The short answer
Tree removal is priced by the tree, and three things set the price of each one: how tall it is, what is underneath and around it, and what condition it is in. Height decides how much wood there is and whether the crew needs a bucket truck or a crane. The surroundings decide whether the tree can be dropped in one piece or has to be taken apart limb by limb and lowered on ropes. Condition matters because a dead or leaning tree is unpredictable and cannot always be climbed safely.
Published 2026 averages put a typical removal somewhere between $400 and $1,200, with large or difficult trees running well past $3,000. Those figures agree with each other more than they appear to. They describe different trees. The calculator above separates the factors so you can see which one a quote is charging for.
How the calculator works
- Base price per tree. Each height band has a low, typical, and high price for cutting down a healthy, standing tree in an open yard and hauling away the debris.
- Access and condition. The base price is multiplied by an access factor (open yard 1.0, close to a house or fence 1.2, over a structure or near power lines 1.5) and a condition factor (healthy 1.0, dead or leaning 1.2, already on the ground 0.6).
- Service options. Emergency service multiplies the tree price by 1.5. Leaving the wood on site takes 10% off. The local cost level multiplies by 0.9, 1.0, or 1.2.
- Stumps and permits. Stump grinding is added per stump, and a permit is a flat amount.
The formula is: total = sum of (trees × base price × access factor × condition factor × service factors × local factor) + stumps × stump price + permit.
Cost assumptions
Price to remove one healthy, standing tree with open access, debris hauled away, national baseline. These are planning ranges compiled from published 2026 tree service cost guides, not quotes.
| Tree height | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small, under 30 ft | $200 | $400 | $750 |
| Medium, 30 to 60 ft | $450 | $900 | $1,700 |
| Large, 60 to 80 ft | $900 | $1,700 | $3,000 |
| Very large, over 80 ft | $1,500 | $2,800 | $5,000 |
| Addition | Unit | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stump grinding | Per stump | $120 | $250 | $450 |
| Tree removal permit | Flat | $50 | $150 | $400 |
Eight jobs, priced
National baseline, healthy standing trees unless noted.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| One small tree, open yard | $200 | $400 | $750 |
| One medium tree, open yard, stump ground | $570 | $1,150 | $2,150 |
| One medium tree close to the house, stump ground | $660 | $1,330 | $2,490 |
| One large tree, open yard, stump ground | $1,020 | $1,950 | $3,450 |
| One large tree over a structure, stump ground | $1,470 | $2,800 | $4,950 |
| One very large tree close to the house, stump ground | $1,920 | $3,610 | $6,450 |
| Three medium trees, open yard, stumps ground | $1,710 | $3,450 | $6,450 |
| One medium tree close to the house, emergency service | $810 | $1,620 | $3,060 |
A tree that has already fallen and is lying clear of any structure is the cheapest case. Cutting up and hauling a downed medium tree runs about $270 to $1,020.
What drives the price
- Height and trunk diameter. Taller trees have more wood, need more rigging, and take longer. A thick trunk adds cutting time and disposal weight. Dense hardwoods such as oak cost more to handle than pine of the same height.
- What the tree could hit. In an open yard a crew can fell a tree in one cut. Next to a roof, a fence, a pool, or a septic field, every section has to be roped and lowered. This is the largest single multiplier on most quotes.
- Equipment access. A bucket truck or chipper that can reach the tree saves hours. A backyard tree behind a narrow gate means climbing and carrying everything out by hand.
- Condition. Dead wood is brittle and may not hold a climber or a rigging line. Leaning, storm-damaged, and partly fallen trees are under tension and need slower, more careful work.
- Multiple trunks. A tree that splits into several large stems near the ground is closer to two or three trees in labor.
- Cleanup. Chipping the brush, hauling the logs, and raking the lawn are usually included, but not always. Keeping the wood for firewood, cut to length where it falls, lowers the price.
- Timing. Emergency calls after a storm cost 50% to 100% more than scheduled work.
Stump grinding and stump removal
These are different services. Grinding uses a machine to chew the stump down to several inches below the surface. The roots stay in the ground and decay over the following years. It is quick, leaves a pile of wood chips, and is what most homeowners want. It is commonly priced at a few dollars per inch of stump diameter, with a minimum charge, which is why a single stump usually costs $120 to $450.
Full stump removal digs out the stump and the main roots. It leaves a large hole, costs considerably more, and is only necessary when you plan to build, pave, or replant in exactly the same spot. Ask whether the quote includes hauling away the chips and filling the hole with topsoil. Many do not. Each additional stump on the same visit usually costs less than the first.
Remove, or prune and keep?
A mature tree adds shade and curb appeal and takes decades to replace, so removal is worth a second look. A certified arborist can often tell you in one visit whether the tree can be kept.
Removal usually makes sense when:
- The tree is dead, or more than about half of the crown is dead or dying.
- The trunk is hollow, split, or has large cavities or fungus growing at the base.
- The tree has started to lean, or the soil is lifting on one side of the roots.
- Roots are damaging a foundation, a sewer line, or a driveway.
- It is too close to the house for its mature size.
Pruning, cabling, or treatment may be enough when:
- The problem is confined to a few dead or overhanging limbs.
- A structurally weak fork can be supported with a cable or brace.
- A pest or disease has been caught early and is treatable.
Permits, protected trees, and power lines
Many cities regulate tree removal on private property. Common triggers are a trunk diameter above a set size, a protected or heritage species, and trees in the public right of way next to the street. Some ordinances require replacement planting or a fee. Homeowner associations and historic districts can add their own rules. Call the planning or urban forestry office before you sign a contract, and ask the tree company who is responsible for pulling the permit.
Trees touching or growing close to overhead power lines are a special case. Do not attempt the work, and do not let an ordinary tree crew attempt it. Call the electric utility. Utilities often trim or remove trees that threaten their lines at no charge, and work near energized lines is restricted to specially qualified line-clearance crews. Before any stump is ground, call 811 to have buried utilities marked.
Who pays: insurance and neighbors
Homeowners insurance treats a tree as a cause of damage, not as something to maintain. If a tree falls on your house, garage, or fence because of wind, lightning, or the weight of ice and snow, a standard policy typically covers the repair and pays something toward removing the tree, often capped at $500 to $1,000. If a tree falls in the yard and hits nothing, most policies pay nothing, though some cover removal when the tree blocks a driveway or an accessibility ramp. Preventive removal of a risky tree is your own expense.
When a neighbor's tree falls on your property, your own insurer normally handles the claim. The neighbor is generally liable only if they knew, or should have known, that the tree was hazardous. If a neighboring tree worries you, put the concern in writing and keep a dated copy with photos. Our step-by-step guide to insurance claims explains what to document after a storm.
How to compare tree removal quotes
Prices for the same tree can differ by a factor of two, and the cheapest bid is often cheapest because the company carries no insurance. Get three written quotes and check that each one states:
- Which trees, identified so there is no confusion on the day.
- Whether the stump is ground, how deep, and what happens to the chips.
- Whether all brush and logs are hauled away and the lawn is raked.
- What equipment will come onto the lawn or driveway, and who repairs ruts or cracks.
- Who obtains the permit, if one is required.
- Proof of both liability insurance and workers compensation, sent to you directly by the insurer.
Ask whether an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist is on staff. Be cautious about anyone who knocks on the door after a storm, asks for full payment in advance, or proposes to "top" a tree, which is a discredited practice that weakens it. For vetting companies in general, see our guide to finding the right contractors.
Timeline
Most single-tree removals take a crew two to six hours. A very large tree or one that needs a crane can take a full day or more. Scheduling is the longer wait: a few days to a few weeks in a normal season, and much longer after a regional storm. Permit review, where required, adds anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Keep the paperwork
Keep the contract, the paid invoice, the company's certificate of insurance, any permit, and photos of the tree before and after. If an arborist wrote a report on the tree's condition, keep that too. These records settle questions with insurers, neighbors, and the city, and a buyer's inspector may ask why a large tree near the foundation was taken out. Routine tree removal is generally treated as maintenance for tax purposes, not as an improvement that adds to your home's basis. The home maintenance cost calculator helps you budget for it.
What the estimate leaves out
The calculator does not price crane rental as a separate line, full stump and root excavation, trimming or pruning of trees you are keeping, land or lot clearing priced by the acre, repair of lawns, driveways, fences, or irrigation lines, replacement planting, or arborist reports. It does not subtract anything an insurer or utility may pay. Treat the result as a range to test quotes against.
Cost assumptions last reviewed November 2026. See our calculator methodology.