The price of taking down a tree is set mostly by its height, then by how hard the site is to work and what you want done with the stump and the wood. The estimator above turns those choices into a low-to-high range with every charge on its own line, so you can hold it against a contractor's quote item by item.
How to use the estimator and what to measure
Choose a height band, describe the site and the tree's condition, then tick the extras; the result updates as you go. Left at its starting settings (one healthy tree of 30 to 60 feet, or 9 to 18 m, in an open yard, with the stump ground and the debris hauled away), it shows $700 to $1,685.
Measure the height rather than guessing, because the band drives most of the price. On a sunny day, measure your own shadow and the tree's shadow at the same moment, then multiply the tree's shadow by your height and divide by your shadow. A person 5.5 feet (1.7 m) tall casting a 4-foot (1.2 m) shadow, beside a tree with a 40-foot (12 m) shadow, is looking at a 55-foot (17 m) tree. If your answer lands within a few feet of a band edge, price both bands.
Then work through the rest of the form:
- How many trees. Up to 10 on one visit. With two or more trees, every tree's removal price drops 10% to 25%.
- Condition. Healthy, or dead, dying or storm-damaged.
- The site. An open yard, where a truck or bucket truck can reach the tree and there is room to drop it whole; a tight or risky spot, meaning near the house, a fence, other trees or power lines, hanging over a roof, or in a yard so tight or steep that the crew must climb; or a job that needs a crane.
- Power lines touching the tree. Tick this and the estimator gives no price at all, only a prompt to call your electric utility.
- Extras. Stump grinding, haul-away, log splitting, emergency or after-hours work, a travel fee for remote properties, and a city permit.
It also helps to know the trunk diameter at 4.5 feet (1.4 m) off the ground, the measurement tree permits use. Wrap a tape around the trunk and divide by 3.14: a 63-inch (160 cm) circumference means a trunk about 20 inches (51 cm) across. The estimator does not ask for it, but a trunk over 24 inches (61 cm) wide costs markedly more to take apart, so expect quotes for a thick tree to sit toward the top of its band.
How the estimate is calculated
The estimate starts from a national price band for the tree's height, applies the adjustments that fit your site, and then adds each extra as a separate line.
| Tree height | Typical removal price |
|---|---|
| Under 30 ft (under 9 m) | $175–$445 |
| 30–60 ft (9–18 m) | $450–$1,035 |
| 60–80 ft (18–24 m) | $860–$1,350 |
| Over 80 ft (over 24 m) | $1,180–$2,000 |
Medians of four national cost surveys published in 2025 and 2026, for one tree in an open, accessible spot.
Each band's low end is the median of the low prices in four national cost surveys published in 2025 and 2026. Its high end is the median of their high prices, so no single company sets the range. The surveys disagree most on mid-size trees, whose top price runs from $700 to $1,500 depending on the survey, so a quote above the band is not automatically high. Taller trees cost more because every extra foot means more climbing or lift time, more limbs lowered to the ground in pieces and more wood to cut up.
| What changes the price | Effect |
|---|---|
| Tight or risky site (near the house or power lines, over a roof, climbing only) | 25%–50% more |
| Dead, dying or storm-damaged tree | Up to 15% more |
| Emergency, same-day or after-hours work | 2 to 3 times the price |
| Several trees in one visit | 10%–25% less per tree |
Adjustments reported by national cost surveys. One site premium covers every kind of tight or risky spot.
The estimator applies those adjustments in a fixed order, under four rules:
- A tight or risky site adds one premium. A tree beside the house, near a line and reachable only by climbing gets one premium, not three, because they overlap: each means slow, piece-by-piece work instead of dropping the tree whole, and the cost surveys give a single figure for all of them. A crane job also counts as a tight site and adds a crane day.
- Poor condition raises only the top of the range. A dead tree can cost less, because soft, decayed wood cuts easily, or more, because brittle limbs make climbing unsafe and may call for a lift. Cost surveys disagree on the direction, so the low end stays where it is.
- The multi-tree discount and the emergency multiplier touch only the removal line. Stump grinding, haul-away and the other extras keep their normal price. The second and later stumps are priced at the lower extra-stump rate.
- Each line is rounded to the nearest $5, and the total is the sum of the lines, so the breakdown always adds up.
Worked example: a 70-foot tree beside the house
A healthy 70-foot (21 m) tree stands close to the house, a bucket truck can reach it, and you want the stump ground and the wood hauled away.
- Base price, 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m): $860 to $1,350.
- Near the house: $860 × 1.25 = $1,075 at the low end, and $1,350 × 1.5 = $2,025 at the high end.
- Stump grinding: $150 to $450.
- Haul-away: $100 to $200.
- Total: $1,075 + $150 + $100 = $1,325, and $2,025 + $450 + $200 = $2,675.
Now suppose a storm has split the same tree and you need it down the same day. Storm damage lifts the high end by 15%: $2,025 × 1.15 = $2,328.75. Emergency work then doubles the low end and triples the high end: $1,075 × 2 = $2,150, and $2,328.75 × 3 = $6,986.25, which rounds to $6,985. With the same stump and haul-away lines, the total becomes $2,400 to $7,635, and the top of that range is nearly three times the scheduled one.
Why a real quote can land outside the range
Urban lots cost more than rural ones, where a crew has room to work. A remote rural job may carry a travel fee of $50 to $200 instead. Prices also shift by state: one 2026 national cost survey puts typical removals at $300 to $850 in Texas, $350 to $650 in Colorado, $650 to $1,300 in California and $750 to $1,500 in Florida. Height sets most of the price, but some species, such as ash, bur oak and maple, cost more because they are harder to take apart.
What a quote covers and what costs extra
A removal price pays for felling the tree and cutting it up; the stump, the wood and the cleanup are often separate charges. Some companies bundle stump grinding, chipping, log splitting and haul-away into one figure, while others itemize each, which is why two quotes for the same tree can look far apart.
| Add-on | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Stump grinding, first stump | $150–$450 |
| Each extra stump on the same visit | $40–$75 |
| Hauling away wood and debris, per tree | $100–$200 |
| Splitting logs for firewood, per tree | $50–$100 |
| Crane, per day | $250–$600 |
| Travel fee for remote properties | $50–$200 |
| City permit, where required | $60–$150 |
Charged on top of the removal price when a quote lists them separately.
Before you compare two quotes, make sure each one states:
- Whether the stump is ground, and to what depth.
- Whether the grindings are taken away and the hole backfilled with soil.
- Whether logs and brush are hauled off, left in rounds, split or chipped on site.
- How the lawn and beds will be cleaned up.
- Who applies for any permit, and whether a crane or travel fee is included.
Grind the stump, leave it or dig it out
Grinding is the quickest and safest way to deal with a stump, and it is the right choice wherever you will mow, build or plant. A grinder chews out the stump and the large surface roots to 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) below ground. Arborists price grinding by the stump's width at its widest point, usually $2 to $5 per inch with a $100 to $150 minimum. National cost surveys put a typical first stump at $150 to $450.
Crews leave the mound of grindings and an open hole unless you ask for more, and removal and backfill usually cost extra. If you will lay turf over the spot, have the grindings taken out and topsoil brought in first. The cubic yard calculator sizes the fill, and the sod calculator works out how many pieces to order for the patch.
Leaving the stump costs nothing, but it can take 10 or more years to rot. To cut that to one to three years, drill 1-inch (2.5 cm) holes at least 10 inches (25 cm) deep and no more than 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Add about 4 ounces (113 g) of slow-release fertilizer to each hole, choosing one high in nitrates for the fastest decay, and cover the holes with soil. Some species sprout again from the stump. Painting glyphosate, triclopyr or imazapyr on the living ring just inside the bark right after the cut reduces regrowth. Herbicide poured into an old stump does not speed decay; it only leaches into the soil and can damage nearby plants.
Digging a stump out by hand is practical only below about 12 inches (30 cm) across. Do not burn one: stump fires can smolder for days, fuels soak into the soil, and many towns ban the practice. Before any digging, call 811, the free call-before-you-dig number, to have buried lines marked; many places require it by law.
Remove, prune or cable: does the tree need to come down?
A tree should come down when it is dead or dying, or poses a risk that pruning or cabling cannot fix. Removal also makes sense when it blocks something pruning will never clear, crowds out better trees, or stands where construction must go. Anything short of that deserves an arborist's opinion first, because pruning or support work may fix the problem and keep the tree.
These signs call for an assessment:
- Large dead branches, or broken ones hanging in the canopy.
- Cracks or splits in the trunk or where big limbs join it.
- Cavities, rotten wood or mushrooms at the base.
- Loose bark, or leaves that come out unusually small or yellow.
- Recent trenching, grade changes or new paving over the root zone.
- A tree that was topped in the past.
- Cracks or heaving in the soil at the base, especially if the tree leans.
That last sign is a warning that the roots may be failing. The alternatives an arborist may offer include pruning out the defective limbs to the ANSI A300 pruning standard, installing cables or braces to support weak stems, or routine care. Cables and braces lower the odds of failure but do not guarantee against it.
Hiring an arborist and reading the quote
Hire a company that employs an ISA Certified Arborist, carries liability and workers' compensation insurance, and puts the scope and the price in writing.
- Credentials. Look for an ISA Certified Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist on the crew, and membership in the International Society of Arboriculture, the Tree Care Industry Association or the American Society of Consulting Arborists. Some states and communities also license arborists, so check that the company holds any license yours requires.
- Company accreditation. TCIA Accreditation means an in-person audit has checked the whole business, not one person: its staff training, its compliance with state and federal safety rules, its insurance and any licenses the state requires.
- Safety standard. Ask whether the crew works to ANSI Z133, the US safety standard for tree work.
- Insurance. Ask for certificates of liability and workers' compensation insurance, then call the insurer to confirm the policy is current. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, you could be held liable.
- Paperwork. The contract should give the date, the exact scope and the total price. Never pay in advance; pay when the work is done.
- Bids. Get more than one estimate and call references. The lowest bid is not automatically the best, so compare the written specifications and credentials, not just the price.
- Door knockers. Be wary of crews that turn up offering a bargain because they are working in the neighborhood.
Why large-tree removal is not DIY work
Felling a large tree combines work at height, chainsaws and heavy falling wood. Tree work kills about 100 people in the US each year, many of them homeowners or small contractors without the training or gear.
The safe homeowner limit is a small tree or branch already lying fully on the ground. Never climb a ladder with a chainsaw, and leave large trees, trees or limbs resting on buildings or cars, and anything near a power line to a professional.
Your utility may prune or remove a tree that threatens its lines at no charge; Florida Power & Light, for example, clears its lines free and removes select trees that pruning cannot manage. Trimming beyond what the utility needs is the owner's to pay for, and near a line it is work for a qualified line-clearance contractor. In the estimator, a line within reach of the tree makes it a tight or risky site; a line touching the tree stops the estimate.
Permits, storm damage, insurance and free help
Check local rules and your insurance before you schedule, because a permit or a claim can change who pays and when the work may start.
Permits and protected trees. Portland, Oregon, shows how strict a city can be: it requires a permit to remove any street tree and any private tree 12 inches (30 cm) or more across at 4.5 feet (1.4 m). Trees of any size can need one in its protected overlay zones. Settle in writing whether you or the contractor applies.
A tree on the house. Call your insurer before the tree comes off, unless it poses an immediate danger, because the adjuster may need to see the damage to price the claim. Policies rarely pay to take down a healthy tree as a precaution, so budget for that work yourself.
Assisted removal. For older rural homeowners with very low incomes, a USDA Section 504 repair grant is worth asking about when a tree is a genuine hazard to the home. The local USDA Rural Development office decides whether the work qualifies.
Ways to lower the cost, and what to plant next
The biggest savings come from planning the job before it becomes urgent, then trimming the extras you can handle yourself.
- Act before it is an emergency. A cracked or leaning tree removed on a schedule avoids the emergency premium shown in the worked example.
- Bundle the work. Take out every doubtful tree, and grind every stump, on one visit.
- Keep the wood. Skip haul-away if you burn firewood or can use chips as mulch; ask the crew to leave the logs in rounds and split them yourself.
- Leave a stump that is out of the way, and let it rot.
- Book the off-season. Demand peaks in summer and fall, so schedule anything that is not urgent for late winter, when crews are least busy.
Once the tree is gone, give its replacement room to reach full size. Within 15 feet (4.6 m) of overhead distribution lines, choose a tree that matures at 20 feet (6 m) or less. From 15 to 50 feet (4.6 to 15 m) away, pick one that tops out at 40 feet (12 m) or less, and keep large shade trees at least 50 feet (15 m) from the lines. Confirm that a candidate survives your winters with the plant hardiness checker before you buy. To try the new tree in your yard first, use Sow's design studio.