Tree removal cost

Removing a tree costs $400 to $2,500, typically around $1,000. A small tree in an open yard is $200 to $600. A large tree over a house, with power lines nearby, is $2,000 to $6,000 and occasionally more.

The price is not about the tree. It is about what is under it and how the pieces get to the ground.

What it costs

Why over the house doubles it

A tree in an open field is felled: one cut and it falls. That is fast.

A tree over a house is dismantled from the top, piece by piece, with each piece rigged on ropes and lowered rather than dropped. A climber or a lift takes a section, ties it off, cuts it, and it is winched down. That is a day for what would otherwise be twenty minutes.

Add a crane where the pieces cannot be lowered safely and the day gets more expensive and much safer.

This is why two identical trees quote at $600 and $3,000, and why the cheap quote for the difficult tree is the one to be suspicious of.

Check the insurance before anyone climbs

This is the most important paragraph on this page.

Tree work is among the most dangerous trades in America. An uninsured crew injured on your property is your liability, and a tree dropped on your roof by an uninsured contractor is your problem.

Ask for and actually look at:

• General liability insurance, with a certificate naming current dates
• Workers' compensation, which is the one that matters most and the one uninsured operators lack
• A certificate sent directly from the insurer, not a photocopy

A quote 40% below the others is usually 40% below because of what is missing here.

ISA Certified Arborist credentials are worth looking for on anything involving a diagnosis, a preservation decision, or a tree near a structure.

When a tree should come down, and when it should not

Remove when the trunk has a large cavity or extensive decay, when it leans newly and the soil is heaving on one side, when major limbs are dead over a target, when the species is failing, or when roots are genuinely damaging a foundation or a sewer line.

Do not remove because leaves fall in the gutters, because it shades the lawn, or because a contractor knocked on the door and said it looked dangerous. Door-to-door tree work after a storm is a well-established scam.

A mature tree is worth thousands in shade, cooling, stormwater and property value. An arborist's assessment at $150 to $500 is cheap against removing one that did not need to go, and cheap against keeping one that did.

Frequently asked questions

Does insurance cover it?

Homeowners insurance generally covers removing a tree that has fallen on an insured structure, often with a limit of $500 to $1,000 for removal. It does not cover removing a standing tree, however dangerous, and it does not cover a tree that fell in the yard and hit nothing.

Do I need a permit?

Many municipalities protect trees above a certain diameter, protect specific species, or require permits in conservation areas. Fines for removing a protected tree are substantial. Check before booking, not after.

What about the stump?

Grinding is $100 to $400 and is usually quoted separately. Grinding goes 6 to 12 inches below grade, which is enough to plant grass over and not enough to plant another tree in the same spot. Full removal of the root plate costs considerably more.

Can I take it down myself?

A small tree in an open space with no target, yes, with the right saw and an escape route. Anything over about 20 feet, anything near a structure, and anything requiring climbing is genuinely dangerous work with a high injury rate, and it is not the place to learn.

My neighbor's tree overhangs my yard.

In most states you may prune back to the property line, at your expense, without harming the tree's health. You generally may not enter their property or remove the tree. If it is dead and threatening, notify them in writing, which matters if it later falls.