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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Tree Removal Cost: Brunswick County, NC

Pine is the tree most Brunswick County homeowners call about, and HomeGuide's national survey (February 2026) prices a pine removal at $250 to $1,600; an ordinary tree of any kind sits in its $400 to $1,200 band. A loblolly in an open Leland back yard with room to drop it lands low; a tall pine leaning toward a Holden Beach cottage, or a live oak spreading over a roof in Southport, lands high.

Building keeps crews busy here. The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counts 4,454 single-family buildings authorized in Brunswick County in 2025 and 5,099 in 2024, and every wooded lot that becomes a house site means trees to drop, chip and grind.

The 2024 FIA evaluation by the Forest Service puts about 390,300 acres of the county in forest, and 58.6% of that is loblolly/shortleaf pine; oak/gum/cypress swamp hardwoods (12.8%) and longleaf/slash pine (9.0%) follow. Wet sandy ground, salt wind and a long hurricane record shape almost every job.

Cost at a glance

Brunswick County tree removal cost at a glance
ItemTypical costSource
Pine (most common forest group here)$250-$1,600HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Typical single tree$400-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Tree 60-80 ft$850-$2,000HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
County landfill, yard debris (pieces 4 ft or shorter)$22.50 per tonBrunswick County tipping fees
County landfill, logs over 4 ft$45 per tonBrunswick County tipping fees
Oak Island heritage tree removal without approval$500 civil penalty plus replantingTown of Oak Island

Permits

We found no Brunswick County permit for cutting a tree on a private lot. When a tree and landscaping amendment came before the planning board in May 2024, the planning director said it was not a tree ordinance and that no tree permit would be required; the board recommended denial. Development review is where trees matter: UDO Section 6.1 requires heritage trees inside required buffers to be kept, and under N.C.G.S. § 160D-921(c) a site clear-cut before development can have its application denied for up to five years.

Beach towns can be stricter. The Town of Oak Island requires a Tree Removal Application Worksheet and a site visit before trees come off private property, asks for an arborist report for heritage trees (hardwoods 15 inches DBH or larger, softwoods 30 inches or larger), and says to allow at least 10 business days for review. Its violations section sets a civil penalty of $500 plus replanting. Check with your own town before cutting.

Burning: Brunswick County notes it is a "High Hazard County" under N.C.G.S. 106-942, so an N.C. Forest Service burn permit applies, and a land-clearing burn larger than five acres needs a special permit that is not available online. NC DEQ rules allow burning yard vegetation only from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., only on Code Green or Yellow air days, and only where public pickup is not available; land-clearing piles must sit at least 500 feet from occupied buildings. Brunswick County's burn ban log shows bans issued in March 2026 and October 2025.

Step 1: confirm whether your lot is in a town such as Oak Island that has its own tree rules. Step 2: decide whether the wood will be chipped, hauled to the Bolivia landfill or burned under a Forest Service permit. Step 3: walk the fall line for the house, deck, septic field and service drop. Step 4: get itemized written bids for felling, grinding and haul-off. Step 5: call NC 811 before grinding.

Local conditions

Saturated sand: the NRCS soil survey for Brunswick County (NC019) rates 59.8% of mapped acres somewhat poorly to very poorly drained and shows a seasonal water table within about 12 inches (30 cm) of the surface on 64.6%, so roots stay shallow and wet-ground pines tip over in wind. Tracked loaders often wait for dry weather.

Hurricane alley: FEMA's declarations data list 17 weather-related major disasters for Brunswick County from Hurricane Diana in 1984 through a 2024 tropical system, 14 of them hurricanes, including Fran (1996), Floyd (1999), Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018). Storm cleanup is a recurring line of work here.

Swamp hardwoods: cypress, gum and water oak along the Cape Fear and Lockwood Folly rivers and the Green Swamp edge mean soft ground and long carries for crews.

Salt and wind on the islands: live oaks and pines at Ocean Isle, Holden Beach and Oak Island grow wind-sculpted crowns that need careful rigging near tightly spaced houses.

What drives local prices

  • Species: pine runs $250-$1,600 per tree and oak $300-$2,500 on HomeGuide's price table, and pine is most of the county's forest.
  • Height: HomeGuide lists $500-$1,500 for a 30-60 ft tree and $850-$2,000 for 60-80 ft, the range most mature loblollies fall in.
  • Disposal: Brunswick County's landfill schedule lists yard debris at $22.50 per ton for pieces 4 feet or shorter and $45 per ton for longer logs; HomeGuide puts chipping at $50-$100.
  • Wet ground and access: soft sand and septic fields keep heavy equipment off many lots; we add an est. 10% to 25% for hand carry or mats.
  • Clearing a whole lot: HomeGuide's guide puts tree clearing at $1,200-$8,000 per acre, depending on how heavily wooded the land is.
  • Method: tree, height, chipping and clearing prices are HomeGuide's national figures (Feb 4, 2026); disposal fees and rules come from Brunswick County, NC DEQ and the Town of Oak Island; est. marks our own allowance, not local bids. Checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

  • Loblolly pine removal over houses and decks
  • Hurricane and tropical storm cleanup
  • Live oak work on tight beach lots
  • Lot clearing on wooded home sites

Service area

Calls come from Leland, Belville and Navassa across the river from Wilmington; Southport, Boiling Spring Lakes and Oak Island in the east; Shallotte, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Carolina Shores in the south; and Bolivia, the county seat. US 17 runs the length of the county, US 74/76 and I-140 meet near Leland, NC 211 and NC 87 run to Southport, and NC 133, NC 130, NC 179 and NC 904 reach the beaches.

None of the counties next to Brunswick (New Hanover, Pender and Columbus in North Carolina, Horry County across the South Carolina line) has a page on the site yet; the North Carolina hub links our other NC county pages and statewide burning rules.

Send us the tree: the short form below asks what kind it is, about how tall, and what it could hit. We answer by email with next steps and, where we know them, insured crews working the area.

Communities: Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Shallotte, Bolivia, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash, Boiling Spring Lakes, Belville, Navassa

When something can’t wait

If a hurricane or storm puts a pine on the house or across a line, keep everyone back and call the power company or 911 first. Same-day crews often charge 2 to 3 times normal rates on HomeGuide's survey, so photograph the damage for your insurer before cleanup starts.

Questions about Brunswick County

How much does tree removal cost in Brunswick County, NC?

HomeGuide's 2026 survey puts a typical tree at $400 to $1,200 and a pine at $250 to $1,600. Tall pines over houses, wet lots and haul-off push a bill higher.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Brunswick County?

Not from the county for a tree on a private lot. Some towns differ: Oak Island requires a tree removal permit and a site visit, and an arborist report for heritage trees.

Can I burn tree debris?

Only under NC DEQ rules (vegetation from your own yard, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., no public pickup available) with an N.C. Forest Service permit, and never during a burn ban. Land-clearing burns over five acres need a special permit.

What does the landfill charge for limbs and logs?

Brunswick County lists yard debris at $22.50 per ton for pieces 4 feet or shorter and $45 per ton for longer logs at the Bolivia landfill; county residents can drop it free during Free Cleanup Week.

Why do pines fall so easily here?

NRCS soil data show a water table within about a foot of the surface on most of the county, so pine roots stay shallow; hurricanes then push saturated trees over.

Sources

Nearby counties

Tree problems

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. Estimate your clearing cost.

Other counties we serve

Free, no obligation

Ask about your clearing project

Tell us the acreage, what is growing on it and what the land is for: pasture, house pad, trails or a view. The form goes to Cornelia Cove LLC, which runs this site, and we reply by email. We use your details only to answer this request, and we pass them to a contractor only if you ask us to.

Bring a range from our estimator to every site visit. A clearing bid should price clearing, stumps, debris disposal and grading separately, and say who handles permits.