Tree Removal Cost and the Six Things That Change It

Six yards where the tree removal cost changes

Each example below shows one thing that moves a removal price. None of them is a quote.

1. 1

   A tall hackberry next to a short post oak

   A tall, thin hackberry and a short post oak with a three-foot trunk can carry very different weights of wood. More wood means more cuts, more rope work and more loads to carry out, so trunk width can matter as much as height.

2. 2

   A pecan leaning over the pool

   A tree that can fall whole onto open lawn comes down fast. A pecan over a pool, a shed or a fence comes down in pieces that are tied and lowered by rope, and each piece takes time. If any wood touches a power line, call Oncor or 911 first.

3. 3

   A cedar elm that died two summers ago

   Dead wood can snap without warning, so it needs gentler handling than a sound trunk. Rot or mushrooms at the base and a crack through the trunk add time too. Read how to tell if a tree is dead before you decide a tree has to go.

4. 4

   An oak behind a retaining wall

   When a truck can park beside the tree, wood goes straight onto the trailer. Behind steps, a retaining wall or a long walk from the back fence, every piece is carried out by hand. Tell us about septic lines and soft ground before the visit.

5. 5

   A homeowner who wants to keep the firewood

   What happens to the wood is one of the six factors. Haul-off is included in our removal price, and if you want to keep firewood, say so before we write the plan. We leave the wood you keep where you choose, and the estimate says what we haul away. The stump is a separate line, because not everyone wants it ground.

6. 6

   A split limb on the roof at night

   A tree on the house tonight gets a different plan from one that can wait for a dry week. If a tree is already down on a roof, a car or your only driveway, go straight to our emergency tree service page.

Oaks need one more check. We trim oaks only from July through January and paint every cut, because of oak wilt. Our oak wilt guide explains why one photo is not enough to call an oak dead.

Two trees of the same height with different prices

Two trees of the same kind and height can carry very different prices. Here is an example of how the factors stack up, and it is not a quote.

• Tree A, a front-yard cedar elm

  This 30-foot cedar elm stands in a front yard with healthy wood and open lawn on three sides. A truck can park at the curb, so it comes down in large sections with a short carry.

• Tree B, a backyard cedar elm

  This 30-foot cedar elm stands in a back corner. Half the crown hangs over the garage, the side gate is narrow, and two big limbs are dead.

The two trees are the same kind and the same height. Tree B needs rope work over the garage, careful handling of the dead wood and a hand carry through the gate. A price chart sorted by height cannot show that difference.

Before you compare two quotes, use the five questions for comparing tree removal quotes on our removal page.

City rules and HOA rules are separate. Our Fort Worth page covers the city's Fort Worth tree removal permit rules. For your HOA, our guide to HOA tree approval in DFW covers what to send your board before you book.

If the problem is one limb, a trim can save the shade. Our tree pruning guide explains which cuts help.

How a photo estimate works

For one or two trees, photos are often enough for a free estimate, and we reply within 30 minutes.

1. 1

   Shoot the whole tree

   Stand back and take the tree from top to base, with the house or fence in the frame.

2. 2

   Shoot what sits underneath

   Take the roof, pool, fence or lines under the branches.

3. 3

   Shoot the way in

   Take the gate, the drive and any alley the crew would use.

4. 4

   Shoot what worries you

   Take a crack or a dead limb from the ground, away from hanging wood.

5. 5

   Text the photos

   Send them to (817) 607-3485 with your address and whether you want the stump ground.

If photos cannot answer the six questions, we set up an on-site estimate. Either way, the removal, cleanup and stump work go into one written plan.

Ways to keep the cost to remove a tree down

• Do not wait on a dead tree, because brittle wood means slower rigging.
• Clear patio furniture, grills and pots out of the drop zone before the crew arrives.
• Move cars and unlock the gate, or send us the code.
• If you want firewood, say so up front so it is written into the plan.
• Skip stump grinding if you do not need it, since it is a separate line.
• If several trees need work, ask for them on one estimate so the visit is planned as one job.

Our tree removal service page shows how a planned take-down runs, from marking the drop zone to the final rake.