Removal: national figures by trunk and canopy
Thumbtack's Tree Removal Cost Guide 2026, last updated March 24, 2026, prices removal by trunk diameter and canopy spread, using Xactware figures for equipment and labor. Its overall range runs from a low of $373 to $432 up to a high of $2,500 to $3,300 per tree (checked Nov 10, 2026).
| Trunk diameter | Canopy | National average |
|---|---|---|
| Under 12 inches | Under 30 feet | $226 to $596 |
| Under 12 inches | Over 30 feet | $359 to $946 |
| 12 to 24 inches | Under 30 feet | $517 to $1,364 |
| 12 to 24 inches | Over 30 feet | $808 to $2,132 |
| 24 to 36 inches | Under 30 feet | $976 to $2,573 |
| 24 to 36 inches | Over 30 feet | $1,562 to $4,117 |
The same guide splits the job into equipment, at a national average of $155 to $363, and labor, at $257 to $2,476, and notes that just delivering a rented 120- to 150-foot tree lift can cost about $450 (checked Nov 10, 2026). The labor range is the wide one, and it's where a tight backyard or a tree over a roof shows up.
Removal by height: a second source
Lawn Love's guide, updated October 5, 2026, prices by height instead. It cites no data source, so treat it as a rough cross-check rather than a primary figure. It gives a national average of $850 and a typical range of $385 to $1,070 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
| Tree height | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 feet | $285 to $435 |
| 30 to 60 feet | $435 to $870 |
| 60 to 80 feet | $870 to $1,160 |
| Over 80 feet | $1,160 to $2,000 |
Height matters here because local trees run tall. NC State Extension lists tulip poplar at 80 to 120 feet and white oak at generally 80 to 100 feet (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Trimming: national figures
Thumbtack's 2026 Tree Trimming Cost Guide, last updated October 23, 2026, puts the national average at $402 to $1,158; small jobs average $186 at the low end and big ones $2,456 at the high end, or roughly $60 to $80 an hour. Its height tiers start at $474–$848 for trees of 5 to 10 feet and top out at $1,126–$1,957 above 40 feet (checked Nov 10, 2026). The trimming guide has every tier.
Stumps: national grinding prices
Thumbtack puts grinding alone at about $307 to $426, from $267 to $354 for a stump under 12 inches across up to $372 to $494 for 36 to 48 inches (checked Nov 10, 2026). Lawn Love says stump removal adds $180 to $525 to a removal (checked Nov 10, 2026). The difference between Thumbtack's "cut down only" and "cut down plus stump" averages, $450 to $1,450 against $884 to $1,627, is why it pays to ask whether the stump is in the price. The stump guide has the full table.
Emergency and storm work
Lawn Love says emergency removal, such as a tree on a roof or a power line, "generally cost[s] between $450 and $3,000," and gives $90 to $300 for fallen-tree removal (checked Nov 10, 2026). Thumbtack's trimming guide says emergency fees can be "sometimes as high as $250 an hour" (checked Nov 10, 2026).
After a disaster that brings a declared state of emergency, Virginia's Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act covers "tree removal supplies and services." A price can be found unconscionable if it grossly exceeds what was charged in the 10 days before the disaster (Va. Code §§ 59.1-525 to 59.1-529.1, checked Nov 10, 2026). The storm guide explains it.
What moves a Spotsylvania price
- Height and reach. A tall poplar or oak beside the house is taken down in sections, which takes more labor than dropping it in an open field.
- What's underneath. A deck, fence, shed or the neighbor's roof, like in the photo above, means lowering pieces on rope.
- A stream nearby. In a Resource Protection Area, county approval comes first, and more than five trees needs a replanting plan; where replanting is required, the county's handout sets canopy trees, understory trees and shrubs by each 400-square-foot unit of buffer (county handouts, checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Soft clay. Mattaponi soils, whose type location is in Spotsylvania County, have a seasonal water table 36 to 72 inches down from December to March (USDA). Ground mats or a smaller machine can add time.
- Wires. Work within 10 feet of a high-voltage line waits on the line's owner, which has five working days to start safety arrangements (Va. Code § 59.1-410, checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Hauling. The county runs no curbside pickup, no refuse facility takes stumps, and Livingston Landfill won't take logs over 18 inches across or 12 feet long (checked Nov 10, 2026). Chipping and hauling are usually part of the price.
- Brittle wood. A dead ash turns brittle soon after emerald ash borer infests it, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry (July 2018), which can change how the crew takes it down.
- Storm damage. A trunk lying on a roof is slower and riskier work than a tree still standing.
Government charges and penalties
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| County approval for buffer tree removal | No fee appears on the county's RPA exemption and exception form; fees not confirmed |
| City of Fredericksburg RPA buffer modification permit | $50 application plus $25 processing, nonrefundable |
| County open-air burning permit (land-clearing burns, depending on zoning) | $150 |
| Brush at Livingston Landfill, decal holder in a residential vehicle | No tipping fee; commercial vehicles pay a commercial brush rate |
| Virginia 811 locate request | Free |
| Cutting in the buffer without approval | Civil penalties up to $5,000 per day, plus a restoration plan |
| Breaking the county burn ordinance | Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both |
| Breaking the state 4 p.m. burning law | Class 3 misdemeanor, fine not more than $500, plus suppression costs if a fire escapes |
| Breaking the 10-foot power line rule | Civil penalty up to $1,000 |
VDOT's rules require a single use permit before trimming or cutting trees in a state right-of-way, but the regulation doesn't state the fee (24VAC30-151-30, checked Nov 10, 2026).
State cost-share programs
The Virginia Department of Forestry offers emerald ash borer cost-share help for treating and preserving ash, a separate Ash Removal and Replacement application (form 17.06) for ash lost to the beetle, and hemlock woolly adelgid treatment cost-share. Its Pine Bark Beetle Prevention Program offers cost-share for prevention work in pine stands, such as thinning young pines (checked Nov 10, 2026). Amounts and eligibility weren't part of this site's research; ask the Department directly. Separately, Dominion Energy is cutting ash trees that could affect its distribution lines under a plan approved by the State Corporation Commission, though the debris stays the owner's responsibility (checked Nov 10, 2026).
What the written price should spell out
- Which trees, by location, and whether each is removed, trimmed or left.
- How each comes down, and where the pieces will land.
- Who asks the county for any stream-buffer approval, and who does the replanting if it's required.
- Whether the stump is ground, how deep, and who places the Virginia 811 request.
- What happens to the wood: chipped, hauled, or cut to firewood length and left.
- Cleanup: raking, filling ruts, the grindings.
- The total, what's due when, and what changes the price if the crew finds rot or rock.
If you have a homeowner's insurance claim open, give the adjuster a copy. The hiring guide covers the rest of the agreement.
Cost questions
Why does a tree next to the house cost so much more?
It has to come down in pieces, often roped down over the roof or deck. Thumbtack's national labor range, $257 to $2,476, shows how much that work can vary (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Is stump grinding included in a removal price?
Not always. Thumbtack's averages are $450 to $1,450 to cut a tree down and $884 to $1,627 with the stump removed too (checked Nov 10, 2026). Ask, and get it in writing.
Does the county charge to approve removing a dead tree near a stream?
No fee is listed on the county's RPA exemption and exception form, though fees weren't confirmed for this site (checked Nov 10, 2026). Inside the City of Fredericksburg, the buffer permit costs $50 plus $25.
What does emergency tree removal cost?
Lawn Love gives $450 to $3,000 for a tree on a roof or power line, and Thumbtack says emergency rates can reach $250 an hour (checked Nov 10, 2026). Both are national figures.
Can I lower the price by hauling brush myself?
Possibly. County residents with a refuse decal can take limbs under 6 inches thick and 6 feet long to the Chancellor or Berkeley convenience centers, one load a day, and bigger wood to Livingston Landfill without a tipping fee in a residential vehicle (checked Nov 10, 2026). Logs over 18 inches across and stumps aren't accepted.
A request sent from this site goes to one independent contractor who works in Spotsylvania County, and that contractor writes up the price. The site itself sets no prices.
Sources
- Thumbtack, Tree Removal Cost Guide 2026, updated March 24, 2026, and 2026 Tree Trimming Cost Guide, updated October 23, 2026. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Lawn Love, How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in 2026?, updated October 5, 2026 (checked Nov 10, 2026). No data source cited.
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, tulip poplar and white oak (checked Nov 10, 2026); USDA, Mattaponi soil series.
- Spotsylvania County, Mitigation Plans handout, RPA Exemption/Exception Request form, Chesapeake Bay Preservation, Burning Guidelines, Yard Waste Collection Program and Solid Waste Center Information. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- City of Fredericksburg, RPA Buffer Modification permit form, revised February 10, 2026 (checked Nov 10, 2026).
- Va. Code §§ 59.1-525 to 59.1-529.1; Va. Code §§ 59.1-406 et seq.; Va. Code § 10.1-1142; Virginia Department of Forestry, 4 PM Burning Law; 24VAC30-151-30; Virginia 811, homeowners page. Checked Nov 10, 2026.
- Virginia Department of Forestry, Ash Tree Management (FT0035, July 2018) and Forest Health page (checked Nov 10, 2026); Dominion Energy, tree trimming and power lines (checked Nov 10, 2026).