How much to charge for tree removal
Tree removal is priced by risk and access, not by the tree. The same species at the same height can be a two-hour fell or a full day of rigging.
Below: the published wage for this work, why your billing rate has to be well above it, how this job is actually priced, and what moves the number. Put your own rate into the generator and you get a real itemized estimate built on it.
Generate this estimate now
Describe the job in plain words. No email needed to see your first estimate — about fifteen seconds for a small job, a little longer for a big one.
What you get — see the format first
A complete estimate you can send to the customer, built from the rate you enter:
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor — itemized by task | hrs | hour | your rate | — |
| Materials — with your markup applied | qty | ea / sq ft | cost + markup | — |
| Permits, disposal, access | — | — | — | — |
Plus a plain-English scope summary, assumptions (what had to be guessed), exclusions (what you are not doing — the section that prevents most change-order arguments), and a validity period. Printable, or send the link.
Every figure comes from the rate and markup you supply. We never fill in a market price for you.
How tree removal is priced
Removals are built from crew-hours plus equipment, then sanity-checked against a per-tree figure for the height and diameter class. The real variable is whether the tree can be felled in one piece or has to be dismantled and roped down in sections over something that must not be damaged. Stump grinding, debris haul-away and chipping are separate lines, because customers often want the tree gone but the stump left, or the wood kept.
What moves the number
- Whether there is a safe drop zone, or the tree must be sectioned and rigged down
- Proximity to the house, fences, sheds, pools, septic fields and neighbouring property
- Power lines — anything near a service drop changes the crew, the method and the liability
- Height and trunk diameter, which set the class of gear and the size of crew
- Tree condition: dead, storm-damaged or rotten wood is unpredictable and slower to climb
- Equipment access for a chipper, lift or crane, including gate widths and soft lawns
- Volume and disposal of debris, plus whether the customer wants the wood bucked and left
How tree removal gets underpriced
- Pricing on height alone and ignoring that the drop zone is a glass conservatory
- Leaving stump grinding ambiguous, so it becomes an argument at the end of the job
- Not charging for haul-away and dump fees on a big hardwood
- Underestimating cleanup — raking, blowing and rut repair on a wet lawn is its own half day
- Quoting a crane or lift job at climbing rates because the customer said the tree is small
Related guides
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junk removal · handyman work · lawn care · gutter cleaning · bathroom remodel
Estimate templates by trade
tree service · tile installation · bathroom remodel · kitchen remodel · HVAC · plumbing · electrical · painting
How to estimate
How to write a contractor estimate · Estimate vs quote vs bid — and which one you should send · What to include in a contractor estimate · How to price a job as a contractor · Should you charge for estimates? · How to follow up on an estimate · How to handle change orders · Estimate vs invoice: what's the difference? · How to raise your prices as a contractor