Before the saw starts
Before Tree Work in Spartanburg, SC
Most tree jobs that go wrong in the Upstate go wrong before the first cut: a limb on the service line, a stump ground through a buried cable, a brush pile burned on the wrong day. Here is what to check first, who to call in and around Spartanburg, and what we take care of.
4 questions, 1 minute
What does your tree job need before we start?
Answer yes or no. Every yes adds a step to your checklist on the right, with who to call and what we handle.
Is the tree or a limb near a power line?
That includes the wire from the street pole to your house, not just the big lines along the road.
Will a stump be ground or will anyone dig?
Stump grinding goes below the surface, and so does pulling a root ball or planting a new tree in the same spot.
Do you plan to burn the branches yourself?
A lot of Upstate homeowners keep the brush and burn it later instead of paying for haul-off.
Does the tree look sick, but you are not sure it has to go?
Thin canopy, dead limbs on one side, mushrooms at the base, bark falling off.
Trees and power lines
Whose job is the limb on the wire?
In the Spartanburg area, the answer depends on which wire it is. Most of the calls we get about lines are about the service drop, the single wire that runs from the pole to the house, and that one is mostly on the owner.
The lines along the road, pole to pole. Duke Energy trims around them through its maintenance program. You can request a check on its tree trimming request page.
Pole to meter. Keeping trees clear of it is mainly your job. Duke disconnects it for free so the work can be done safely. We schedule around that.
The minimum distance an unqualified person should keep from overhead lines under 50,000 volts, under the OSHA and ANSI Z133 standards Duke Energy cites. A fallen line is always treated as live: stay away and call Duke Energy.
Stumps and buried lines
A stump grinder goes deeper than you think
Gas, water, cable and fiber lines often run right under the yard, and old stumps tend to sit right where someone trenched years ago. That is why we ask for an 811 ticket before we grind, especially in older Spartanburg neighborhoods where nobody remembers where the lines go.
The call is free and the utilities mark their lines. Private lines, such as a buried line to a shed or a sprinkler system, are not marked by 811, so tell us about them. Stump grinding in Spartanburg.
Call at least three business days before any digging or stump grinding in South Carolina. The utilities mark their buried lines so the work can start safely.
Burning the brush
Keeping the wood and burning it later?
Plenty of customers ask us to leave the wood and limbs to save on the bill. That is fine, but burning is not a free-for-all in South Carolina. Only yard debris grown on that property can be burned, never household trash, plastics or painted or treated wood, and the smoke cannot become a nuisance for the neighbors.
Outside city or town limits, notify the SC Forestry Commission before you light it, online at scfc.gov/notify. Cities and towns can ban burning altogether, and the state issues statewide burning bans during dry spells. When in doubt, have us haul it off or chip it. More on that in our tree debris guide.
Outside city limits: scfc.gov/notify before you burn. Anything other than yard debris goes through the Forestry Commission dispatch line, 1-800-777-3473.
Quick directory
Numbers worth saving before tree work
Utilities, state agencies and Clemson Extension. None of them is us.
A tree on a house with people inside, anyone hurt, a fire.
Downed lines, trees on primary lines, service line disconnects before tree work.
Free utility marking. Call at least three business days ahead.
Burn notification outside city or town limits.
Free plant and tree questions for South Carolina residents, weekdays 8 to 4:30.
Town trucks, county roads, state roads: our local guide.
Questions we hear
Power lines, 811 and burning in Spartanburg
Will Duke Energy trim the tree touching the wire to my house?
Usually not. Duke Energy trims around its primary lines, but keeping trees clear of the service line from the pole to your meter is mainly the property owner’s job. Duke will disconnect that line for free so the tree work can be done safely, and you can ask them to look at a limb pressing hard on it.
Do I really need to call 811 before stump grinding?
Yes. Stump grinding and pulling root balls are digging, and South Carolina asks you to call 811 at least three business days before. The call is free and the utilities mark their buried lines. Private lines on your own property are not marked, so point them out to us.
Can I burn the branches after a tree removal in Spartanburg County?
State law allows burning yard debris grown on the property, but not trash or treated wood. Outside city or town limits you notify the SC Forestry Commission first at scfc.gov/notify. Cities can ban burning, and statewide bans happen in dry weather, so check before you light anything.
Who can tell me if my tree is actually sick?
Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center answers South Carolina residents for free at 1-888-656-9988, weekdays. If the tree leans toward the house, a driveway or a power line, call us so we can look at it in person.
Checks done? Let’s look at the tree.
Free estimates across Spartanburg and nearby towns. We plan around the power lines, wait for the 811 marks and tell you up front what happens to the wood.