How much does tree removal cost? Here's your options for tree clearing

Do you trust paid tree removal companies with cutting down your trees, or do you want to remove the stump, trunk and branches by yourself?

When it comes to tree removal, there are a few different ways to go about clearing your property.

You could pay a tree removal service to come in and clear your land, rent the equipment in the short term or invest in the equipment and give yourself the ability to take down trees, clean up the branches and remove the stumps on your own.

There are advantages to each in terms of workload and price, so let's dive into the cost of tree removal and discuss several factors you should consider before you make a decision. 

Tree removal service cost

Paying a professional removal service to come in and clean up a single dead or dying tree, or have them remove a swath of unneeded trees, is probably the first option most urbanites would consider for tree removal.

And there certainly are benefits to paying someone who knows what they are doing: they will be able to do the work on their own and you offload the onus of the labor onto someone else, these companies often know the policies and laws associated with tree removal in your area and they can be cautious about following safety procedures, such as when they're working near power lines.

They can also come in handy when you require emergency tree removal, such as immediately after a storm.

However, each company will charge different fees, and the scale and complexity of the job will impact their cost on you. Here are a few factors which can influence their price:

• • Height and width of the trees, as small trees are easier and cheaper to deal with but medium-sized trees or larger will be more expensive

  • Species of tree, as some species are more difficult to trim/remove

  • Proximity of trees to nearby fences, structures, ponds or other sensitive areas

  • Condition of the tree, as diseased, dying and dead trees can be more difficult to work with

  • Time of year, as booking a tree removal during the busy season may up their price

With this in mind, what are the average costs you could be quoted for hiring tree removal experts?

Professional costs

With the above factors in mind, the cost of tree removal could be as low as $200 to hire a company to come in and remove a free-standing tree, not near any structures, if all you want is the tree felled and you plan on dealing with the stump on your own.

However if it's a taller tree that's close to your house, is diseased, is already leaning towards your home and it's during a busy time of year, you could be looking at thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars for tree removal. But those professionals are trained to handle that tree safely and assess the tree's health.

On average you could be looking at between $300 and $4,000 for a tree removal job from your property.

You should also discuss with the tree removal company:

• • What happens to the tree afterward

  • Who is responsible for cleaning up brush and branches

  • What happens to the tree stump

This will depend on the tree removal service you choose to hire, but not every company offers the above services. Many will opt to get rid of any logs for you, but there are those who have complained about these companies leaving tree debris for the customer to deal with, or that don't offer stump removal, leaving it up to you to find a way to remove it yourself.

Another factor is that most tree services will haul away the logs afterwards. If the fallen tree would be a good source of lumber, you could discuss with them about the possibility of keeping the log afterwards, though if keeping the wood and wood chips is something you care about, you may also want to consider the other options below.

Great tree services will have a number of options available though, and can continue to help clean up your property by offering tree trimming and stump removal options, but with each service you tack on, the more you'll end up paying them, so keep that in mind.

Rental costs

Another option when considering your tree removal costs is to rent equipment. This offers different benefits with hiring a tree removal service, however this can come with its own issues as well.

Assuming you only have basic hand tools like a chainsaw, first you'll need to find a local company which rents forestry equipment. Let's say you don't have any of the equipment needed for tree removal, that means you'll may need to rent a:

• • Stump grinder for stump removal

  • Wood chipper for dealing with tree branches

  • ATV trailer for moving the log when you're done

National average costs can be difficult to navigate, keeping in mind prices may vary depending on your area, as well as on the capacity and size of each model. But generally the average cost of these machines for short-term rentals is:

Manual infeed wood chipper: Between $100 to $500 per day

Hydraulic infeed wood chipper: Between $250 to $550 per day

Stump Grinders: Between $100 and $500 per day

If you can successfully get the job done in a single day, or already own one or more pieces of equipment to cut down on your overall costs, then tree removal prices associated with renting may not be so high.

However if you plan to have multiple trees removed across your property, or you will be working on your acreage over multiple days then renting can quickly become expensive.

Many land owners in the Woodland Mills Product Owners and Community Facebook group spend years caring for their property. Some have shared how they have spent months revitalizing neglected acreage, taking down trees and clearing foot or ATV paths throughout their land.

If you plan on renting for that entire duration, the cost of tree removal exponentially ramps up. While renting may make sense for a small period of time, it may not be a beneficial long term solution for tree removal.

Instead maybe ask a neighbor, friend or family if they have any of the equipment you need to get the job done. Many rural property owners have tractors, chainsaws, wood chippers and other machines that can be helpful for doing DIY tree removal on your property.

Purchasing your own equipment

One of the first things many property owners will consider when thinking about the cost of tree removal is what equipment they need to buy to get the job done themselves.

While there is an upfront cost to buying your own equipment, the advantage to owning is that you now have that machine for years to come, for any job where it might be needed. As mentioned above, many land owners spend years managing and maintaining their properties, and trees, plants and shrubbery always continue to grow, meaning there's a good reason why you may want to invest in the equipment yourself.

That way, when you have a tree that needs to be felled, you don't have to put any thought into hiring a tree service or stump removal costs, you can just wheel our your wood chipper or stump grinder and get to it.

But how much does each of these pieces of equipment for stump removal cost? It depends on your needs, as different models are priced according to their capacity and features.

For example, a smaller capacity wood chipper that uses a gravity in-feed system is more oriented to the budget-minded acreage owner, while a PTO-wood chipper capable of chipping 8" (20 cm) material may cost more, but you're getting more value for your money.

So when looking at your tree removal costs, here are the price bands for the equipment you should keep in mind:

Wood Chippers: Between $2,000 and $5,500

Stump Grinders: Between $2,200 and $4,300

Tree removal is something many rural property owners may have to consider often, as trees grow in ways which could endanger other parts of the property, or get diseased and need to be felled. Even healthy trees often need to be taken down if you want to clear space on your property to build paths, roads or structures.

A chainsaw, wood chipper and stump grinder are basic tools which should help to efficiently remove a tree, clear out the stump and the entire root system and deal with the debris removal. Owning your own equipment will help save money if you plan on doing more tree removal long term.

While purchasing this equipment upfront may cause some land owners to pause and consider their budget, if your long term plan involves dealing with continual tree removal costs, then owning offers a number of advantages over renting or hiring an outside contractor.

Another benefit too is you can purchase equipment that suits your specific needs, Woodland Mills makes stump grinders and wood chippers which cater to different tractor's horsepowers, and even has gravity-fed, gas-powered chippers for those who don't own tractors or need the portability of hauling them across rough terrain on an ATV.

If you want to do your research and see if a piece of equipment meets your needs, give us a call and we can chat about what options make sense for you.

Cost of tree removal shouldn't be too onerous

Tree removal costs can be difficult to research and figure out, as much of it depends on where you live, the time of year and what options you want to consider.

If you're in a situation where you require emergency tree removal, that will be very different than the hobbyist farmstead owner casually looking at the long term plan of their property, which might involve tree trimming, dealing with the odd fallen tree and having some trees removed to make room for additional outbuildings or trails.

So if you're struggling to figure out what is the best option for you, stop and ask yourself these questions:

• • Is my plan short term or long term?

  • Is this a situation which I will be dealing with again in the future?

  • Do I require more skill or experience than I currently have?

  • If this is a safety issue, is this something I can deal with DIY?

  • Am I looking at one tree or multiple other trees on my property which may need similar treatment?

If you're worried that you need a skilled arborist to come in and deal with an outstanding issue, then you may want to consider hiring a professional tree service. These tree service companies specialize in taking down difficult trees and can help you navigate the situation safely.

If this is a job that can be done in a single day or over a relatively short period of time, that you're confident you can deal with on your own without the help of a tree removal team, look at your options for temporarily getting the equipment you need. Maybe ask a friend or neighbor if they have a wood chipper or stump grinder you can borrow to take care of that large tree on your property causing you problems? You can always use someone else's equipment in the short term and then look at other long term solutions later.

If you have a vision for your acreage and want to do multiple projects, or you want to have trees removed at multiple spots or think you'll need to do tree removal again in the future, consider investing in the equipment yourself. This means if you need to do some tree trimming, take down a healthy tree or clean up a fallen tree, you can easily manage the brush and tree debris, and clean up the stump and leave your property the best it can look.

Consider all of your options when you set out to remove trees from your property, and do your research so you know your costs, whether that's hiring tree care companies to come in and help, or buying the specialized equipment yourself so you can do the stump grinding, wood chipping and tree felling on your own.

And maybe once you have the equipment you can offer it to friends and neighbors yourself and become a small tree grinding service or brush removal business?