Tree removal in Florence, South Carolina

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us where you are and what the tree is doing.

2. We connect you

   We pass it to an independent tree service that works around Florence.

3. They call you back

   They look at the tree and quote you directly.

Who uses this site?

Homeowners, landlords, churches and small property managers in Florence and the towns around it: Lake City at the south end of Florence County, Hartsville over in Darlington County, Marion to the east, and smaller places like Quinby, Timmonsville, Effingham and Pamplico. If a tree has to come down, a storm has made a mess, or a stump is in the way, you call once and we connect you with a tree company that can come out and price it.

What makes tree work in the Pee Dee different?

Florence sits on South Carolina's Coastal Plain, with Jeffries Creek running through town toward the Great Pee Dee River. The land is flat and the yards are full of tall pines, water oaks and live oaks, with a lot of ornamental trees planted in the subdivisions built over the last few decades. Flat ground helps a crew get a bucket truck or grinder close. The catch is low spots and creek bottoms that stay soft after a long rain, where a loaded truck can sink into a lawn. Ask the company how it plans to get equipment to the tree if the ground has been wet.

Which storms cause the most tree damage here?

Two kinds: tropical systems and ice. Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 brought a 67 mph gust and 12.77 inches of rain to the Florence airport, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Hurricane Florence two years later gusted to 61 mph at the same airport and left about 12,000 customers in the area without power at its peak. Ice can be worse for trees than wind. The February 2014 ice storm coated parts of southern Florence County and Marion County with more than an inch of ice, and the Weather Service notes that state forestry officials compared the tree damage to Hurricane Hugo. Florence and Marion counties were both part of the federal disaster declaration that followed.

Signs a tree may need to come out

• Pine needles turning yellow, then orange or red, over a few weeks
• Small popcorn-like blobs of resin (pitch tubes) or brown sawdust on a pine's bark
• A lean that is new, or soil and roots lifting on one side
• Mushrooms, soft wood or a hollow sound near the base
• A crack where two big trunks meet, as on many older Bradford pears
• Dead limbs at the top of the crown hanging over the house or driveway

Why are so many pines dying in Florence yards?

Bark beetles are a big part of it. Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center describes three main ones in South Carolina: the southern pine beetle, Ips engraver beetles and the black turpentine beetle. They mostly go after pines that are already stressed by drought, crowding, lightning, soil packed down by vehicles, or a trunk scraped by equipment. Clemson says a pine that already shows the signs won't be helped by spraying, and that removing infested and damaged trees, without wounding the ones next to them, lowers the chance beetles spread. More on dead and beetle-killed pines.

What should I do right after a storm?

Check for wires first. If a limb or trunk is touching a line, assume it's energized, keep people and pets away and call your electric utility. South Carolina's Office of Regulatory Staff tells homeowners not to hire a private tree contractor or do the work themselves near power lines. If a tree is on the house, keep everyone out of those rooms, take photos before anything is moved and call your insurance company. Clemson Extension warns against using a chainsaw on trees that are hung up or caught on something. Those are jobs for a trained crew. More on storm tree cleanup.

What about the Bradford pears?

Bradford and other Callery pears were planted all over the Pee Dee for their spring flowers. South Carolina added Callery pear to its State Plant Pest List, and its sale in the state has been banned since October 1, 2024, according to Clemson. You can still keep one in your yard. Many homeowners decide to take theirs out once it starts splitting or dropping limbs, and replace it with a native tree.

Remove the tree or trim it?

A tree with a few dead limbs or branches rubbing the roof can often be kept with good pruning. Clemson horticulturists advise against topping, which makes trees more likely to fail in high wind, and suggest calling an ISA Certified Arborist if you aren't sure a tree is sound. If the trunk is decayed, the roots are lifting, or a pine is already beetle-killed, removal is usually the safer call. More on tree trimming.

Is the stump included?

Not always, so ask. Grinding takes the stump below the surface so you can level and seed the spot. Because grinding goes into the ground, South Carolina law requires a locate request through SC811 before digging, and the state's Office of Regulatory Staff says to allow at least three working days. More on stump grinding.

Are you a tree service?

No. Florence Tree Removal Pros is a referral service. We connect you with an independent tree company that works near you, and that company quotes the job, does the work and stands behind it. Before you hire anyone, read our tips for hiring a tree service and the Florence, SC tree removal guide.

Areas we cover

• Florence
• Lake City
• Hartsville
• Marion

Planning ahead? Read our Florence, SC tree removal guide.