Tree Removal in Tega Cay, SC

Tree Removal in Tega Cay starts at City Hall. Under City of Tega Cay Code Sec. 22-91(4), residents must apply for a permit before removing a tree on their property when the tree is over 4 inches in diameter measured one foot above the ground. That threshold catches nearly every tree worth calling a tree company about. The good news is that the permit is free, and the city processes them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Steps for a Tega Cay removal

1. We look at the tree. During the free estimate we measure the trunk at one foot, note its condition and photograph any decay, cracks or lean. You get a written estimate. 2. You apply for the permit. Applications can be filed in writing at City Hall, 7725 Tega Cay Drive, or online. The city's phone is (803) 548-3512. 3. Check the contractor requirement. The city's tree permit page says the removal must be done by a tree company from the city's contractor list that holds a business license, so confirm the company you hire meets that before the permit is filed. 4. We schedule after approval. No cutting until the permit is approved. 5. Cleanup and stump. We haul the wood and brush and grind the stump if you ordered it.

If the tree sits inside the buildable area of a building project, the city handles it under a Land Disturbance Permit rather than a tree permit. That mostly matters for additions, pools and new construction.

The lay of the land

Tega Cay sits on a peninsula along Lake Wylie with about 13 miles of shoreline. Plenty of lots slope toward the water or toward a cove, which changes how a tree is taken down. Felling a tree whole on a slope is risky because the trunk can bounce or roll. On these lots we usually take the tree down in pieces, lower each piece on a rope and carry the wood uphill to the street. Everything below the lake's full pond elevation of 569.4 feet is managed by Duke Energy under its Shoreline Management Guidelines, so work that reaches into the water or onto the shoreline below that line needs to follow Duke's rules.

Owners who stay

Census QuickFacts reports that 84.3% of Tega Cay homes are owner-occupied and 91.3% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier. The median owner-occupied home value is $529,200. People here tend to care about the trees that frame their view of the lake, and they often want one problem tree out without losing the shade around it. We plan cuts so the trees you are keeping are not damaged by falling limbs or by equipment rolling over their roots.

The city's own advice

The city's tree page includes homeowner tips on inspecting trees, lightning damage, girdling roots and avoiding topping, and it points residents to a Certified Arborist when they are unsure whether to save or remove a tree. That is sound advice. If a tree is borderline, we will say so, and you can get a second opinion before you file anything.

Call (803) 752-2370 to set up a visit, or use the form and mention that you are in Tega Cay so we bring the permit details with us. Get a free estimate