How much does tree removal cost?
Tree removal is priced on risk and access first, size second. A large tree in an open field can cost less than a smaller one leaning over a roof or a power line, because the second has to come down in controlled pieces rather than be felled.
Why there is no average price on this page
LandWorkPro does not publish an average price for this work. We only publish figures drawn from closed, paid jobs, and our anonymity floor requires at least five contributing operators before a number goes out. We are not there yet for this trade. The method below is how the price is built, so you can check any quote you are given against it.
What actually drives the number
- What is underneath it
- Roof, fence, pool, driveway or power line. A tree that can be felled in one piece is a fraction of the cost of the same tree that must be dismantled and lowered on ropes.
- Access for equipment
- Whether a bucket truck or crane can reach the tree is often the single biggest factor. No access means climbing, which multiplies hours.
- Height and spread, not just trunk diameter
- Canopy spread drives how many cuts and how much rigging. A wide, low tree and a tall narrow one at the same diameter are different jobs.
- Condition
- Dead, storm damaged or rotten wood cannot be climbed or rigged the same way and carries real risk. It is often more expensive to remove than a healthy tree of the same size.
- Debris and the stump
- Chipping brush, hauling logs, and grinding the stump are separate scopes. A quote can legitimately exclude all three, so check.
- Utilities
- Anything near a service drop or a primary line may require the utility to attend or de energise. That is scheduling, not just price.
Work out your own number
The free crew day calculator takes your rate, your acreage and the site conditions and returns your crew days and your break even. No account needed.
Open the crew day calculatorCommon questions
Why is a small tree sometimes more expensive than a big one?
Because price follows risk and access, not size. A forty foot tree in an open paddock can be felled in one cut. A twenty five foot tree leaning over a conservatory has to come down in pieces, each one lowered under control. The second takes far longer and carries far more risk.
Is the stump included?
Usually not. Taking the stump out is a separate operation with its own equipment, and it is commonly quoted as a separate line. Ask explicitly rather than assuming, because the difference is meaningful.
What about the tree near a power line?
Anything close to a service drop or primary conductor is not a job to shop on price. The utility may need to attend or de energise the line, and a contractor who does not raise that is telling you something about how they work.