Tree Removal Cost Estimator

Tree Removal Cost Calculator will accurately estimate the costs associated with cutting and removing trees, as well as grinding down the stumps.

Tree cutting & removal can be expensive and dangerous, and is not recommended to do it yourself (when dealing with large trees).

However there are many companies specializing in cutting and removing trees, shrubs, etc., as well as grinding and/or removing stumps.

How to use this Tree Removal Calculator correctly, to get accurate cost estimate

1) Enter total number of trees you need to cut/remove.

2) ** Enter number of trees which are NEAR A STRUCTURE (within 5-10 feet) or driveways, decks or septic system, etc. These trees cannot be dropped to the ground, and each chunk needs to be lowered down from crate, to avoid property damage! Thus, cost to remove these trees is higher.

3) Enter average diameter of your trees. If you have a 40 inch tree and 10 inch tree, average would be 25 inches. This number is net critical, but still important for accurate cost estimating.

4) Select if you want to grind down the stumps, after trees are cut and removed. If yes, enter number of stumps to be grounded. Most tree companies grind stumps.

5) Select if you want to pull the stumps, after trees are cut and removed. If yes, enter number of stumps to be pulled.
NOTE: Most tree companies do not have their own excavators, and work with local excavation companies to pull stumps.

6) Select “Ease of Access”. If it would be difficult to drive a boom truck near the tree(s) that you need to cut OR there is a septic system or other obstruction in the way, select “Difficult” option. Otherwise leave as default (easy access).

How Much Does It Cost To Remove A Tree?

You can get more detailed price break downs in our complete Tree Cutting Cost Guide.

Cost To Cut Down A Tree Per Inch (diameter)

Typically, cutting down a medium to large size tree costs $7-$10 per inch of diameter.

In some cases it is advisable to cut a tree as soon as possible – for example when tree is sick and can fall down at any time, or is leaning above your house or driveway.

On average, homeowners report that removing a SINGLE medium size tree costs $350-750. Removing a large tree NEAR A STRUCTURE or ABOVE DRIVEWAY can cost $700-1,300+, and up depending on the size of the tree and difficulty of labor involved.

Removing 10 medium size trees from property will cost $2,300-3,500+ depending on the tree size and type, complexity of the project and local tree cutting labor rates.

Factors That Impact The Cost Of Removing A Tree

Tree cutting quotes from professional tree removal service companies will vary based on a number of factors. Here are the top ones to keep in mind, as you evaluate various prices estimates from the pros:

Size of the tree: the bigger the tree, the more expensive and time consuming it will be to remove.

A large tree can weigh as much as 75 tons, and a single section of its trunk can weigh as much as 5 tons. Cutting down such big trees requires a lot of care and expertise to ensure that nothing on your property gets damaged.

Type of tree: pine and palm trees are the cheapest and easiest to remove, while oak and maple trees costs the most to cut down

Location of the tree: if the tree is located next to any structure, such as a house or a garage, storage shed, etc. it will be much more expensive to remove than if its located away from any structures or wiring. Depending on the proximity to your home and the size of the tree, the upcharge for this job can be as much as 50-60%

Dead of fallen tree: removing dead or fallen trees is usually much cheaper, and can cost starting from $150-200 per tree. However, depending on its size and location, removing a fallen tree can cost as much as $400-850

Some normal looking trees may be dead or dying. Sure sign of this would be lack of leafs or big holes in the tree. However, even healthy looking trees may fall at any time, from stronger than usual winds. See image above.

Land clearing costs: if instead of removing individual trees, you need the land cleared, expect to spend $1,000 – 6,000+ per acre of land depending on a wide range of factors.

Stump Grinding and Removal Costs – often, homeowners have old tree stumps that they would like removed along with other trees. The service to grind and remove tree stumps costs $2-3 per inch of the stump. Depending on the size of the stump, this can translate into $120-600+ per stump.

Tree debris removal: often, the price quote to cut down a tree, does NOT include the cost of removing the debris left from the job. In these cases, tree cutting pros usually charge $50-100 per tree to either hall a way the debris or grind it up on site.

This is a very important aspect of the contract to discuss to ensure exactly what is included in the price estimate for tree removal. Otherwise, you may either be stuck with the debris or have to pay many hundreds of dollars extra to have it removed, that were not in your initial budget.

Local labor rates: the cost of tree cutting services varies greatly depending on where you live. In high-income areas such as cities along the West and East Coast, the cost of tree removal can be 20-30% higher than the cost of the same job in the South or the Midwest.

STUMP REMOVAL – VIDEO:

Cost Of Cutting Trees Yourself

If you have smaller trees – up-to 16 inches in diameter, and they are far enough from your house and/or and structures, fences, etc, it is feasible with proper safety precautions to cut these trees yourself, and save thousands of dollars in the process.

You can then use these trees for firewood, or as building materials, etc.

In this guide we will not cover “how to cut the tree” as that in itself is a vast subject, and is outside the scope of this calculator.

However, we will provide some recommendations as-to which tools you will need to do the job and how much they cost.

For trees that are less than 6″ in diameter, you can just use a “sawzall” or reciprocating saw with a wood cutting blade. For bigger trees, you will need a chainsaw. Here are our recommendations.

First – we recommend using battery-operated saws, as they do not require any gasoline, and need minimal maintenance. Another big benefit, is if you get a Makita or DeWalt or other know brand of power tools, the batteries can be interchanged and/or used with your other cordless power tools (drills, etc).

Best Tree Cutting Tools And Their Costs

NOTE: USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN CUTTING DOWN A TREE. THIS JOB CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. ALWAYS USE PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND PRACTICES! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND SAFETY OF OTHERS AROUND YOU AS WELL AS ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE, WHEN CUTTING THE TREES

Here are the most popular chainsaws. We suggest using 16″ or longer blade, as that would not limit you to only small trees!

Free Tree Removal

Many homeowners wonder if its actually possible to have tree removed free of charge. Unfortunately, this is more of a myth or “wishful thinking” in most cases.

Realistically, the only time you can have your tree removed for free is when you have a very large quantity of trees that are of high quality and value. For example, trees that can be used for fire-wood or to make furniture.

In these rare cases, you may find a local lumber company that would be interested to come and remove your trees for free, so that they can use them for their needs.

However, to get this kind of deal, you need to have a lot of high quality trees, and most homeowners don’t fall into this category.

Moreover, you should keep in mind that if you do strike a deal with a lumber company, you will have to bear 100% liability in case someone gets injured on your property, since these guys do not have insurance or real expertise in providing tree removal services.

Overall, its best to find a qualified tree removing service that has proper equipment, insurance and great references from locally completed projects.

NOTE: Besides the chainsaw, we also recommend using tree wedges, which help direct the tree fall, and make the job safer (when used correctly).

As you can see from the table above, the tools you would need to cat a tree (or multiple trees) can cost as little as $150, whereas hiring a tree removal company will cost at least $300-400, when you need to remove just one tree (prices go down, if you have more trees to cut & remove).