How much does it cost to remove a large tree?

A 50 to 60 ft tree in reasonable conditions typically runs $900 to $2,000 for the removal, plus stump grinding and haul-away. A 80 ft tree overhanging a house can reach $4,000 to $6,000 because every limb has to be rigged and lowered.

Why is a tree near the house so much more expensive?

It cannot be felled in one piece. The crew climbs it, cuts it down in sections and ropes each piece to the ground under control. That turns a twenty-minute job into most of a day and adds roughly 35 to 70 percent to the price.

How much does stump grinding cost?

Roughly $3.50 to $6.50 per inch of stump diameter, with a minimum around $120 to $200. An 18 inch stump is usually the minimum charge; a 40 inch stump runs $140 to $260.

Should I remove a tree near power lines myself?

No. Anything within ten feet of an energised conductor is utility or licensed-line-clearance work. Call the utility first — they will often drop the service line to the house for free, or handle the tree entirely if it threatens their equipment.

Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal?

Generally only when a tree has fallen and damaged an insured structure, and then usually with a per-tree cap around $500 to $1,000. A healthy or merely inconvenient tree that you choose to remove is not covered.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

Many municipalities protect trees over a certain diameter, native species, or anything in a heritage or conservation district, and fines for removing one without a permit can be substantial. Check with the local authority before booking the work.

Tree Removal Cost Calculator

Enter the tree's height and trunk diameter, how close it stands to something that must not be hit, and how easily a truck can reach it, to get a low-to-high removal price. Stump grinding and haul-away are priced separately because that is how tree services quote them.

Tree height(ft)

Pace out the shadow at mid-morning if you cannot measure it directly.

Trunk diameter at chest height(in)

Measure the circumference with a tape and divide by 3.14.

Proximity to structures or power lines

Site access

Stump removal

Debris haul-away

Regional market

Estimated total cost

$1,152 – $2,332

50 ft tree, 18 in trunk

Most likely cost: $1,742
Felling & removalclimbing or bucket work, rigging and cutting: $907 – $1,890
Stump grindingpriced per inch of stump diameter: $120 – $192
Debris haul-awaychipping, loading and disposal: $125 – $250

What this figure includes

This is a planning range for a licensed, insured tree service working in normal conditions during business hours. It does not include emergency or storm call-outs, crane hire, permits for a protected or heritage tree, utility disconnection, repair of lawn or driveway damage, soil backfill and reseeding of the stump hole, or removal of roots beyond the ground-out stump. A tree that is dead, hollow or leaning hard is priced higher than a sound one of the same size.

How this is calculated

How tree removal is priced

Tree work is sold as risk, not as wood. The formula behind the estimate is:

Removal = height × rate per foot × girth factor × proximity factor × access factor × regional factor

The rate per foot runs about $12 to $25 for a sound tree. Height is the first driver because it sets whether the job is done from the ground, from a bucket truck, or by a climber on ropes — and each step up costs more per hour and takes longer.

The girth factor adds about 2% for every inch of trunk diameter above twelve inches. A thick trunk means heavier sections, slower cuts, more rigging, and often a larger chipper or a loader to move the rounds. A 30 in trunk carries a 1.36 factor before anything else is considered.

Proximity is the largest single multiplier and the one that surprises homeowners. A tree standing in open ground can be felled whole in one cut — that is the baseline. Near a fence or shed it is about 1.35. Directly over the house it is about 1.7, because every limb must be roped, lowered and controlled rather than dropped. Near energised power lines it is about 1.9, and depending on the conductor it may not be the tree service's job at all: lines from the pole to the house are usually the utility's responsibility to drop temporarily, and a reputable crew will make that call before they climb.

Access adds up to 40%. If a chipper and truck can park beside the tree, everything is carried a few feet. If the tree is in a back garden behind a 36 in gate, every round and every branch is carried by hand to the street, and that is most of a working day for two people.

A worked example

A 50 ft oak with an 18 in trunk, standing near the house, easy truck access, national pricing, with stump grinding and haul-away:

Girth factor: 1 + (18 − 12) × 0.02 = 1.12
Combined factor: 1.12 × 1.35 × 1.0 × 1.0 = 1.512
Felling low: 50 × $12 × 1.512 = $907
Felling high: 50 × $25 × 1.512 = $1,890
Stump: 18 in × $3.50 to $6.50 = $63 to $117, so the $120 minimum applies at the low end
Haul-away: 50 × $2.50 to $5.00 = $125 to $250
Total: roughly $1,150 to $2,260

Stump and debris are separate for a reason

Stump grinding uses a different machine, and often a different crew day, so it is quoted per inch of stump diameter with a minimum call-out of about $120. Grinding takes the stump six to twelve inches below grade; it does not remove the root plate, and it leaves a mound of chips you will need to rake out and top with soil.

Haul-away is worth thinking about rather than accepting by default. If you burn wood, ask the crew to buck the trunk into rounds and stack them — you save the disposal charge and gain a cord of firewood. Chips are useful as mulch on beds and paths. If you want none of it gone, say so before the quote, because disposal fees are real and a crew will happily leave the material.

Getting a fair quote

Ask for the certificate of insurance, specifically general liability and workers' compensation, and confirm the coverage amount. An uninsured crew member injured in your tree becomes your problem. Get three quotes for anything over about $1,500, and be suspicious of a door-knocker with a chainsaw in the back of a pickup after a storm — that is when both the prices and the accidents peak.

Cost figures last reviewed 9 Sept 2026 · Arborist and tree-service quoting rules of thumb, priced by height and trunk diameter.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to remove a large tree?: A 50 to 60 ft tree in reasonable conditions typically runs $900 to $2,000 for the removal, plus stump grinding and haul-away. A 80 ft tree overhanging a house can reach $4,000 to $6,000 because every limb has to be rigged and lowered.
Why is a tree near the house so much more expensive?: It cannot be felled in one piece. The crew climbs it, cuts it down in sections and ropes each piece to the ground under control. That turns a twenty-minute job into most of a day and adds roughly 35 to 70 percent to the price.
How much does stump grinding cost?: Roughly $3.50 to $6.50 per inch of stump diameter, with a minimum around $120 to $200. An 18 inch stump is usually the minimum charge; a 40 inch stump runs $140 to $260.
Should I remove a tree near power lines myself?: No. Anything within ten feet of an energised conductor is utility or licensed-line-clearance work. Call the utility first — they will often drop the service line to the house for free, or handle the tree entirely if it threatens their equipment.
Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal?: Generally only when a tree has fallen and damaged an insured structure, and then usually with a per-tree cap around $500 to $1,000. A healthy or merely inconvenient tree that you choose to remove is not covered.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?: Many municipalities protect trees over a certain diameter, native species, or anything in a heritage or conservation district, and fines for removing one without a permit can be substantial. Check with the local authority before booking the work.