Type the trunk diameter, the per-inch rate on your bid, and any access and haul lines. For a standing tree with clear ground around it.
Stopif the tree is near a power lineStay away, keep others away and call the electric utility. Work near energized lines is regulated line-clearance work under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269, not a homeowner or general crew job.
Tree removal cost = trunk diameter in inches × the per-inch rate on your bid, plus access and haul. A 24-inch tree at $25 per inch, plus $700 of access and haul, is $1,300.
If the tree touches a power line or has fallen on a building, stay clear and call the utility or 911 first.
Work out your tree removal
For a standing tree with clear ground. Nothing is stored or emailed.
Not for a tree near power lines or on a building: call the utility or 911.
Safety first
When this is not a calculator job
Some tree jobs are for the utility or a trained crew only. If any of these apply, stop and make the call.
A tree touching or near a power line
Stay away and keep everyone else away. Call the electric utility. Work near energized lines is regulated line-clearance work (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269), and a branch, rope or ladder can carry current.
A tree on a house, car or garage
Keep people out of the area. If lines are down or tangled, call 911 and the utility first. Then call a crew that does storm and rigging work.
A hung-up, split or uprooted tree
Storm-damaged wood can be under tension and move without warning. Leave it for a trained crew.
Anything that needs a ladder or a climb
Aerial work is done by crews trained in climbing and rigging. HyreYard gives no instructions for felling, climbing or chainsaw work.
Two trees, run through the calculator
A 24-inch tree with access and haul
24 inches at $25 per inch from a bid, plus $400 access and $300 haul. Tree line $600; total $1,300. The rate is an example; type yours.
A 12-inch tree, haul only
12 inches at $40 per inch, plus $150 haul. Tree line $480; total $630. A small tree can carry a higher per-inch rate because the crew still has to come out.
Some bids price by the inch of trunk diameter. If yours is a flat price, divide it by the diameter to compare bids.
What moves a tree removal price
The same tree over an open lawn and over a roof are different jobs. These are the lines to ask about.
Driver
What to ask the bidder
Method
Felled whole, taken down in sections, or lifted out by crane?
Access and targets
What is under and around the tree, and can equipment reach it?
Wood and brush
Chipped and hauled, chipped and left, or logs cut and stacked where?
Stump
Ground out or left? How deep, and are the grindings removed?
Permit
Is one needed here, who applies, and is replanting required?
Insurance
Will the insurer send you a certificate for liability and workers’ compensation?
Whether you may remove it is a local question
We read the tree code in 23 US cities and counties on 5 September 2026. 11 require a permit to remove a typical healthy tree in a private yard; 12 do not.
Size triggers vary. Among the places that require a private-yard permit and publish a trunk size, the trigger runs from 3 to 19 inches.
The trigger is not always size. Some rules name species, protect heritage trees, apply only during development, or cover only street trees.
State law can override the city. Our study records 2 state provisions, including a Florida statute that limits local permits for a tree on qualifying single-family property when an ISA-certified arborist or licensed landscape architect documents that it poses an unacceptable risk.
We list what we did not finish. The study names 6 jurisdictions we could not complete. Your city’s answer is a phone call away.
Private-yard tree permits in eight cities
A sample from our tree removal permit study, retrieved 5 September 2026.
City
Permit for a typical yard tree?
Size trigger
Los Angeles, CA
Yes
4 in
Seattle, WA
Yes
6 in
Portland, OR
Yes
12 in
Austin, TX
Yes
19 in
Atlanta, GA
Yes
6 in
Houston, TX
No
None published
Chicago, IL
No
None published
Denver, CO
No
None published
Size triggers are published by each city. Rules change; confirm with your city before any work starts.
The standards and the credential to ask about
ANSI A300: the industry consensus standards for tree care operations. A quote that references them describes the work; “we will tidy it up” does not.
ANSI Z133: the safety requirements for arboricultural operations, applying to employers and employees engaged in tree work. A crew working to it has a written position on approach distances, rigging and drop zones.
Tree Care Industry Association is the ANSI secretariat for both. tcia.org refused automated retrieval on 5 September 2026, so we quote no clause text.
Certified arborist is a personal credential, not a license. Ask which certified arborist will assess your tree, and for their certification number.
Insurance is the other check. Ask for a certificate of liability and workers’ compensation sent to you by the insurer or broker.
What a good tree quote says
The method
Felled, taken down in sections, or crane. A bidder who has not chosen a method has not priced the job.
What happens to the wood
Chipped and hauled, chipped and left, or logs stacked where. “Cleanup included” covers all three.
The stump, and how deep
Grinding is a separate machine and can be a separate visit. Ask whether the grindings are removed.
A certificate of insurance from the insurer
Liability and workers’ compensation, sent to you directly.
Who handles the permit
11 of the 23 places we checked require one for a typical yard tree. Agree who applies and pays.
A price per tree with no method or disposal
It cannot be compared with another bid, and every costly item is left open as an extra.
A door-knocker after a storm
Urgency is the pitch. Ask for insurance and a written scope before anyone starts.
Removal is not the only answer
The question behind a removal can be risk: how likely a part is to fail, and what it would hit.
Moving the target can cost less. A decayed limb over a shed is a different problem from the same limb over where you park.
Targeted pruning can address one defect. Removing deadwood or reducing one heavy limb may solve the problem and keep the shade.
Topping is not pruning. ISA consumer guidance treats topping as harmful: it strips foliage and triggers weakly attached regrowth.
An independent assessment helps. An arborist who assesses the tree and does not bid on the removal has no stake in the answer.
Keep the chips. Arborist chips are coarse mulch. Penn State Extension recommends 2 to 4 in on beds, kept off the trunk flare.
Words on a tree quote
DBH
Diameter at breast height: trunk diameter about 4.5 ft above the ground. Circumference ÷ 3.14.
Sectional takedown
Taking a tree down in pieces, lowered on ropes, where it cannot be felled whole.
Rigging
The ropes and hardware used to lower cut pieces under control.
Stump grinding
Grinding the stump below grade with a separate machine.
Topping
Cutting the crown off at an arbitrary height. ISA treats it as harmful.
Certificate of insurance
Proof of liability and workers’ compensation cover, sent by the insurer or broker.
What this calculator cannot see
The tree. Decay, lean, what is under the crown and a crane path decide the job. A site visit is the quote.
Lines and buildings. A tree near power lines or on a structure is not this form. Call the utility.
Your permit rule. Ask your city. HyreYard does not cut trees and publishes no per-inch rate.
Questions this calculator answers
How much does tree removal cost?
It depends on the method, what is under the tree, and what happens to the wood and stump. Where a bid prices by trunk diameter, multiply the inches by its per-inch rate and add access and haul. HyreYard publishes no national average.
What is DBH?
Diameter at breast height: the trunk diameter about 4.5 feet above the ground. Measure around the trunk with a tape and divide by 3.14. Ask how a bidder counts a tree with several stems.
The tree is near power lines. What do I do?
Stay away, keep others away and call your electric utility. Work near energized lines is regulated line-clearance work under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269. Do not cut it yourself, and do not use this form.
A tree fell on my house. What now?
Get everyone out of the area. If any lines are down or tangled, call 911 and the utility first. Then call a crew that does storm and rigging work, and your insurer.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
It depends on your city. Of 23 cities and counties we checked, 11 require a permit for a typical healthy tree in a private yard. Ask before any work starts.
Is topping a cheaper way to reduce height?
No. ISA consumer guidance treats topping as harmful pruning: it strips foliage and triggers weakly attached regrowth. Ask an arborist about pruning or removal instead.
Does the price include the stump?
Only if the bid says so. Stump grinding is a separate machine and can be a separate visit. Ask how deep, and whether the grindings are hauled away.
Sources and methodology
Figures dated September 5, 2026. Last reviewed .
29 CFR 1910.269, line-clearance tree trimming (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, retrieved August 26, 2026). Work near electric supply lines is a regulated, qualified trade.
TreesAreGood: Find an Arborist and consumer guidance (International Society of Arboriculture, retrieved August 26, 2026). Hiring a certified arborist, and topping as a harmful practice. ISA publishes no prices.
ANSI A300 and Z133 (Tree Care Industry Association (ANSI secretariat), retrieved September 5, 2026). Titles and scope only. tcia.org refused automated retrieval, so no clause text is quoted.