Find a Tree Surgeon near you
The average rating for Bark Tree Surgeons is 4.68, based on 36,593 reviews
5/5
based on 36,593 reviews
Having trouble taming your tree? Maybe it’s time to bring in a tree surgery and removal expert! Read our guide to find out how much your expert will charge for tree planting, pruning, removal, and more.
Just like humans, trees need regular checkups to stay healthy. An arborist (otherwise known as a tree surgeon) cares for a tree throughout its lifecycle. From planting to pruning, and removing trees as well as identifying and treating diseases, there’s a lot that comes under their job description.
Tree surgery isn’t for the faint-hearted. It is a highly skilled job that requires working at height, climbing, and using power tools. That's why it's highly recommended that gardeners hire a tree surgeon or arborist rather than trying to carry out work themselves. If your professional is a member of an organization such as The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), you'll know they meet the minimum requirements to practice safely.
But before you get your tree pruned or chopped down, you're probably wondering: how much does an arborist cost? And how can I save money? This arborist price guide will show you the way by outlining the average cost of tree surgery across the US. For the most accurate price, we recommend requesting free quotes from local arborists so you know exactly how much your job will cost.
Arborist prices depend on many different factors, including the size of the tree and the type of maintenance required. To give you a rough breakdown, here’s a ballpark figure for two of the most common tree surgery services:
| Average cost of Tree Removal (in total) | $500 - $750 |
| Average cost of Tree Pruning (in total) | $300 - $500 |
Tree arborist prices can vary depending on different factors. These include:
Tree size
Location
Type of service
It’s no surprise that the taller the tree, the higher the price. For a ballpark figure, here’s a breakdown of the average cost of a tree surgeon by height.
| Height | Minimum cost (in total) | Maximum cost (in total) | Average cost (in total) |
| Under 30ft | $200 | $450 | $325 |
| 30ft - 60ft | $420 | $1,200 | $750 |
| 60ft -80ft | $800 | $1,500 | $1,150 |
Don’t forget that stump removal will incur additional costs. There are many different methods of removing a tree stump, and all of them require specialist knowledge, especially if the tree is well-established as there's likely to be a large root system.
Stump grinding involves your arborist breaking down the tree stump into sawdust or mulch, but leaving the root system intact under the ground. If you want your arborist to grind your stump, expect to pay between $200 and $400 depending on its size and location.
Complete stump removal means pulling the roots out too. This is a better option if your tree is diseased, as removal will help protect surrounding trees and plants, and won't attract pests. Expect to pay $300+ for complete removal.
If you're paying to re-landscape your garden, it might be best to remove tree roots to avoid running into trouble when you're digging up the ground or installing new features later.
| Height | Minimum cost (in total) | Maximum cost (in total) | Average cost (in total) |
| Under 30ft | $80 | $350 | $215 |
| 30ft - 60ft | $150 | $700 | $425 |
| 60ft -80ft | $300 | $1,000 | $650 |
Looking for a tree surgeon in a big city like New York? We hate to break it to you, but arborist prices are typically higher in a large metropolis compared to more rural areas. As a rough guide, here’s the average cost of tree surgery and removal service in the big apple compared to smaller cities and regions:
| Location | Average cost |
| New York | $750 - $1,100 |
| Smaller cities | $550 - $800 |
| Location | Average cost |
| New York | $394 - $590 |
| Smaller cities | $250 - $450 |
Some tree surgery tasks may need more skill and time to complete. If the tree is hazardous or diseased for example, the cost of a tree surgeon may be around $50 - $200 more than the average price, depending on the problem. If accessibility to your tree is difficult, you will also pay an additional price for the labor costs.
It may be tempting to save money on tree surgery by tackling the job yourself, but you might find that hiring a specialist - who already has the right equipment - is almost the same price as buying the equipment yourself. If you want to remove your tree manually (i.e. without specialist equipment), here's what you can expect to pay for materials:
| Equipment needed | Rough price |
| Ax | $50 |
| Gloves | $15 |
| Eye protection | $15 |
| Shovel | $25 |
| Ear protection | $25 |
| Protective work boots | $100 |
| Chainsaw | $160 |
If you want to do the work yourself but don't want to dig by hand, you could also rent a stump grinder. This will still be a lot of work, and it won't remove the root system, but it could be a quicker way of getting your tree stump down (especially if it's a large one). Except to pay around $200 to $400 per day for grinder hire.
Remember, although it costs money to hire a specialist, tree surgery is a hazardous job so it's best left to the experts.
It’s hard to know when there is a problem before it’s too late. If you notice any of these problems with your tree, it's worth calling a tree surgeon for some expert advice. They’ll often give you a quote for free!
Mushrooms or fungi around the base of the tree
Detached roots
Cavities or indications of decay on the bark
Dead branches
Discolored leaves
The average rating for Bark Tree Surgeons is 4.68, based on 36,593 reviews
5/5
based on 36,593 reviews
