Let’s face it: there is no standard method of assigning cost to nature, let alone tree removal. Developing a budget to have a tree removed can become quite the challenge. Unless you have a previous understanding of the variables and/or costs involved in this sort of service, you are more than likely bouncing from company to company, website to website, asking the same question: “How much does it cost to remove a tree?” and, unfortunately, getting the same answer: “It depends.” The end result is time spent researching price but only getting a string of factors that influence cost with no numbers and still no real progress in developing a budget. How frustrating?! We are consumers too; we have to plan and budget for major expenses just the same as anyone else. Therefore we want to help ease that process as best as we can despite all the fluctuating variables that are associated to nature and living creations.
For the most common trees/situations in the Northern Virginia and valley regions of Virginia, the average cost of removal ranges from $1,500.00 to $4,000.00 for a single tree. While the time involved in removing a tree(s) is perhaps the biggest factor that influences price, there are many other factors that dictate pricing as well as scenarios where pricing lands above or below this average range. We will go into some of these factors in greater detail in order to provide you with a better understanding of your trees and landscape so that you can adequately plan, budget, and hire the right professional for your project.
In this example a combination of the tree, tree placement, and site location allowed the Arborist to develop a relatively simple and safe plan of removal most likely involving the method of felling the tree in it’s entirety away from the house and into the front yard having the clean up operations staged within close proximity to efficiently chip and load the debris.
Now let’s look at John’s tree removal project with the addition of one variable.
In this scenario there are a lot of variables at play; many are visible, but there are a some that are not, and these take a certain level of expertise and experience to see. While the tree is not terribly large, it is in a tough location. Therefore, to formulate a relatively safe and efficient plan of removal, the Arborist must identify all the obstacles and hazards and determine which ones, if any, are feasible to move, which ones, if any, can be covered/protected, and what method will be best to dismantle and move material from the backyard to the street where the crew can process debris into the trucks. He also takes into account a variable that most people don’t see: the tree species. Ash trees have all but become extinct over the past two decades due to the Emerald Ash Borer. Introduced into the United States back in 2002, this beetle has been feeding on ash, weakening and killing this species of tree virtually unchecked. Governments, Biologists, and Arborists alike all have determined that after over twenty years of research, ash has become dangerously brittle earlier than symptoms traditionally indicate creating a very unpredictable and unstable tree; climbing is not advisable and special care must be taken when dismantling these sick trees. The removal method will ultimately involve a crane and multiple moving parts, each requiring careful coordination and control by the crew.
For the sake of simplicity, the examples above assume that certain variables were either already accounted for or omitted, as they would not have significantly added to or detracted from the overall cost of tree removal. From the first contact and all back-end administrative time and resources, to the pre and post job site preparations, to the logistics and costs associated surrounding material disposal, there are numerous variables and factors taken into account that play into how tree removal is priced. Each factor or set of variables are interconnected and the final cost of tree removal is determined by a combination of these factors. This is why, in order to get an accurate estimate for tree removal, it is recommended to consult with a Certified Arborist so that your specific situation and unique variables can be thoroughly accounted for.