Tree service cost

Height is the headline number. Fixr's 2025 breakdown puts removal of a tree up to 30 feet at $150 to $400, a 30 to 60 foot tree at $450 to $700, a 60 to 100 foot tree at $900 to $1,200, and a tree over 100 feet at $1,300 to $2,000. Species matters too because of wood density and crown shape — pine is quoted at $200 to $1,500 while oak runs $900 to $2,000 and maple $1,000 to $1,800.

Access is the hidden multiplier. If a bucket truck can reach the tree and a chipper can park near it, the job is fast. If the crew has to climb, rig every limb down over a roof, and carry wood through a side gate, the same tree can double. Crane-assisted removal on 80-foot-plus trees adds $1,500 to $2,500 per Fixr. None of that is padding — it is genuinely more labor and more risk.

Stumps are almost always quoted separately, and you should assume they are not included unless the contract says so. Fixr puts stump grinding at $150 to $300 typical, priced either at $2 to $5 per inch of diameter or $30 to $200 per stump, with a base rate around $80 to $150 for the first stump and $40 to $75 for each additional one. Full stump removal — pulling the root ball rather than grinding — runs $200 to $700 and leaves a large hole.

Watch the extras. Fixr lists permits at $60 to $150 where they apply, mulching at $150 to $400, and root grinding at $100 to $200 per hour. Hauling wood away, filling and seeding the stump hole, and repairing lawn ruts are all separate lines that a low bid often quietly leaves out.

How to choose

Get three bids, in daylight, on the same written scope

Write down the scope yourself — remove tree, chip and haul all debris, grind stump to 8 inches below grade, remove grindings, fill and seed. Then ask three companies to price that exact list.

Ask what the price includes for the stump

Grinding, grinding depth, grinding removal, and hole fill are four separate things. Most disputes after tree work are about the stump.

Do not pay a large deposit

The Insurance Information Institute flags large upfront deposits as a common post-storm fraud pattern. Materials cost is near zero in tree work, so there is little reason for a big deposit.

Bundle if you have several trees

Mobilization — getting the truck, chipper and crew to your address — is a real cost. Fixr's stump pricing shows the drop from a first-stump base rate to per-additional-stump pricing. The same logic applies to trees.

Do not shop on price alone here

In most trades a cheap contractor costs you a bad finish. In tree work the cheap contractor is often the uninsured one, and the downside is your roof.