Tree Removal Cost: A Price Chart by Height, Plus What Moves It
Most removals land between a few hundred dollars and about two thousand. Where yours lands depends on the tree, the yard and what the crew has to carry out.
Prices here are ranges, not offers. The provider you are connected with sets the real price in writing after seeing the tree.
Tree removal cost is set on site for a reason: the same 60-foot tree can be a $900 job in an open yard and a $3,000 job leaning over a house. The chart below is a starting point, not a bid.
Tree removal price chart
Height is the first thing every pricing guide sorts by, because it roughly predicts how long the job takes and how much wood comes out.
| Height | Typical range | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 ft | $150 to $500 | Crabapple, redbud, young maple |
| 30 to 60 ft | $500 to $1,000 | Most yard maples, Bradford pears, mid-size pines |
| 60 to 80 ft | $800 to $1,500 | Mature oaks, sweetgums, tall loblolly pines |
| Over 80 ft | $2,000 and up | Old shade trees, anything needing a crane |
These ranges assume reasonable access and nothing fragile underneath. They usually include cutting, chipping the brush and basic cleanup. They usually do not include the stump.
Cost to remove a tree: the six things that move it
- Height and trunk width. More wood, more cuts, more time. A wide trunk also means heavier rounds to lower and haul.
- Species. Oak and hickory are dense and heavy; pine is lighter but pitchy. Weight changes how pieces are rigged.
- Access. A chipper at the base of the tree is fast. Brush dragged 150 feet from a fenced backyard is slow.
- What is underneath. A roof, a pool, a greenhouse or a service wire means every piece gets lowered on a rope.
- Condition. Dead, split or hollow wood is handled slowly, and sometimes from a lift instead of a climb.
- What leaves the property. Hauling a full trunk of hardwood can be a big share of the price. Keeping the rounds cuts it.
Crane time is billed separately when it is needed, and crane jobs on very large trees can run into several thousand dollars. The large tree removal page explains when a crane saves money rather than adding it.
How much to cut down a tree versus remove it
"Cut down" and "remove" are priced differently. On a rural lot or at the edge of woods, some owners just want the tree dropped and left, or cut into rounds for firewood, which skips most of the chipping and hauling, often the slowest part of the day.
In a suburban yard the tree rarely has room to be dropped whole, so cutting and removal become the same job. The tree cutting services page covers how a crew picks the method.
Tree removal prices after a storm
After a hurricane or ice storm, demand jumps overnight. Crews triage: trees on houses first, then trees across driveways, then everything else. Emergency and after-hours work is priced higher than a planned removal, and that is normal.
Insurance changes who pays, not what it costs. Many standard homeowners policies pay for debris removal when a tree knocked down by wind or ice hits a covered structure or blocks the driveway, commonly up to $500 per tree and $1,000 per loss. The details are on the page about who pays for tree removal.
What is usually not in the price
- Stump grinding, often $2 to $5 per inch of stump diameter with a minimum charge; see stump grinding.
- Hauling the trunk wood, if the scope says brush only.
- Permit fees and any replacement planting the city requires.
- An arborist report, if a permit calls for one.
- Repairs to a fence or roof the tree already damaged. That is a roofer or fence crew, and often an insurance claim.
Why nobody gives a firm price over the phone
Because the price lives in details a phone call cannot see: the lean, the rot pocket at the base, the wire running through the crown, the gate that is two inches too narrow. A provider who names a firm number without looking is guessing, and guesses tend to grow on removal day. The call books the visit; the visit sets the price.
Tree removal cost: common questions
Why do two companies quote such different prices?
Usually because the scopes differ, with one price including hauling the trunk and grinding the stump and the other leaving both behind for you to deal with. Compare scopes first.
Is a dead tree cheaper to remove than a live one?
Often the opposite. Dead wood is brittle, so crews climb less, rig more carefully or bring a lift, and a tree that has been dead for several seasons can cost more than a healthy one of the same size.
Does winter removal cost less?
Planned work in late fall and winter is often easier to schedule, and frozen ground spares the lawn. Whether the price drops depends on the company and how busy they are.
Do I pay for the permit?
Usually, yes, either directly or as a line on the price. Fees vary by city from nothing to a few hundred dollars, and some cities require replacement planting.
Will insurance cover the cost?
Sometimes, and only in specific cases: typically when a covered peril brings the tree down onto a covered structure or across the driveway. Routine removal of a standing tree is almost never covered.