Tree removal typically runs $400–$2,000+ depending on height, trunk diameter, and risk; trimming runs $250–$900 and stump grinding $100–$400. The single biggest lever is risk — the same tree costs far more leaning over a house than standing in an open field — followed by access, equipment, and how the wood gets hauled off.
Typical ranges for common residential tree work. These are not per-foot rates — they reflect total job risk, time, equipment, and debris disposal.
| Service | Typical range | Drives the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal (<30 ft) | $400–$800 | Height, access | Open yard, simple drop |
| Medium removal (30–60 ft) | $800–$1,500 | Diameter, rigging | Often needs sectioning down |
| Large removal (60 ft+) | $1,500–$3,000+ | Risk, equipment | Crane/bucket near structures |
| Trimming / pruning | $250–$900 | Size, canopy | Per tree; big oaks run higher |
| Stump grinding | $100–$400 | Diameter, access | Per stump or per inch; min applies |
| Emergency / storm | Premium | Risk, urgency | After-hours, downed limbs on structures |
Ranges are conservative 2026 ballparks; hazardous, crane-assisted, or very large removals exceed them. Bid your own risk and equipment cost. See Claver for tree service.
There is no honest per-foot price for tree work, and any estimator who quotes one is guessing. You price the risk, the access, and the time — not the tree. A 50-foot pine in an open field and a 50-foot pine leaning over a roof toward a power line are the same tree and two completely different jobs. Here is how experienced crews bid it.
Walk up to any tree and ask three questions before you think about a number: What does it hit if it goes wrong? How do I get equipment to it? How do I get the wood out? Those answers, far more than the height, set the price.
A tree you can fell in one piece into an open yard is the cheapest scenario there is — a few cuts and you're chipping. The moment there's a house, a fence, a pool, a neighbor's garage, or a service drop within drop distance, you can no longer just drop it. You have to climb it or reach it and take it down in controlled sections, rigging each piece so it lowers instead of falls. That is slow, skilled, dangerous work, and it is what the price reflects. The same logic runs through trimming and stump grinding: hard-to-reach and high-consequence always costs more.
Build a removal bid from the factors that actually consume time and risk:
Roughly, a simple small removal lands $400–$800, a medium tree that needs sectioning $800–$1,500, and a large or hazardous removal $1,500–$3,000+ — more when a crane or bucket truck is the only safe way in.
For big removals over structures, a crane or bucket truck is often the safer and ultimately cheaper option even though the day rate looks high — it turns a multi-day climb-and-rig job into hours and dramatically cuts the risk of a piece going through a roof. Price the equipment into the bid honestly; don't try to win the job by leaving the crane out and then climbing something you shouldn't.
Trimming runs roughly $250–$900 per tree, driven by the tree's size, how much canopy you're touching, and access. Light deadwooding on a small ornamental is at the bottom; crown reduction or thinning on a mature oak with a wide canopy is at the top. Be specific in the quote about what you're doing — deadwood removal, crown thinning, clearance from the roofline, raising the canopy — because "trim my tree" means ten different scopes and the price follows the scope. Avoid topping; it's bad arboriculture and a callback risk, and a good estimator prices proper pruning instead.
Stump grinding usually runs $100–$400 for a typical stump, priced either by stump diameter or as a per-inch rate (measured across the stump at ground level) with a minimum. The cost drivers are diameter, the size of the root flare, and access for the grinder — a stump behind a locked gate or on a slope costs more. Decide up front whether hauling the grindings is included or extra, and say so in the quote; a big grind leaves a surprising volume of chips. Most crews discount grinding when it's added to a removal they're already on site for, since the mobilization is already paid.
Beyond the job itself, two things shape what a fair tree price has to be:
Tree work lives and dies on clear scope and fast follow-through: a written estimate that spells out exactly what's coming down or getting cut, who hauls the wood, and what the stump costs. Once the saw work is handled, Claver runs the rest of the business — estimates, scheduling the crew and equipment, invoicing, and getting paid — so the office work doesn't pile up while you're forty feet up a trunk.
Claver handles the business side of tree work — written estimates, crew and equipment scheduling, invoicing, and card or Stripe payment. Start free; upgrade only when the calendar fills.