Average cost of tree removal - fairly close to house, trees about 20 feet high

Living in a state where we are prone to hurricanes in combination with doing tree and landscaping service for a living I can tell you that pricing a tree to be cut down or even trimmed can be tricky and even difficult task for a home owner. Before actually calling a tree service to your home for an estimate make sure you evaluate the idea first by yourself or even with a loved one. Step back and look at the tree. Is it dead? Is it posing a threat to my home? Do I have the finances to hire a tree service to come cut it down? How will doing this affect my curb appeal? These are all pretty basic questions most people will ask themselves before hiring anyone to even give an estimate. These are all very good questions and if you have not asked yourself these questions now is the time to do so.

Things to consider when planning to hire a tree service

• Do your research on any service you are considering. Make sure they are not only licensed with the county or state but also insured. In some states it is not mandatory for a tree service to carry insurance however it is always wise to hire one that has it in case of any vehicle, property, or home damage occurs.
• Check the company's reputation. If they are registered to the Better Business Bureau you can research their reputation. Word of mouth is also a fairly reliable way to determine a local company's reputation.
• Try to hire a well known or big company. Price ranges widely vary from company to company usually a larger tree service can offer a cheaper price and shorter time frame not only on when they can do the job but also in time that it will take to get a job done.
• If a small Tree Service is your choice take into consideration that a smaller service is probably going to be priced higher as most smaller companies may not have heavy equipment or may hire climbers on a job to job basis. If a climber is needed and limbs have to be roped down to prevent damage to your home or to miss power lines you can more then likely expect that your price will probabley be at least $350.00. If the tree is dead and cannot be climbed you then will have to consider the cost of a crane or man lift being used. Smaller companies usually rent this equipment so you can guarantee yourself the cost of the rental being $100.00 to $500.00 or more depending on what equipment is needed and how long it will be used. If the tree is easy enough to simply chop and drop your price will be $75.00 at the least.
• Get several price quotes and not just one as well as making sure all permits are taken care of by the company unless you plan on doing that yourself. Also check newspapers and local coupon magazines for discounts and coupons. Some services also offer Senior Citizen discounts. Some services will offer package deals for multiple trees or for removal and stump grinding. Always remember the service will want the job so some of them will want you to remove the tree even if it isn't necessary, so if you feel you are being lied to stay away from a service. If they give you your options and tell you possibly that the tree should be left alone that is a good inclination that you may have a trustworthy service.
• Some things tree services may also figure in to the price are bars and chains for chainsaws $25.00- $160.00, Climbers $150.00 or more, Gas and oil for saws, blowers etc. $5.00-$35.00, time as much as $25.00 or more an hour if roping and employee pay $10.00 an hour per employee or more. If hauling away debris they will usually $25.00 or more per load also.
• If a service asks you how much you were looking to spend give them a reasonable price idea and do not estimate higher then you want or better yet allow them to tell you what they are planning on charging you and what exactly is included in the work that they are going to perform. Smaller services sometimes will use this as a tool to make as much money as possible by you telling them you don't want to spend more then $300.00 it gives them an open field to make maybe significantly more then they were planning on charging you to begin with. If you were to say $300.00 they may have only been planning on charging you $150.00 but since you gave the open invitation they may tell you $225.00 so you feel you are getting a bargain however in actuality they are making more then they intended.

These are just a few tips on how to help yourself make your decision and should not be considered a guide or set price range for any Tree Service. Your best option when hiring a Tree Service is to go with your instinct, and if a tree is healthy and not posing any major threat to your home the best bet is to leave it where it is. After taking down a tree planting another one elsewhere on the property is a good idea not only environmentally but it is also a requirement in some areas.