How Much Does Tree Pruning Cost

Healthy trees that are not causing issues can be trimmed or pruned back to remove excess leaves and branches and keep foliage in check. Councils love pruning work for trees because it helps protect the natural environment of local neighbourhoods.

Typically with arboricultural projects you need to obtain council permission to remove branches, trees and even cut back heavily, however, if all you are doing is pruning, you are hiring a professional arborist to complete the work, and they are removing less than 5% of the tree canopy, then an arborist can complete their work without expensive permissions (provided the health of the tree is maintained).

What an arborist does

Arborists are tree professionals who look after privately owned and community trees and help make sure the trees and plants on and around your property are healthy and safe for everyone. They are trained in how to safely and effectively care for our suburban environment.

While arborists are usually called on when a tree or particular tree limbs have become dangerous, you can save time, stress and money by asking for help to maintain your trees with pruning on a regular basis.

Healthy and well-maintained trees are a beautiful asset to your home and well-being as well as essential for local birds and wildlife.

The cost of hiring an arborist

Since every tree is different, trimming, pruning and removal prices can vary significantly from job to job and arborist to arborist. Some tree species are particularly resilient meaning it will take more equipment and time.

The complexity of the work is a big factor in determining the prices so something more simple, like tree pruning, will be less costly than bigger jobs. The biggest deciding factor with tree pruning is the height of your free. Large trees will require scaling or the use of elevating equipment.

Average cost per service

Arborists Report for council permission

To ensure the safe removal of your tree or tree branches as well as monitoring the environmental impact of tree work, you will need to request permission to cut back or remove trees on your property. This will require an arborist report (average cost of $450) as well as a permission fee ($50 - $150). You will need to pay for a report even if your application is not in your favour.

Tree Health Assessment

If you’d like some information about the health and safety of your tree you won’t need to purchase the full report. You can simply get an assessment done with the advice and the expected cost on how you would like to proceed. Some arborists will offer a free assessment if you end up working with them or they might charge a small fee of $30- $150 depending on if they need to scale a tree.

Pruning

The biggest cost factor for pruning is height. Usually work here is not complex and prices are low. It also helps keep your trees healthy and prevent future damage and need for removal.

Expect a small tree (10 metres or less) to be $200 - $500 for a professional and safe prune

Medium trees (10 to 20 metres) $300 to $800 and large trees, 20 metres high or more are $500 to $3,000.

Tree Removal

In order for a large tree to be taken down safely, it needs to be pruned, lopped and removed in sections. This is a big demand on time and also safety requirements for workers, property and other trees. The bigger the tree, the more these factors come into play, which is why tree size has such an influence on cost.

Expect to pay:

• $150 - $500 for narrow-trunk trees, eight metres or smaller.

• $200 - $1,000 for wide trunks up to 23 metres

• $1,500.00 + for anything bigger

Stump Removal

While leaving an old stump is safe for a while, over time it can lead to issues, especially with termites and pests that can invade other parts of your garden and even your home. An average stump removal is around $250 but it can be as low as $150 for smaller, lighter stumps or more for diseased, sloped or large stumps.