Actual numbers
What tree work costs, and why quotes vary so much
Every company in Central Texas makes you request a quote. Here are my starting numbers and an honest account of what moves them.
Trimming and stump grinding both start at $250. Hazardous limb and storm work starts at $500. Removals I quote per tree. Haul-away is included in all of it. The biggest thing driving any of these numbers isn't the height of the tree — it's whether there's somewhere safe to drop the wood.
| Service | Starts at |
|---|---|
| Tree Trimming & Pruning | $250+ |
| Tree Removal | Quoted per tree |
| Stump Grinding | $250+ |
| Hazardous Limbs & Storm Damage | $500+ |
These are starting points, not averages and not caps. If your job is bigger than this I'll tell you why before I touch anything.
Access is the number one cost driver, not height
This surprises people. A 50-foot tree in an open field can come down in enormous pieces in under an hour. The same tree between a house and a pool has to be dismantled from the top, one rigged piece at a time, each one lowered on a rope by someone on the ground. That's the difference between a morning and a full day, and it's most of why two quotes on the same tree can look so far apart.
Ask yourself: can a truck and a chipper get within throwing distance of it? Is there open ground to drop into? Is there anything underneath that would be expensive to replace? Those three answers largely set the price before anyone measures anything.
What else actually moves the number
- Trunk diameter. Not height — diameter. That's the volume of wood that has to be cut, moved and hauled, and it goes up fast.
- Lean and load. A tree leaning toward the thing you care about needs rigging to pull it the other way. That's time and gear.
- Deadwood. Dead limbs are unpredictable to climb through and can't be trusted to hold. Slower, more careful, more expensive.
- Species. Live oak is dense and heavy. Hackberry is brittle and breaks where you don't want it to. Pine behaves differently again.
- Distance. I'm in Kyle. Georgetown and Johnson City are at the edge of my radius, and a job out there works better batched with something else.
- Stump. Grinding is separate work from removal. If you want the stump gone, say so when you're getting the quote rather than after.
Why I publish numbers at all
Because the alternative wastes both our afternoons. If your budget for a removal is a couple of hundred dollars and the tree is a 30-inch live oak over a garage, we were never going to agree, and finding that out after I've driven to Bastrop helps nobody.
The trade-off is that a starting number can look wrong when a job is genuinely complicated. I'd still rather start there and explain the difference.
How to get a quote you can actually compare
If you're getting three quotes — and you should on anything big — make them comparable. Ask each one: is haul-away included or extra? Is stump grinding included? Are you insured, and can I see the certificate? Who's actually doing the work, and will you be here?
A cheap quote that excludes cleanup, excludes the stump and comes from an uninsured crew isn't cheaper. It's a different job with your liability attached to it.
What's always included with me
Cleanup and haul-away. Branches, limbs, debris, gone when I leave, not a line item added at the end. Want the logs kept for firewood? Tell me before we start and my crew will stack them instead of chipping them. Free estimates, and they don't come with a pitch.
Questions I get asked
How much does tree removal cost in Austin?
It's quoted per tree, because access matters more than size. The main factors are whether there's a clear drop zone, trunk diameter, lean, and whether equipment can get close. A tree that has to be dismantled piece by piece over a roof or pool can take several times as long as the same tree in an open yard.
Why are tree service quotes so different from each other?
Usually because they aren't quoting the same job. Check whether haul-away is included, whether stump grinding is included, and whether the company is insured. A quote that excludes cleanup and the stump from an uninsured crew is a different product, not a better price.
Is stump grinding included in tree removal?
Not automatically, and not with me either — it's separate work with a separate machine. Ask about it when you get the quote rather than afterwards. Mine starts at $250.
Do you charge for an estimate?
No. And if you text me a photo with something in frame for scale, I can often give you a number without coming out at all.
Does tree work cost more in an emergency?
Storm and hazard work starts at $500 and is priced on what's actually there, because the risk and the rigging vary enormously. A limb resting on a roof and a tree hung up under tension in another tree are very different jobs.
Want a number for your tree?
Text me a photo with a person or a car in frame for scale. That's usually enough.
Same-day callback on estimates
Call or text before 5pm on a weekday and you'll hear back from me the same day. Not an answering service — me.