Tree service estimate template — and a generator that fills it in
Access and proximity to structures set the price on tree work, not trunk diameter. Here's the structure, plus a generator.
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.
An estimating spreadsheet that opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets, or prints to PDF. Pre-filled with the line items a tree service estimate should contain, plus a checklist of what tree service estimating most often leaves out — so you price it before you send, not after.
- Blank — the line items, ready to price by hand.
- Auto-calculating — same sheet with the maths built in; type a quantity and a rate and it totals itself. Formulas work in Excel and Google Sheets.
- Printable — a clean one-page layout to fill in on site or save as PDF.
How tree service jobs are bid
Tree work is bid in crew-hours plus equipment, then sanity-checked against a per-tree figure for the height and diameter class. The variable is never the tree, it is the drop zone: whether it can be felled whole or has to be dismantled and roped down over something that must not be damaged. Stump, debris and haul-away are separate decisions the customer should make explicitly.
What a tree service estimate should contain
- Tree count, species, approximate height and trunk diameter
- Removal versus trim, and the trim standard if trimming
- Proximity to structures, fences and power lines
- Access method — climbing, bucket truck, or crane
- Rigging and technical takedown where the tree cannot be dropped
- Stump grinding, with depth and whether the grindings stay
- Debris — chipped on site, hauled away, or logs left cut
- Traffic control or permits where the drop zone is public
- Labor as crew hours × rate, with crew size
What gets left out of tree service estimates
- Crane cost when the drop zone is too tight to rig conventionally
- Stump grinding assumed to be included when it was quoted separately
- Utility coordination when limbs are inside the power-line clearance zone
- Municipal permits for protected or heritage species
- Lawn damage from equipment, and whether repair is yours
Your prices, not internet averages
Generic AI quotes national averages. BidWand builds a price book from every estimate you send and every rate you correct, so by the fifth bid it prices like you do — your labor rate, your markup, your exclusions.
Related guides
How much to charge
tree removal · pressure washing · interior painting · drywall repair · junk removal
Estimate templates by trade
pressure washing · junk removal · siding · masonry · excavation · asphalt paving · window installation · deck building
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