The cost of tree removal varies according to a tree's location, height, width, number of branches and proximity to utility lines or other obstacles, according to Atlanta-Tree.com.
Typical costs:
Small trees up to about 30-feet high, such as a Black Mulberry, Dogwood or Russian Olive, with clearance of buildings and utility lines cost about $125-$437 to remove.
Medium-sized trees from 30-60 feet tall including the Black Alder, Black Gum and Crabapple, that are set apart from buildings and utilities run $175-$900.
Large trees 60-80 feet high, including Red Oak, Pine and Black Locust, are estimated at $400-$1,000.
Trees 80-100 feet tall such as the American Ash, Bur Oak and Sugar Maple can cost anywhere from $962-$1,400+.
What should be included:
Tree removal generally includes bringing the tree down to a stump, chipping or hauling away the small branches and cutting the trunk into small sections. Stump removal requires a separate machine, but can be included in the overall price. Roots are generally not included in the bid, though some exposed roots near the stump can be taken care of during stump removal. For an extra charge, the trunk wood can be hauled away. Some services bring along a wood splitter and for an extra fee will split and stack the wood.
When trees are near buildings, the tree cannot just be knocked over and cut apart. Each end to be cut must be "roped down." The climber ties a rope around the piece to be cut off. After cutting, the section of wood is lowered slowly to the ground.
If trees are near utility lines, contact the local utility company for an inspection.
Additional costs:
Stump grinding pulverizes the remaining tree stump into a pile of sawdust and may be priced separately or as part of the estimate. Large stump grinding averages $169-$300. Small stumps are about $75.
While branches and litter from the tree removal are cleaned up by the tree crew, the cost estimate does not always include hauling away the large pieces of potential firewood. Some companies charge up to $350 to haul away trunk wood from a 30-foot tree removal.
Chipping branches may be an extra $65-$150 per hour, if not included in the estimate. Some outfits charge around $50 to haul away the load of chips.
Hiring an out-of-the-area arborist will cost drive time plus mileage. Arborist consultations can run $125 per hour.
Check city codes. Some trees -- either on the street or on private property -- are protected in certain areas.
The contractor wanted $2400.00 to remove a huge mature Red Alder (The trunk was 2 feet in diameter) that was covered with ivy. That seemed a bit too high. But I was told that all the ivy had to be removed (labor intense) before the tree could be removed as a safety precaution. But since there was plenty of space to just drop the entire tree, that's just what I did myself with no problems at all. It is a lot of hard and dangerous work to dispatch a huge tree. I would have paid the $2,400.00 for a more complicated tree removal but this job was just too simple.
had 5 oak trees removed, cut flush. Diameter of the trees ranges from about 1.5 foot to 2 feet. Wanted the wood for the fireplace so they left the trunks in chunks, and they took away the rest. Took them a good 4+ hours and 4 men to complete the work.
In September of 09 my wife and I had a red oak removed from over my pool and house. The tree was in my backyard and was removed with a crane. I recieved Hunts name from several other doctors that I work with. These guys do great work! Hunt Tree Service covers Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Excellent Job! Give them a call 912-656-3143
We had a tree 120' pine fall during a storm. It missed the house and damaged nothing. Just laying in the yard. Entire stump was pulled up with it. Local service quoted us $1600 for removal. No need to fell it. No need for stump removal. Just chop off limbs, cut to size and haul it away. Does this seem an honest quote?
Both trees were cut down after storm damage, cut up and removed. Dave came back later to grind stumps and put down sod. They even cleaned my gutters for no additional charge. Very pleased.
Posted by: Natural Expressions land services in Binghamton, NY.
Posted: March 18th, 2010 09:03AM
Type of Tree: most
Height: avg
Contractor: N E tree service
I own a tree service. i have been climbing for 15 plus yrs and i can tell you that prices are never a constant in this business! I avg. about 150 per hr.
for a full clean up minus the wood and 100 per hr for take down only. i have worked all over ny nj and pa and the prices all vary drastically. A good climber deserves to get paid very well. He cant do it forever and if he is sticking with the profession he will need to "retire Early" so saving cash is crucial especially for the long winter months in upstate ny where the snow can cripple a company till spring. its very difficult work and extremely hazardous. you wont see to many men climbing past age 40. On this note each tree has its own price and all companies will give you a different one so get a few quotes and make sure you get the most respectable man for the job. not just the cheapest. insurance is a must!
thanks, Bryan
I just want to get my tree trimmed, not removed. It has a huge limb that is hanging over my neighbors home and I am afraid it will break in the wind. I know it will be quite a bit of work but is this a good price? It seems so high just to trim a tree.
I had them take a few trees down in my back yard. It was a hard job but they finished when Kennedy said they would.
I located ocheltree tree and lawn service from Craigslist
I would use them again in the future when I have my other trees worked on
The power company's tree contractor actually cut down the birch tree, which was large, already dead when we bought the house in 2007, and threatening the power lines, in late fall of 2008. Removal was up to us. We let it go over the winter, then contacted Rick Hansen in spring of 2009 for an estimate. (I work in the city engineer's office, and Rick does a lot of clearing and grubbing subcontracting on local street improvement projects, so I already knew him.) He quoted us $200 to cut up and remove the large pieces of birch trunk. I told him to go for it. While on the job he called me at work and said that for an additional $50 he'd grind out the stump. Again, I told him to go for it. His crew did a beautiful hob and left us lots of lovely birch sawdust to use as mulch.
We now have, back near where the dead birch was, a dead spruce. This tree is more like 80' tall. I called Rick for a ballpark estimate on taking it down and removing it, but by then the snow was too deep for him to actually get out here and take a look at it. He said probably $700 to $800 for cutting down, removal and grinding the stump. I started setting money aside every payday to get this job done once the snow melted. Then the roof of our enclosed back porch started to leak badly, so we had to spend the money to get the porch re-roofed. Next year we'll deal with the tree.
Rick is also a certified arborist and is very professional and thorough. I'd recommend him to anyone.
Posted by: Very Satisfied Customer in Clinton, MD.
Posted: May 18th, 2010 03:05PM
Type of Tree: Maple
Height: 100\' est
Contractor: Treescape Services
Tree was old, very large and severly damaged. It was next to fence and storage sheds. Most of the wood was cut and removed to neighbor's yard for neighbor to use for firewood. Stump was ground out and all debris removed. Work completed in 3 hours. Very pleased with services and would hire again if necessary.
We learned last week that my husband is about to inherit some money, so I called Rick to ask for an estimate for removal of the dead spruce tree as detailed in my last post. Got the estimate the same day: $300 to take down and remove the tree, $35 to grind the stump, and $35 to remove the excess mulch. We can go for that now, no need to wait until our ship comes in! I have no doubt that the crew will do a good job.
There are lots of considerations. Is the tree safe to climb? What does the landing zone look like? Are their ornamental plantings to watch out for? How far is the drag to the chipper? How easy is the access for the stump grinder? Is a permit required? Is the contractor licensed? Does the contractor have a bond and insurance? Is the crew insured and do they have workmans comp? Does the contractor carry insurance on their truck and chipper? Additional equipment like boom lifts or cranes cost extra and can be included in a bid or can be paid for by the home owner. Tree removal is an industry that requires specialized skills, equipment and overhead. In my area, my price of $75 a man hour is on the inexpensive side for licensed contractors. Several other outfits in the area charge $85-105/hr. Many skilled but unlicensed guys here charge $50-65/hr and there is no shortage of guys with a saw and pick up truck who want the wood and will cut and haul for $25/hr. Be sure to consider the down side of going with the cheapest bid, as in a tree through your house or an injured guy in your back yard. As a home owner you can be held liable for hiring an unlicensed contractor and your home insurance will not cover property damage or medical bills. Get three bids if it is a big job, ask for copies of insurance or licenses if you are paying for the contractor to have them and trust your instincts.
Posted by: Charles and Nancy in Reno to Lake Tahoe, NV.
Posted: June 26th, 2010 07:06PM
Type of Tree: sugar pine
Height: 80'
Contractor: Tree Master, Don Butler
Huge tree he dropped exactly where he said he would... between power lines, our house, and other trees. Took one day to chop down (OK.. chain saw)and one day to cut into pieces and haul away. Cut it to ground level and left the site swept clean. Highly recommend! This guy knows what he's doing!
Posted by: Mel, Scarborough ME in Scarborough, ME.
Posted: July 28th, 2010 12:07PM
Type of Tree: Pine
Height: 80'
Contractor: Way Up
I think $1600 is overpriced. I just had an 80' pine, that branched into three equal parts, nearly at the base of the tree, taken down for $850. It was extremely close to my shed, and other trees too. They removed everything from my yard. They brought in a 50' bucket truck too. Granted, I negotiated the price down from $1,100.
firstone said 500, one day one week several hours a day,meditated up there in tree top. asked for ins and how come already 1300$ and not one day -dissapeared. second . came one hour, i left to do errand half hour, he left, and has been harrasing me for 1400. i put stop payment-he went over septic,propane underground area, stuff in back of house, i said everying in fronyt --not to go in areas he did,he has been threatening with calls and letters, i asked to see insurance papers,and contract,which said fullday and wont send contract which said full day 1000.00 tree gone.
I first saw the crew in my neighbors lawn taking down huge trees when i decided to have them over for a estimate.Everything went great i have since had them at 2 more trees and 3 family members houses as well.I will reccomend them to do any tree anytime.Give them a call yourself (256)431-3000
I had a 60+ foot pine about 30 feet from my house I wanted down. Hirko Tree Service showed up in 2 days with 3 guys. 1 guy climbed right to the top and started cutting. They worked hard. No Nonense. I will do the clean up to save $$$. I couldn't have been more pleased.
I had these fellas come to my property and level down over three acres of huge trees and thick heavy brush. They were very systematic in the process and had everything down and chipped up and removed within a week or so. The total cost was over $25,000 and I had them clear stumps from the road to make a road to connect with the lots we are subdividing.
I have had my tree trimming & removal buisness 20 yrs. most of the prices on here are fair. If you end up paying over $150 per hr. you should get other estimates next time. With 1 man & myself,getting tree down to ground level,chipping all limbs under firwood size, cutting larger wood into smaller chunks,and raking up when done, I average $60 per hr.
i put the web sight for kennedy tree service in the contractor box so everyone can find them. i had them remove a very large maple tree along side my house with power lines running through it. they climbed up with saws and ropes and had it down in one day. they were very professional and fun to work with. did a very good job.
Most of these prices seem a bit high to me. I have owned a tree service for 5 years ( http://kennedytreeservice.com ) I have one full time and one part time employee. I try to make $75-$100 per hour, that seems to be average for my area. If its an extremely challenging job I will go up to $150 per hour. Anything over that I think is a bit steep. Make sure to call around before you commit.
This guy rich Ely is the best and I would recommend him and his crew . His price was correct and he was honest when it was needed the most that was the most important thing. Just call him You will talk to him And only him then he came to my house and we made a plan and he did great a+!!!!
I seen a ad on craigslist for this company, they primarily do driveway sealcoating, but offer tree cutting services, they came with 3 guys, cut down my oak tree that was 4 feet from my house, in 4.5 hours, to the stump, worked total of 10 hours, cut all the pieces in fire wood size chunks, split it all and stacked it measured the amount of wood the tree gave, was about 1.25 cord. I did not want the wood, they offered to sell the wood for me no cost, they did the advertisement for me and the wood sold on craigslist for $300.00, a guy came paid me and picked the wood up and I made my money partially back for the tree removal I very pleased with the work, and this company gave me the cheapest stump removal service which the money I made for the wood paid for it. I am very pleased with the service and the cleanup all the limbs and other debris was removed. This company was very professional and very safe. I recommend them to anyone.
Found this company on Google maps. The climber took his time and had everything roped down safely avoiding my house and wires. The cleanup and removal of debris left me with a good sense of normalcy. Defiantly recommend