Tree removal cost
Removing a tree costs $400 to $2,500, typically $1,000. The price is not about the tree. It is about what is under it and how the pieces get to the ground.
National average
$1,000
per each
On this page
Removing a tree costs $400 to $2,500, typically around $1,000. A small tree in an open garden 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
| Tree height | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Under 30 ft | $200 to $600 |
| 30 to 50 ft | $500 to $1,200 |
| 50 to 70 ft | $900 to $2,500 |
| 70 to 100 ft | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Over 100 ft | $2,500 to $8,000 |
| Factor or extra | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Difficult access, no crane or truck space | add 25 to 75% |
| Over a house, requiring rigging | add 30 to 100% |
| Near power lines | add 25 to 60%, or utility involvement |
| Crane assistance | $500 to $2,500 |
| Stump grinding | $100 to $400 per stump |
| Stump grinding, per inch of diameter | $3 to $8 |
| Hauling away the wood | $50 to $150 per load |
| Chipping brush on site | often included |
| Leaving logs cut for firewood | usually free, ask |
| Emergency removal after a storm | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Dead or hazardous tree | add 20 to 50% |
| Permit, where required | $50 to $500 |
| Arborist assessment | $150 to $500 |
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 garden 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 neighbour's tree overhangs my garden.
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.
Read next
Landscaping cost$3,000 to $25,000per projectLandscaping costs $3,000 to $25,000 for a typical suburban garden, typically $8,000. Hardscaping is 60 to 80% of a full budget; plants are cheap by comparison and get all the attention.
Sod installation cost$1 to $3per sq ftSod costs $1.00 to $2.50 a square foot installed against $0.10 to $0.30 for seed. Sod is an instant lawn at ten times the price, and whether that is worth it depends on erosion and timing.
Driveway repair cost$300 to $3,000per projectRepairing a driveway costs $300 to $3,000, typically $900. What decides which repair you are doing is not the surface. It is whether the base underneath is still there.
Retaining wall cost$20 to $55per sq ftA retaining wall costs $20 to $55 per square foot of exposed face, typically $35. It is priced by length times height, not length, which is the measurement most people get wrong.
Sprinkler system cost$2,500 to $10,000per projectAn in-ground sprinkler system costs $2,500 to $8,000 for a suburban lot, or $700 to $1,500 a zone. The number of zones is decided by water pressure, not by garden size.