We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›
Trees provide our homes with plenty of perks, from shade in the summer to gorgeous fall color—not to mention major curb appeal all year long. But even the hardiest of trees can suffer from disease, storm damage, or old age. When a tree is no longer an asset, it can become a threat to personal property and safety. Fortunately, plenty of certified professionals are out there who know just how to tell when a tree needs to be removed. This guide will help you find the best tree removal services for this high-risk job.
- BEST OVERALL: Davey
- RUNNER-UP: SavATree
- BEST FOR BUSINESSES: BrightView
- BEST AGGREGATOR: Angi
What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Tree Removal Services
Before hiring a tree removal service, there are several factors to consider, including the type of services offered, accreditation, tree risk assessment, scheduling, service area, and pricing. Keep these points in mind when searching for “best tree removal service near me.”
Service Area and Scheduling
When investigating how to find the best tree removal service, it’s good for customers to focus the search on local tree service companies. There’s no point in a customer evaluating the rest of a company’s attributes if the company can’t service a customer’s property. Nationwide services will typically have a ZIP code search function on their sites, so a customer can input their ZIP code and make sure their home falls within a company’s service area. Tree removal must be scheduled in advance, and customers should evaluate if a company provides scheduling over the phone or online.
Residential vs. Commercial Services
Tree removal services may offer residential or commercial services. Homeowners will want to look for residential tree removal services that are familiar with removing trees from the front, back, and side yards on a variety of property types, including on slopes or near power lines.
For businesses, tree removal is often of specific concern. Unhealthy trees can be a liability to both a business’s customers and its employees. A business will want to hire a tree removal or tree-cutting service that offers commercial tree removal to ensure that the service is familiar with best practices to remove a tree with minimal disruption to the business.
Tree Risk Assessment
Customers should look for companies that offer tree risk assessment before removing a tree. Since trees are such a valuable part of the environment, a tree service should respect trees and not cut down a perfectly healthy tree without a valid reason. A certified arborist will evaluate the tree’s health, its potential failure, and the consequences of what such a failure would be. The arborist will then recommend the proper measures to prevent failure. These measures don’t always include tree removal, but it is a possibility.
Quotes and Pricing
Most companies perform in-person consultations before providing quotes for tree removal. This allows the arborist and company to determine the costs more accurately. Tree removal costs are based on multiple factors, including the species, diameter, height, and health of the tree.
Stump Removal
Stump removal is not always included in the price of tree removal. When getting a quote, customers should be sure to inquire whether the price includes stump removal costs. If it does not, customers looking for stump removal should determine if the stump can be removed at the same time as the tree or if an additional appointment is required.
Arborist Certifications and Insurance
Customers will want to look for tree removal or tree-trimming services that are bonded and insured. Tree removal work can be dangerous and easily damage property, so looking for a company that offers some assurances to protect property is important.
In addition, customers should seek out a company with at least one certified arborist on staff who will come to perform the tree inspection. The most common certification is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, though some businesses may also be accredited with the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). TCIA accreditation is a third-party consumer-confidence verification program.
Additional Services
When searching for “tree service near me,” customers may notice that tree removal companies frequently offer additional services. These may include stump removal, tree maintenance, lawn and shrub care, and tree bracing or support. Tree bracing is an alternative to tree removal, where cables and brace rods are used as structural supports to prevent a tree from falling and provide additional support to damaged trees.
Customer Support
Whether it’s scheduling the initial consultation or answering questions about the day-of services, customer support is a significant component of tree-cutting services. Because the work is often dangerous and requires planning, it’s important that the tree removal service be able to answer any questions customers have. Knowing that a customer can contact someone in the event of storm damage or in emergency situations, such as when large branches have fallen on the road, is also an important part of the support a tree company can provide.
Our Top Picks
There’s no shortage of companies offering tree removal. Still, customers will want to find a company that can deliver quality, trustworthy work. Here are our top picks to check out before searching for “tree removal near me.”
Best Overall
Davey
- Service area: 47 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Email, phone
- Residential vs. commercial services: Residential, commercial
- Arborist certifications: ISA
- Additional services: Tree treatment, pruning, planting, storm prep; lawn care; shrub pruning
Pros
- Tree Care Industry Association accreditation
- High level of expertise due to ongoing research and workload studies
- Environmentally friendly business practices
- Comprehensive online reference materials
Cons
- Guarantee may not apply to commercial customers
Why It Made the Cut: Davey offers a high level of tree care expertise and environmentally friendly business practices with near-nationwide availability. With availability in 47 states and Washington, D.C., Davey offers high-quality tree removal. Not only are their arborists ISA certified, but the company is also TCIA accredited. In addition, the technicians have a high level of expertise thanks to ongoing research through The Davey Institute, which is Davey’s research branch that studies trees, diseases, and treatment and works toward developing products, methods, and treatments for healthier trees. Customers also have access to a comprehensive database of reference materials online for finding answers to any questions about tree care. Although the satisfaction guarantee only applies to residential customers, the company offers residential and commercial services. In addition, Davey regularly performs workload studies where they observe crews to gauge execution and efficiency, helping to remedy any issues that may arise and ensure customers get the best experience possible. Davey also has actionable sustainability goals, reducing overall company water consumption and global fleet consumption by 35 percent per labor hour by 2023. With all of these standout features, customers can’t go wrong with choosing Davey for their tree removal needs.
Runner-Up
SavATree
- Service area: 25 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Email, phone
- Residential vs. commercial services: Residential, commercial
- Arborist certifications: ISA
- Additional services: Tree treatment, pruning, bracing; shrub care; lawn care
Pros
- Tree Care Industry Association accreditation
- Convenient online customer portal
- Tree and landscape appraisal offered
Cons
- Commercial tree services may not be available at all locations
Why It Made the Cut: SavATree offers residential and commercial tree services through a convenient online customer portal. With both ISA-certified arborists on staff and the company’s TCIA accreditation, SavATree offers tree removal, treatment, pruning, and bracing, along with shrub and lawn care, in 25 states and Washington, D.C. Customers can schedule their initial consultations via email or phone, and bill pay is conveniently offered through an online portal. Although the company offers commercial tree services, they may not be available at every location. Commercial customers will want to confirm that their local branch offers the services they need. SavATree notably offers tree appraisals that help establish property value, tax deductions, and insurance claim adjustments. This appraisal uses standard guidelines for determining urban and residential tree value and can help customers determine the ideal spots to remove, plant, or transplant trees for both environmental health and resale value.
Best for Businesses
BrightView
- Service area: 30 states
- Scheduling: Email, phone
- Residential vs. commercial services: Commercial
- Arborist certifications: Not specified
- Additional services: Landscape design and installation, snow and ice removal, water management, turf care
Pros
- Services available for wide variety of commercial markets
- LEED-certified landscape consulting
Cons
- Unclear certification information on website
Why It Made the Cut: BrightView offers exclusively commercial tree removal services in 30 states throughout the U.S. BrightView is a commercial tree and landscape company that offers easy scheduling for a wide range of commercial customers, from homeowners associations to sports complexes, through email or by phone. The company employs certified arborists, although the exact certification is not listed on the website. In addition to commercial tree removal and services, BrightView also offers commercial landscape consulting, design, installation, snow and ice removal, water management, and turf care. BrightView provides LEED-certified landscape designs, which means that all of its services meet the protocols of third-party certification for environmental responsibility.
Best Aggregator
Angi
- Service area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
- Scheduling: Online
- Residential vs. commercial services: Varies by provider
- Arborist certifications: Varies by provider
- Additional services: Varies by provider
- Customers can filter by project and choose from local professionals
- Customers can obtain quotes or bids within minutes
- Streamlined and user-friendly website and app
- Comprehensive resource center organized by project type
- Name, phone number, and email are required to browse local services
- Persistent follow-up emails and calls
Why It Made the Cut: Angi provides customers easy access to local, vetted professional tree removal services nationwide. Customers can use Angi to find local, professional tree removal services nearest to them. Although customers will need to enter their name, phone number, and email in order to browse local services, they can reach out to local pros and obtain quotes for nearly any home improvement project, including tree removal. The streamlined website and user-friendly process make it fast and easy for customers to hire the professionals they need when they need them.
Our Verdict
Because of its high level of tree expertise, environmentally friendly practices, wide service area, arborist certifications, and accreditation, Davey gets our pick for best tree removal service. SavATree is the runner-up with certified arborists providing services in 25 states.
How We Chose the Best Tree Removal Services
To determine the best tree removal services, we researched dozens of companies across the U.S., focusing on companies with a multi-state presence to reach the most potential customers. The final list evaluates relevant factors for each tree company, including services offered, accreditation, certification, scheduling, pricing, account management, and satisfaction guarantees.
Before You Hire One of the Best Tree Removal Services
When searching online for “best tree removal services near me,” customers need to know what services they will require, both immediate and long-term, and what to expect from different companies. Customers will want to have a tree assessment done to determine whether the tree can be saved or if it needs to be removed. In addition, the health of other trees on the property may need to be evaluated for future removal or tree-saving measures. Customers may prefer to hire a company that can offer both tree removal services as well as tree trimming and tree maintenance for other trees on the property. They may also prefer to bundle landscaping and the best lawn care services at the same time.
Cost of Hiring One of the Best Tree Removal Services
The cost of tree removal services can vary depending on several factors. The height and circumference of the tree, as well as the location of the tree on the property, can all affect the cost of the tree removal service.
On average, it costs $750 to remove a tree, but the nationwide range can be anywhere from $200 to $2,000, depending on the size and condition of the tree. Stump removal can add $167 to $503. Just tree trimming costs can be an average of $460.
A tree’s location on the property can affect the cost of tree removal by anywhere from 25 to 50 percent. For example, large branches that grow over a roofline must be lowered by rope rather than dropped, which can increase time and labor costs.
The Advantages of Using One of the Best Tree Removal Services
Tree removal work is hazardous, and tree removal should always be done by a licensed, insured, and bonded certified arborist. There are many benefits to using a vetted, professional company.
- Protect property from costly damage
- Maintain the health of the tree and surrounding trees
- Avoid life-threatening damage from power lines or other hazards
FAQs
No two trees are the same, but there are plenty of common questions when it comes to searching for the “best tree removal service in my area.” Here are a few of the most asked.
Q. How do you hire a tree removal service?
Hire one of the best tree removal services by first contacting them to get a site visit and an estimate. You can contact more than one service to compare prices, but be sure to look for one that has trained and certified technicians, like ISA Certified Arborists.
Q. Do you need an arborist to remove a tree?
Yes. For safety and to ensure the job is done properly, you should look for a certified arborist to remove your tree.
Q. How do you estimate the height of a tree?
You can estimate the height of a tree using a piece of paper and a tape measure. Fold a square piece of paper in half into a triangle, with one 90-degree and two 45-degree angles.
- Hold the corner opposite the 90-degree angle and point the rest of the triangle toward you.
- One of the short sides will be horizontal and the other vertical.
- Move back from the tree until you can sight the top of the tree at the top of the triangle.
- Mark this spot on the ground.
- Measure the distance from the spot to the base of the tree.
- Add your height to that distance.
- The answer you get is the height of the tree.
Q. Are palm tree stumps hard to remove?
Yes. Palm tree stumps can be hard to remove primarily because palm trees have robust, deep root systems that must be removed at the same time as the stump.
Q. What season is the best for removing a tree?
The best time of year to remove a tree is in winter or early spring when the tree is still dormant. Frozen ground is also less easily disturbed than warm ground.
Q. How much does a tree removal service cost?
Tree removal costs an average of $750 and can range between $200 and $2,000.