Tree Service in Murrells Inlet, SC | Two Counties, One Marsh

Aerial view of a saltmarsh creek lined with live oaks and pines meeting beach homes and the Atlantic at Murrells Inlet

Murrells Inlet sits on the marsh between Garden City and Litchfield, and the Horry–Georgetown county line runs right through it. That matters more for trees than for anything else: on the Horry side, the county's rule is that every live oak 24 inches and up is a specimen; on the Georgetown side — the Waccamaw Neck overlay from the county line to the river to the ocean — every tree 10 inches and up except palmetto, Bradford pear, pecan, non-longleaf pine, sweetgum and the myrtles is protected, occupied house lots still need a county permit to remove one, topping is banned, and the fines run up to $500 per inch of trunk, or $12,000 per tree for an individual. The county's Board of Zoning Appeals has required variances for a 25-inch water oak in Murrells Inlet. And just south of town, Brookgreen Gardens' Live Oak Allée — planted in the 1700s, 250 to 300 years old — is the standard the whole Neck's oaks are measured against.

The trees are marsh-edge live oaks, salt-pruned and spreading, over the older houses along the Marshwalk and Business 17; pines and planted oaks in Prince Creek, Wachesaw Plantation, Blackmoor and the newer communities toward 707, where the HOAs and ARBs review tree work; and the pecans and water oaks of the old inlet neighborhoods reaching their failing years. Our Murrells Inlet work is permit-first on the Georgetown side (10 inches is small), specimen-oak measurement on the Horry side, HOA submittals for Prince Creek and Wachesaw, marsh-edge oak preservation, and the boat-lot and dock-side removals that need a crane because the lot ends at the water.

What we do in Murrells Inlet

County-line check

Horry's 24-inch specimen rule or Georgetown's 10-inch permit — we confirm which applies to your parcel first.

Georgetown County permits

Filed for every removal over 10 inches on the Neck side, house lots included; no replacement is required for occupied single-family lots.

Marsh-edge live oaks

Preservation pruning for the salt-pruned oaks over the inlet houses; root zones protected from seawall and dock work.

Prince Creek & Wachesaw ARBs

HOA submittals with the county permit as one package.

Crane work on the water

Removals on lots that end at the marsh, lifted out over the house from the street.

Storm response

Ian's 2,100 Murrells Inlet outages, Chantal's Litchfield landfall next door — we answer 24/7.

Neighborhoods and areas we cover

Murrells Inlet (Marshwalk / Business 17)
Prince Creek
Wachesaw Plantation
Wachesaw East
Blackmoor
Collins Creek Landing
Indigo Creek
Woodlake Village
Hwy 707 corridor
Brookgreen Gardens border
Huntington Beach State Park border
Garden City line

Tree services available in Murrells Inlet

Questions from Murrells Inlet homeowners

How do I know which county I'm in?

The line runs through town roughly along the Collins Creek watershed; your tax bill says. We check the parcel on the county GIS before the estimate, because the difference is a 24-inch live oak rule versus a 10-inch everything rule.

Do I need a permit to remove a 12-inch water oak on the Georgetown side?

Yes — the Waccamaw Neck overlay protects every tree 10 inches and up except the exempt species, even on an occupied house lot. The good news is no replacement is required for single-family lots. We file it.

What are the exempt species on the Neck?

Palmetto, Bradford pear, pecan, pines other than longleaf, sweetgum, crape myrtle and wax myrtle. Everything else over 10 inches needs the permit.

What does Georgetown County fine?

Up to $500 per inch of DBH, assumed to be 24 inches if the stump is gone — $12,000 per tree for an individual — plus permits withheld on the parcel for up to three years. The county does enforce it.

Nearby: Surfside & Garden City · Pawleys & Litchfield · Forestbrook & Socastee · Market Common · full service area

Tree service in Murrells Inlet — two counties, two rule books, one marsh