Plant Health Care Specialists
Tree Lightning Protection Systems in North Augusta, Aiken, and the CSRA
Have a tall, valuable tree that towers over the house, or one you cannot imagine losing to a single storm? In a region that gets as much lightning as the CSRA, an unprotected specimen tree is a target, and a strike is often a total loss. Arborwright installs lightning protection systems to the ANSI A300 standard, serving North Augusta, Aiken, Augusta, Evans, Martinez, and the surrounding CSRA.
- Biology Degreed Team
- ANSI A300 installation
- Tree Lightning Protection
Get your FREE
Tree Inspection
We’ll call you within one business day to schedule your free on-site inspection. No obligation, no hard sell, no upsells you don’t need.
By submitting, you agree we may contact you by phone, text, or email about your request. Msg/data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. See our Privacy Policy.
What is a tree lightning protection system?
A tree lightning protection system is a network of copper conductors run from the top of a tree’s crown down the trunk to a ground rod, so a lightning strike is carried safely into the ground instead of exploding through the tree. It works on the same principle as a lightning rod on a building, and is installed to the ANSI A300 standard for tree lightning protection. Arborwright installs these systems on high-value trees across North Augusta, Aiken, and the CSRA.
Which trees need lightning protection?
Lightning protection is not for every tree, it is for the ones you cannot afford to lose or that put a structure at risk. The candidates are tall, valuable, exposed, or close to where people gather, and in a high-lightning region like the CSRA those trees are genuinely at risk every storm season.
- Tall trees that tower over the house
- Large, irreplaceable specimen or heritage trees
- The tallest or most isolated tree on the property
- Trees shading a patio, pool, or play area
- Historic or landmark trees worth preserving
- A tree already struck that you want to keep
Have a tree struck by lightning, or one worth protecting? Send us a photo for free input within 24 hours.
When does a tree need lightning protection?
Lightning does not distribute itself randomly. It follows height, exposure, and the path of least resistance to ground, which is why the tallest tree in an open yard takes strikes that a shorter tree in a grove almost never does. When it hits, the moisture in and just under the bark flashes to steam instantly, and that pressure either strips the bark in long spiraling channels or splits the trunk open entirely. Some trees die on impact. Others survive the visible damage but decline over the following months as the internal destruction works its way through the vascular system. A tree that took a century to grow can be functionally dead before the storm passes.
A lightning protection system works by making the tree a better path to ground than the tree itself would be. Copper conductors run from air terminals near the top of the crown down the trunk to a grounding rod set away from the base, so when a strike comes, the energy travels the metal rather than superheating the wood on its way down. The system does attract lightning, which is the point. A tall tree with a properly installed system takes the strike and conducts it safely into the earth, instead of the energy tearing down through the trunk, which is why valued and vulnerable trees are the priority candidates. The energy still goes to ground. It just does not go through the tree to get there.
Not every tree warrants the investment, and the honest first step is figuring out which ones do. Height, exposure, proximity to a structure or a place where people spend time, and the value of the tree itself all factor into that. The trees that tend to justify protection are the tall specimen trees in open situations, trees within striking distance of a house or outbuilding, and irreplaceable trees whose loss would be both significant and expensive. For a tree that has already been struck, the same assessment tells you whether it can recover and whether protecting it going forward makes sense. Thomas Wilson handles the assessment and installation, working to the ANSI A300 standard for tree lightning protection systems.
How does Arborwright install lightning protection?
Step 01 · Assess the tree
We start by deciding whether the tree warrants protection: its height, value, exposure, and proximity to the house or people. If a strike would not be a serious loss, we will tell you a system is not worth it.
Step 02 · Design the system
The system is designed to the tree, with air terminals placed in the upper crown, conductor routing down the main stems and trunk, and a ground rod located to discharge safely away from the base, all to the ANSI A300 standard.
Step 03 · Install in the canopy
Arborwright installs the copper conductors and terminals by climbing the tree, fastening the system so it allows for growth and movement without damaging the tree. The work is done from the canopy, not from the ground.
Step 04 · Inspect and maintain
A lightning system is not install-and-forget. As the tree grows, the hardware needs periodic inspection and adjustment, so we set a schedule to keep the system intact and working when a storm finally comes.
What to expect from a lightning protection install
DAY 0
Assessment
Thomas evaluates whether the tree warrants protection and designs the system to the tree and the property.
INSTALL DAY
Installation
The conductors, air terminals, and ground rod are installed from the canopy to the ANSI A300 standard, usually in a single visit.
YEAR 1
Settling in
The system is in place and protecting the tree, with the hardware set to allow for the tree’s growth and movement.
YEAR 1 TO 2
Inspection
We re-inspect and adjust the system as the tree grows, so it is ready when a strike actually comes.
What protection buys you
A valuable tree that survives the strike that would otherwise have ended it, and a lower chance that a strike jumps from the tree to your house. A lightning system does not change how the tree looks or grows, it simply means that when the storm comes, the energy has somewhere safe to go. The protection is only as good as its upkeep, which is why the inspection schedule matters.
Why CSRA homeowners choose Arborwright
Diagnostic-first tree care
Most tree services start with “what do you want us to do?” We start with “what’s actually going on?” Arborwright is built around plant health care and diagnostic-first work, which means we look at your tree, identify what’s wrong, and tell you honestly what it needs. Sometimes that means treatment. Sometimes it means a pruning plan. Sometimes it means removal. We tell you which, with the evidence to back it up.
Our arborists know the CSRA’s soils, humid subtropical climate, and the tree species that thrive and struggle here. Local conditions matter. We show up prepared for them.
Science-based diagnostics
Every recommendation backed by plant pathology, soil science, and real evidence.
Honest recommendations
We tell you what your tree actually needs, even when it's less work for us.
The people behind arborwright
Real credentials. Real expertise. Real local knowledge.
Burns Newsome
Founder & Plant Health Care Specialist
Licensed Applicator | B.S. Biology + M.S. Genetics | Former Vanderbilt Research Team
I come from a research background. Before founding Arborwright Tree Care, I spent several years as part of a research team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where careful observation and methodical thinking defined the job. I hold two degrees in the biological sciences, and I apply that same research-first mindset to every tree I evaluate.
What drives my work is a deep passion for healthy ecological landscapes. I believe most struggling trees can be saved when the right diagnosis comes first. Removal is a last resort, not a default. Across North Augusta, Aiken, Augusta, and the rest of the CSRA, I help homeowners understand what’s actually happening with their trees, from crape myrtle bark scale to root stress to storm damage, and build treatment plans backed by evidence instead of guesswork.
When I’m not in the field, I’m on my own land with my two boys: catching critters, fishing, and managing the property to support the greatest diversity of life it can hold. That’s how this business started. At some point, working within the constraints of my own backyard wasn’t enough. I wanted to care for the landscape around me in a meaningful way, and help the people in my community do the same. Arborwright is how I do that.
Thomas Wilson
ISA Certified Arborist®
ISA Certified Arborist® | ISA Member | 13 Years of Field Experience
I came up in tree work in Tennessee, where I spent years climbing, pruning, and learning how trees actually behave under load and stress. There is no shortcut for that kind of time in the canopy. When I moved to the CSRA, I brought that hands-on foundation with me and adapted it to a new set of species, the region’s soils, and a much longer growing season.
Earning my ISA Certified Arborist® credential held that field experience to a documented, tested standard. My focus is structure and risk: how a tree is built, where it is weak, and what it is likely to do in the next storm. I would rather find a failure point on a calm afternoon than after a limb is already down on someone’s roof.
What I value most is the work that keeps a mature tree standing. A large, established tree takes decades to replace, and most of the ones I assess can be kept healthy and sound when someone reads them early and acts on what they find. That is the part of this job I care about, and it is why I am glad to do it here in the CSRA.
Tree lightning protection pricing
The on-site assessment is free. A lightning protection system is priced per tree by size and complexity, ranging from $X to $Y, since the height of the tree drives most of the cost.
- Tree height and crown size
- Number of conductors and terminals
- Trunk and canopy access
- Ground rod placement
- Number of trees protected
- Inspection and maintenance plan
Free assessment includes
Your free assessment includes an honest call on whether the tree warrants protection, a system designed to the tree if it does, and itemized pricing. For a tree that has already been struck, the assessment also covers whether it can be saved. Arborwright walks you through it on site, with no obligation and no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
Everything property owners ask about tree lightning protection.
The on-site assessment is free, and a system is priced per tree, driven mostly by the tree’s height and the access required to install in the canopy. Cost depends on the size of the tree, the number of conductors and terminals, and ground rod placement. Arborwright assesses whether the tree warrants a system first, since protection only makes sense on high-value trees.
Copper conductors run from air terminals high in the crown down the trunk to a ground rod set away from the base. If lightning strikes, the energy travels the metal path into the ground instead of through the wood, which is what otherwise blows the bark off or splits the trunk. It is the same principle as a lightning rod on a building.
No. The system does not attract strikes or increase the odds of one. It only controls where the energy goes if the tree is struck, giving it a safe metal path to ground rather than letting it explode through the trunk. A tall tree is already a likely target with or without a system, which is exactly why protecting a valuable one makes sense.
Tall, valuable, or irreplaceable trees, the tallest or most isolated tree on a property, specimen and historic trees, and trees close enough to a house that a strike could jump to the structure or people nearby. A small or easily replaced tree does not warrant a system. An honest assessment determines whether a given tree is a candidate.
First, keep people away in case limbs are unstable, then have it assessed before deciding anything. A struck tree is not always dead: some recover, some decline over the following months as internal damage shows, and some become unsafe. An arborist can evaluate the damage, tell you whether it can be saved, and whether protecting it going forward is worthwhile.
Sometimes. Survival depends on the species, the path the strike took, and how much of the cambium and trunk were damaged. A glancing strike down one side may heal, while a strike that splits the trunk or destroys the bark around the circumference is usually fatal. The outcome often is not clear for months, which is why a struck tree should be assessed and monitored.
An arborist first confirms the tree warrants protection, then designs the system to the tree. Copper conductors and air terminals are installed by climbing into the canopy, run down the trunk, and connected to a ground rod placed away from the base, all to the ANSI A300 standard. The hardware is fastened to allow for the tree’s future growth and movement.
Yes. Georgia and South Carolina sit in one of the most lightning-active regions of the country, and the tall trees that define CSRA properties, large oaks and pines, are frequent targets. The combination of high strike frequency and big, valuable trees is exactly why lightning protection is worth considering on a specimen tree here.
Lightning protection is a specialized install most tree companies do not offer. Arborwright designs and installs to the ANSI A300 standard. Just as important, the assessment is honest about which trees actually warrant a system and which do not.
Yes. A lightning system is not install-and-forget, because the tree keeps growing and the hardware moves with it. The conductors and fasteners need periodic inspection and adjustment so the system stays intact and continuous, which is what makes it work when a strike finally comes. Arborwright sets an inspection schedule as part of the install.
Trusted by homeowners across the CSRA
Real reviews from real customers across North Augusta, Augusta, Aiken, and the CSRA. Want to be one of them? Schedule your free inspection.
Tree lightning protection near you
Arborwright installs tree lightning protection across North Augusta and Aiken, into Augusta, Evans, Martinez, and Grovetown, and the wider CSRA including Edgefield, Columbia County, and Aiken County. Find your area below.
Hammond’s Ferry, Riverview Park, downtown North Augusta. Our home base.
West Augusta, Summerville, National Hills, Forest Hills, downtown.
Downtown Aiken, Houndslake, Woodside, Hitchcock Woods area.
Riverwood Plantation, Evans to Locks, Kiokee.