Do you need a permit?
It depends on the tree
In Mount Pleasant any tree on a residential lot 16 inches or greater in diameter measured 4.5 feet from the ground is protected and needs town approval before removal, with a list of exempt species. Pines are protected at 24 inches and up. Below those thresholds, and for the exempt species, no approval is needed. Removing a protected tree without an approved, displayed permit draws a fine against both the homeowner and the tree company.
Size threshold
Trees on residential lots at 16 inches DBH or greater, except Sweet Gum, Callery Pear varieties, River Birch, Mimosa, Chinaberry, Chinese Tallow, Camphor, White Poplar, Mulberry and Leyland Cypress. Pine trees are protected at 24 inches DBH or greater.
What's protected in Mount Pleasant
- Any non-exempt tree on a residential lot at 16" DBH or greater
- Pine trees at 24" DBH or greater
How to apply in Mount Pleasant
- 1
Measure at DBH: mark a point 4.5 feet up the trunk, wrap a tape around the trunk there for the circumference, then divide by 3.1415.
- 2
Register for an account in OPAL, the town's permitting system.
- 3
Submit a tree removal request in OPAL, including requests based on tree decline or storm damage.
- 4
Display the approved permit before any removal work begins.
Fees, penalties, and the ordinance
- Penalties
- The town states: "Removal of any trees without approval and a permit displayed will result in a fine to both the homeowner AND the tree removal company."
- Ordinance
- Town of Mount Pleasant Zoning Code, Sections 156.700 and 156.702
Worth knowing
- Approved removals carry mitigation. Replacement is calculated from species, quality and property use; at minimum one 2.5-inch tree must be planted, and remaining mitigation inches are either planted on site or paid into the town's Tree Bank.
What we could not confirm
We would rather tell you what we don't know than guess. Call the office below to confirm these before you cut.
- — The permit fee amount.
- — The dollar amount of the fine for unpermitted removal.