How To Negotiate Tree Removal Service in 2022

Many people learn how to negotiate tree removal services when they need a tree or trees cut down or hauled away. The sticker shock of initial research on tree removal services is formidable, and rather than attempt the dangers of removing the tree(s) themselves, good researchers discover there are other options to get their tree removal pricing down to an acceptable budget. Log Masters Tree Service in Northwest, IN, has all the information you need to get the best pricing on tree removal services wherever you live. Let’s take a look at how you can save money on tree removal services by understanding and negotiating the finer details of tree services.

What Goes Into The Cost Of Tree Removal?

The cost of tree removal depends on three main factors: 1) the size of the tree being removed 2) the risk involved with the location and cleanup of the particular tree, and 3) the equipment/skill level needed to remove the tree. On average, nationwide, tree removal for a single tree is about $1200 in 2022, with a range from $500 to $5000 depending on the details of the three main factors for tree removal pricing. The higher pricing of a tree removal often comes down to how easily your arborist can access the tree, which may be surrounded by bushes, other trees, or even hazards and obstacles like power lines or existing structures. The size of a larger tree also involves more garbage collection, which is more costly (though we’ll teach you about how to negotiate cleanup below).

There are many homeowners and/or business owners who may attempt DIY tree removal, but we do not recommend you attempt this for trees beyond 10 feet tall. Tree removal services employ specialists because they are expert tree climbers and can avoid the dangerous pitfalls (pun intended) of removing tall trees. According to OSHA, more than 100 people die each year because of tree fall fatalities. Bottom line: the cost of tree removal service is well worth the investment for tall trees. If you want to reduce your costs, it is better to learn how to negotiate your tree removal than to undertake this specialized process without the guidance of a professional arborist.

What Areas Of Tree Removal Service Are Negotiable?

Knowing the three main factors for tree removal pricing allows you to ask the obvious follow-up question: what aspects of tree removal are negotiable? The best areas of negotiation are found in 1) tree removal cleanup, 2) stump removal, 3) multiple-tree removal, and 4) smaller tree service businesses that can lower their margins. Let’s take a look at how to negotiate in each area of savings for tree removal.

How Do I Negotiate Tree Removal Cleanup?

There are several parts to a tree removal service, including felling (cutting down the tree), limbing (removing the branches), bucking (cutting up the tree trunk), and cleanup (discarding the wood and cleaning up the area where the tree once stood). If you’re a handy DIYer, this is where you can begin to assess more accurately your willingness to take ownership of some areas of the tree removal process in order to save money. For example, if you are handy with a chainsaw, don’t mind heavy cleanup, and have a place to store wood, you can negotiate your tree removal service to include only tree felling. This means that your tree removal service will cut down your tree, and leave you to dispose of the tree yourself.

Another version of this might be to negotiate that your tree service will include tree felling and limbing but not bucking and cleanup. This means you’ll be left with a tree stump and heavy blocks of wood that you’ll need to move into storage and cleanup after. Finally, you can negotiate for your tree service to include only tree felling, limbing, and bucking, and decide to clean up the after brush yourself. Each of these individual negotiations can save you from $50 to $100 dollars, adding up to hundreds of dollars saved.

How Do I Negotiate Stump Removal?

When your tree is finally cut down and removed, there is still a stump that you may or may not want to remove. Obviously, if you want your stump removed it is another cost. The national average cost of stump removal in 2022 is $300. Ask your tree removal service if they are quoting your stump removal by piece or by inch. If by piece the cost is usually $100 per piece, while payment per inch is $3 per inch. For DIYers, once you’ve measured your stump or inquired about how many pieces you’re being quoted, you’ll be able to assess whether it makes sense to rent a stump shredder for $95 per hour (or $175 for a day). Then, you can inquire about whether your tree service will come down in their stump removal pricing. If they come down even $50, that may be enough to make your cost of equipment and time, worth outsourcing.

How Do I Negotiate Multiple Tree Removals?

In many cases, you may have multiple trees to remove from your location. This is a great opportunity to negotiate a lower overall cost per tree because your tree removal service will already be in place with their equipment ready to do the work. If the tree service business you are employing charges $1200 per tree removal, you may be able to save $100 or more per tree simply by asking for a multiple tree discount.

How Do I Negotiate With A Smaller Tree Service Business?

In most cases, larger tree service removal businesses have a set operating cost that makes their pricing for tree removal static. Though it can be harder to negotiate full tree service removal with a larger business, smaller tree removal services are often run by arborists who have flexible operating costs and can choose to further discount their tree services based on current workload, the accessibility of your tree, and the opportunity to build an ongoing relationship and/or referral. As you do your research, look for 5 Star Reviewed Tree Removal Services that are run with fewer employees and operating costs. Often, these excellent arborists can be identified by reading reviews and noticing where customers recommend the arborist by given name i.e. Logan, rather than by their small business brand. The best referrals are given to those who consistently deliver excellent tree services and choosing a smaller tree service can save you hundreds of dollars.

Cheap Tree Removal Vs Best Tree Removal

One final note on negotiating your tree removal services. It is never a good idea to go with the first arborist or service that you discover by typing in “cheap tree removal” into Google. As with many service businesses, you often get what you pay for. Many cheap tree removal services leave you a greater mess than you began with and frequently these fellers have not been trained as certified arborists by the ACRT, and do not have insurance in the case your tree removal causes damage to your property or to someone. In general, searching for the “best tree removal service” on Google will give you a great handful of tree removal specialists that you can collect to begin investigating the ideal fit for your project.

As you inquire about the different “best” tree service removal businesses, start by asking them for a quote for full-service tree removal (one tree), to get an idea of their full-service price. Then compare the total cost for full-service tree removal with several other tree removal specialists. Once you have the full-service price for each, go back to each tree service and ask if their prices are negotiable based on your willingness to take ownership of aspects like cleanup and stump removal. Or if you have multiple trees, ask whether their full-service tree removal pricing is reduced for multiple trees. In general, you’ll find that the greatest discounts will come from 5-star reviewed tree service businesses that are smaller and can offer more for less.

Tree Removal Negotiation Made Simple

The bottom line is that you can negotiate your tree removal services. Understand the three main factors for tree removal pricing, then begin investigating the 5-star businesses you’ll consider and compare their full-service tree removal pricing, and finally, begin asking questions about the aspects of your tree removal that can be negotiated. Armed with this knowledge you should be able to save hundreds of dollars on your tree removal!