. Estimates are free.

An ISA Certified Arborist, Fully Insured

Our owner and operator, Robert Thompson, is an ISA Certified Arborist, and he strives to be on every job site.

We carry general liability and full workers' compensation insurance. Request insurance certificates before any work is performed, from the insurance agent, never from the contractor.