FREE TREE SERVICE TOOL

Free tree removal estimate template

Tree work is priced one tree at a time. Give each tree its own line with species, height, trunk diameter and a hazard rating, then add stump grinding, haul and chip, cleanup and permit. Most single-tree removals land between $400 and $2,000, with stump grinding another $100 to $400. Fill it in and download a print-ready PDF.

ESTIMATE

Estimate # Date Valid Until

BILL TO

JOB CONDITIONS

Work type Equipment required Wood and debris Crew hours estimated (all crew combined)

Trees and work items (one line per tree)

Description	Price	Qty	Line Total

Tree inventory (species, height, DBH, hazard)

Stump grinding terms

Credentials and insurance

Exclusions

Additional notes

Subtotal$0.00

Tax % $0.00

Job total$0.00

Revenue per crew-hour$0.00

Deposit due $0.00

This estimate is valid until the date shown above. Work is scheduled around weather and crane availability. A utility locate must be called before any stump grinding, and the customer marks irrigation heads, septic lines and invisible fence. Exclusions listed above are not part of this price.

What should a tree removal estimate include?

Tree work carries more liability per dollar than almost anything else in home services. The estimate is where you set the scope, the risk, and the price all at once.

One line per tree - species, approximate height, DBH, and the hazard note that explains the price to anyone reading it later
Access rating - open yard, near a structure, tight side yard, over a pool or a septic field, or a right-of-way that needs traffic control
Method and equipment - fell whole, climb and rig in sections, bucket truck, or crane, since the method is most of the labor number
Stump grinding - its own line, with the grind depth in inches and whether grindings, backfill, and seed are included
Wood and debris - haul everything, leave rounds stacked, leave chips, or chip on site, spelled out so nobody is surprised at dusk
Cleanup standard - rake, blow, and what "back to how we found it" means when a 60-foot oak has just been on the lawn
Permit - a pass-through line with the fee, and who pulls it, because protected and heritage trees are a local rule
Utility locate - the call before any grinding, and the customer marking irrigation, septic, and invisible fence
Credentials and insurance - ISA Certified Arborist number, TCIA accreditation, and a certificate of insurance sent direct from the carrier
Exclusions - root removal, lawn ruts, buried lines not marked, neighbor trees, and anything else you are not being paid for

How do I price a tree removal?

Price the risk and the hours, then check the number against your crew-hour target.

Start from what the tree costs you in time. A three-person crew with a chip truck, a climber, and a ground crew has a real hourly cost once you load wages, payroll burden, insurance, fuel, saw maintenance, and the truck payment. Tree service insurance alone is one of the highest premiums in home services, and it is why the guy with a pickup and a ladder can quote half your number and still lose money.

Then rate the tree. A 25-foot maple in an open yard is a two-hour job for that crew. The same maple at 65 feet, leaning toward a roof, with power service running through the canopy, is a full day with rigging, and possibly a crane and a bucket. That is the whole spread from $400 to $2,000 and up, and it is driven by height, DBH, lean, and what sits under the drop zone, not by species. Stump grinding sits on top at $100 to $400 for a typical stump, usually priced by diameter at ground level.

Check the job against revenue per crew-hour before you send it. If a $1,400 removal takes a three-person crew six hours, that is 18 crew-hours and $78 a crew-hour. Know the number you need and you will stop taking the jobs that look big and pay small. The tree removal pricing calculator builds the per-tree number from height and access, and the tree service pricing guide lays out ranges by job type.

Which tree estimate lines cause the arguments?

Four items account for most tree service disputes, and all four are settled with one sentence each on the estimate.

The stump - "removal" does not mean the stump goes away. Say whether grinding is included, how deep, and what happens to the grindings. This is the single most common tree service argument in the trade
The wood - a customer who wanted firewood and got an empty yard is unhappy, and so is the customer who wanted an empty yard and got two cords of rounds. Pick one in writing
The lawn - a loaded chip truck and a stump grinder leave ruts. Say that ruts and turf damage in the work path are expected and excluded, or price the repair in
The neighbor's tree - if the trunk is on their side of the line, it is their tree, no matter which yard the branches shade. Confirm the property line before the saw comes out

Two credentials do the selling for you. ISA Certified Arborist means somebody on the job passed an exam on tree biology and risk assessment. ANSI A300 is the American National Standard for tree care operations, and ANSI Z133 is the safety standard the industry works to. Naming them on the estimate is not marketing, it is the difference between a professional bid and a number scribbled on a business card.

Once the job is sold, keep it on one record. Claver for tree service companies holds the estimate, the crew schedule, the photos, and the invoice together, and pricing starts at $1 for 14 days, then $19/mo. For the crew-hour math on a whole route of work, the job profit margin calculator shows what each job returned after crew cost.

Related tree service tools

Tree removal pricing calculator A price range from tree size and how hard it is to reach. Stump grinding and brush haul are add-ons. Customer lifetime value calculator What one customer is worth over the years they stay with you, from revenue per visit, how long they stay, and your margin. Dispatch schedule template A live day board. One column per tech, hour blocks, status flags, and a list of callbacks at the bottom.

Keep the numbers when the job is booked

Inside Claver the same estimate becomes the quote you send, and the quote becomes the invoice you get paid on, so nobody retypes a price between the driveway and the bank.

Start for $1

$1 for 14 days, then $19/mo. Card required. Cancel any time.

Tree removal estimate template FAQ

How do I write a tree removal estimate?

A tree removal estimate is priced one tree at a time, never by the yard. Each tree gets its own line with species, height, trunk diameter at breast height, and a hazard and access rating. Then add stump grinding, haul and chip, cleanup, permit, and crane or bucket if you need one. Most single-tree removals land between $400 and $2,000 depending on height, lean, and what sits underneath.

How much should I charge to remove a tree?

Tree removal commonly runs $400 to $2,000 or more per tree. A 25-foot tree in an open yard with a chip truck at the curb is at the bottom of that range. An 80-foot oak leaning over a roof, rigged down piece by piece with a crane and a traffic-control plan, is well above the top of it. Height, trunk diameter, lean, and what is under the drop zone drive the number more than species does.

Should stump grinding be a separate line on the estimate?

Yes. Stump grinding is a separate crew, a separate machine, and often a separate day, so it belongs on its own line. A typical stump grind runs $100 to $400, usually priced by stump diameter at ground level or by the inch. State the grind depth in writing, normally 6 to 12 inches below grade, and state whether backfill, grindings removal, and reseeding are included. That last item is the one customers assume.

What is DBH and why does it belong on a tree estimate?

DBH is diameter at breast height, measured at about 4.5 feet up the trunk. It is the standard measurement in arboriculture and it predicts your work better than height alone, because a 30-inch trunk means bigger rigging, more cuts, more wood to move, and a bigger stump. Recording species, height, and DBH per tree gives you the documentation to defend the price and the data to price the next one.

What should a tree removal estimate exclude?

Write the exclusions or you will do them for free. Exclude root removal beyond the ground-level grind, lawn repair and ruts from equipment, damage to underground irrigation, septic lines and invisible dog fence, removal of grindings unless purchased, hauling of wood the customer asked you to leave, and any work on a tree that turns out to be on the neighbor's property or in the utility right-of-way.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

Often yes, and the rule is local. Many cities protect heritage trees, trees over a certain DBH, and anything in a right-of-way or a designated conservation area, and some require a replacement planting. Check the municipal code before the estimate goes out, put the permit as a pass-through line with the fee, and note who pulls it. Removing a protected tree without a permit can bring a fine larger than the job.

What insurance language should be on a tree estimate?

State that you carry general liability and workers compensation, and offer to send the certificate of insurance direct from your carrier before work starts. A homeowner who takes a photocopy from a contractor is not protected. If you hold ISA Certified Arborist credentials or your crew works to ANSI A300 pruning standards and Z133 safety requirements, say so by name. TCIA accreditation is worth naming too. Those are the credentials that separate you from a truck and a chainsaw.

Should I charge for an estimate visit on tree work?

For a straightforward removal, no, the walk-through sells the job. For a written risk assessment, a report an insurance carrier or a city will accept, or a diagnosis of a declining tree, charge for it. That is arborist consulting, not sales, and free consulting is how you spend a morning giving away the only thing on the truck that is not labor.

Is this tree removal estimate template really free?

Yes, the tree removal estimate template is free with no signup, no credit card, and nothing saved to a server, so customer and property details stay on the device. Fill it in, print it or save the PDF, and hand it to the customer before you leave the driveway.