cost to cut down a tree ?

[rfuerst911sc]

Anyone have a ballpark figure on what it costs to have a tree removed ? I have one tree near my three bay detached garage and its root system is causing a small crack in the foundation so I want it removed. It will be tricky as it is within 6 feet of the garage. The tree does not have a large canopy but will have to be cut down from the top working down to the trunk. I believe it is an oak and the trunk is aprox. 20-24 inches across not a huge tree. Before I call the pro's just want to know a ballpark figure.

[johnsjmc]

$350-1500 . Most likely near the low end, depends on access and time to clean up the brush. And if grinding out the stump or not.

[mfiazzo]

I just had one cut down about the same size. It cost me $900.00. I am in the Northeast. Philly area.

[recycled sixtie]

Cutting trees down by a pro is not cheap. Consider the alternatives as in doing by yourself(ask me how I know!*?) can be dangerous and destructive.

We have 3 willows left which are huge and 15 years ago I could cut them down myself as they were a lot smaller. In the last 3 years we have had large willows cut down or trimmed. Typically for us it is about $1000-$3000 a large tree.

Quotes may vary a lot. One tree cutter cut down a tree for us and he had to go to the neighbor's yard. He took a leak break on their property which was noticed haha

Get more than one quote. We have been quoted $700 to $3000 for one tree. The highest quote may not be the best. Can't guarantee they won't pee on your or anybody else's property.

[rfuerst911sc]

For 350.00 - 500.00 I'll hire it out, if it's more than that I'll take her down myself ! May have to go get a new chain for the chainsaw !!! How hard can it be......hahahahahahahaha

[Rot 911]

Keep in mind they charge extra to grind the stump out. Around here an extra $120.00

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Keep in mind they charge extra to grind the stump out. Around here an extra $120.00

I'll take pleasure in burning the SOB

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

For 350.00 - 500.00 I'll hire it out, if it's more than that I'll take her down myself ! May have to go get a new chain for the chainsaw !!! How hard can it be......hahahahahahahaha

Reread my post. You got insurance? Mind you it is your property. Self insured!
You got a harness? Some things I have paid to have done and this is one of them.
Proceed with caution.....

[Schumi]

Story time..

When I was about 17, we had a tree in the yard that was looking pretty bad, and starting to lean near the house. My dad had done a lot of chainsawing in his day, but this was too tricky for him to attempt- it really needed the top cut out of it before the trunk could come down, so as to not risk it falling towards the house. So he calls a local place and the owner says he send someone out the next day- well, my parents had to go to a wedding or a funeral or something that next day, so I stayed home to meet the guy who was coming to cut the tree down.

Truck shows up. Lots of ropes and equipment. Huge chainsaw. Two people get out of the truck- two chicks. About 26-28 years old or so. Sisters, both about 5'11" tall, skinny, athletic, sandy blonde hair, Swedish-looking girls, wearing white tank tops and aviator sunglasses. They say they are here to cut down the tree. I was floored.

Sure enough, the one is like a pro-climber. I watched this girl haul something like an 16" Stihl 30 feet straight up this tree, while the other one spotted her. They had this thing down in no time. I invited them for lemonade. It was 95 degrees outside, and they were hot. Those white tank tops were borderline transparent, and I was losing it.

Gave them some cash and they took off; I had no game there. Man I wish...


Anyways...
Relevant to OP- I think we paid $350. They just fell it, no cleanup.

[Don Ro]

"...and they were hot."
~~~~~~~~~

How hot were they? One should always take photos of felling trees...for liability concerns.

[GWN7]

Up here a stump grinder is $65 a day for a rental.

Climbing harness: between $75 and $150

Climbing spikes: between $180 and $300

Ropes and pulleys to lower the cut pieces $100

Or buy a "kit" for between $660 and $860 Need to add pulleys and some rope to it, but it's all new equipment.

So your looking at $350 to $800 for equipment to do it yourself if you have to climb the tree. Or you can do it off a ladder without any fall protection for a lot less. I'm sure everyone will send cards while your in the hospital.

For what it will cost you in equipment you probably could hire someone to do it while you sip a cold one watching.

[JJ 911SC]

Right now in Toronto...

Probably $3K + as all the vultures will be out to rip people off.

It happen every ice storm.

[rfuerst911sc]

Climbing spikes......ropes/pulleys.........harness..........you guys are killing me ! Climb up the darn thing and start cutting ! The top of the tree is mostly limbs that are 3-4 inches thick and quite vertical. I'm thinking climb aprox. half way up and start ' topping ". Work my way down in maybe 5-6 ' sections and then the main trunk. I'm thinking 6-8 beers tops !

[fireant911]

A few years back when we still lived in Jacksonville, AL... We had several (eight, I think) horrible pine trees in our yard which I wanted gone - these were fully grown and quite large. We contacted a couple of tree people and (then) the cost of cutting down only was about $500/each. We found someone in the pulp wood business and he and his crew cut all those trees down for a total cost of $0 (yes, they were bonded and insured). All we had to do was deal with the limbs. I do not suspect that one tree is attractive for a pulp wood organization but their rates should be the best.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Climbing spikes......ropes/pulleys.........harness..........you guys are killing me ! Climb up the darn thing and start cutting ! The top of the tree is mostly limbs that are 3-4 inches thick and quite vertical. I'm thinking climb aprox. half way up and start ' topping ". Work my way down in maybe 5-6 ' sections and then the main trunk. I'm thinking 6-8 beers tops !

For me it was easy peasy til I dropped a tree limb onto my neighbor's metal storage roof....however MY limbs are still intact.
G.

[VINMAN]

One of my close friends got killed last year cutting a tree in his yard. Another ( an experienced FDNY fireman) is paralyzed.

Plus I can give you a list of all the tree cutting fatalities and serious injuries I've been to over the years.. Not to mention the trees through houses after "it fell the wrong way"...

Not worth the risk.

[FLYGEEZER]

Guy doun the road from me just had a big maple taken out & the stump ground last week. Looks like the contractor did a good job & cleanup. Told me he paid $ 1700.00 for the job.

[dewolf]

This would be the fun way

[JavaBrewer]

I'm generally a DIY home improvement guy but operating a chainsaw while in a swaying tree does not sound promising.

My Dad had a couple 50-60' pine trees professionally removed, hauled away, and stump ground. He paid $1200 per tree.

[mreid]

When I lived in PA, I hired the Amish to remove three trees (elm and two ash trees about 70' tall each) after getting a quote for $3500 from a local pro (all required climbing as no truck access). The first guy quoted me $2500, but I told the next guy that Stephan Stoltzfus would do it for $2000 and he agreed to do all three for $1500. His name was Zed Stoltzfus (no immediate relation).