While trees play an important part in reducing the amount of carbon in the air, they can also sometimes get in the way.
If you find that your power keeps going out or there’s a large tree growing over your house that you worry may eventually fall, then you’ll probably want to get the tree removed.
After calling a tree removal service, however, you’ll also find that the services for tree removal are quite expensive.
Since they’re just chopping down a tree, you may wonder why tree removal services are so expensive.
Why Is Tree Removal So Expensive? (10 Reasons)
Tree removal services tend to start at around $150 and go up from there.
Some services can even be as costly as over $2,000.
The time of the season, the condition of the tree, and the complexity of the work site are all factors that determine how expensive your tree removal service becomes.
Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
1. High Insurance Premiums
One of the main reasons why tree removal is expensive is because the companies have to pay high insurance premiums.
Tree removal can be dangerous.
The workers have to chop down trees in sometimes dangerous conditions.
For example, exceptionally large trees can potentially lead to a deadly fall.
Trees with electric wires around them increase the chances of electrocution.
Tree removal also requires heavy machinery.
Workers need to use chainsaws, cranes, and other machinery to remove trees from an area.
Besides the danger to the workers, there are also things that could happen to the property and those who live on it.
A tree branch that goes astray might end up plunging through someone’s window.
A dead tree can shatter when cut and send its shards flying several meters away.
To cover those costs, tree removal companies need to have good insurance.
Since those insurance companies are aware that injuries and accidents are likely to happen, they consider tree removal a risk.
To lower the risk to the insurance company, they charge the tree removal company high premiums.
This ensures that insurance companies can make money while working with tree removal companies.
Because tree removal companies have to pay high premiums, they need to charge a high price for their services to cover them.
They need enough money to cover the rest of their expenses as well.
Tree removal is expensive because of high insurance premiums.
2. Skilled Labor Wages
Not everyone can perform tree removal services.
It’s skilled labor.
This means that most workers attend some sort of vocational job training.
They’re taught the skills needed to properly remove the tree while lowering the chances of accidents and injuries.
It isn’t as simple as cutting down a tree.
Tree removal involves the careful study of the area.
The workers need to determine if there are any dangers at the work site.
For example, is it close to the neighbor’s house or to electrical wires?
If so, they need to come up with a plan on the spot for how to handle the tree removal.
It also requires them to check for any wildlife in the tree.
If there’s a rare species of bird or squirrel living in the tree, for example, then they need to know whom to call to carefully remove that wildlife before removing the tree.
The actual process of removing the tree isn’t easy either.
Workers need to be physically fit.
They have to be able to climb a tree to cut off its branches and start cutting it down.
Because the job requires a lot of skill, workers are paid skilled labor wages.
These wages are higher than minimum wage.
Since the job is hard on the body, most tree removal companies probably offer some sort of health insurance benefit, too.
Both of those add costs to the business’s operation.
Since it costs more to operate and run, the business has to charge its clients more money.
Tree removal is expensive because it requires skilled labor.
3. Expensive Equipment
Tree removal involves the use of expensive equipment.
That’s another reason it’s so expensive.
Whether it’s a digging tool, a cutting tool, or even small tools like chainsaws, there’s a lot of equipment used in tree removal.
Some companies even have a bucket that lifts their workers to the top of a tree.
That equipment isn’t cheap to purchase.
Because of that, the tree removal company usually has to take on a hefty loan to afford to pay for that equipment.
They’ll spend a good amount of time paying back that loan.
Because the machinery experiences heavy-duty use, it’s not uncommon for the equipment to break down, too.
Then the company faces expensive repairs.
Heavy machinery is more expensive to fix than something like a car because it’s specialized.
It requires expert mechanics who have experience fixing heavy machinery.
Those mechanics are harder to find than standard auto repair mechanics.
They get paid more money because they have specialized knowledge.
Heavy machinery also tends to use more expensive parts.
They’re larger and more durable.
As such, they’re more expensive to make.
Since they’re expensive to make, they’re expensive to buy.
Tree removal companies have to buy expensive parts and pay expensive mechanics when their machinery breaks down.
Since they can never be too sure when something is about to break, they have to charge their clients high prices.
That ensures that they have a pool of emergency funds that they can use to fix broken equipment.
Heavy machinery also uses a lot of fuel.
Whenever fuel prices are high, it costs more to run the machinery.
That also impacts the price of a tree removal service.
Tree removal is expensive because of its use of expensive heavy machinery.
4. Length Of Service
The length of time it’s going to take to complete the service also impacts the price.
One of the first things a tree removal company will do is inspect the work site.
They’ll take a look at the tree that needs to get removed and determine how complex the job is going to be.
If it looks as though the job is going to take a while, then you can expect a more expensive price tag on the service.
That’s because tree removal companies pay their workers by the hour.
The longer a job takes, the more the workers get paid.
That means the customer has to pay for those work hours.
There are several things that can make a job take longer.
If you’re far from their location, for example, then they might charge you based on the time it takes to remove debris from your property.
The height of the tree might also determine how long the job takes.
If the tree is large, then it’s going to take more time to remove.
If you want several trees in the area removed, then that’s going to be even more expensive.
Each tree takes some time to get rid of, so if you need several trees removed, then you can expect to pay an expensive price for the service.
Tree removal service is expensive when it takes a long time.
5. Difficult Access To Work Site
A major factor that determines how expensive your tree removal service is is whether it’s difficult to access the work site or not.
If your tree is in an easily accessible place, then the company won’t charge as much.
That’s because it doesn’t cost them much time or energy to park their trucks, unload the equipment, and get started.
However, if the work site is difficult to reach, then you can expect to pay for the extra headache.
Difficult work sites will cost you more money because it takes more time for the team to get set up.
They may need to park their trucks far away from the work site.
That slows things down because they have to walk back and forth constantly.
It also means they may need to chop down other trees or bushes to get to the tree.
If the tree in question is in an overgrown area, then they might need to clear a path just to get to the tree.
That’s more time and energy spent on the job.
They also have to consider the proximity to the client’s house or the neighbor’s house.
For example, if they believe that the tree is going to fall into the neighbor’s yard or if the tree is on the neighbor’s property, then they need to get written permission from the neighbor to remove the tree.
Otherwise, they can’t do anything.
That might take time, too, especially if the neighbor isn’t home when they show up to do the job.
Tree removal is expensive when the work site is difficult to access.
6. Number Of Workers Assigned To The Job
Tree removal is also expensive when you have a lot of workers assigned to the job.
Some companies will use a big team of workers to complete the job because it’s faster.
The more people you have on hand, the more you can get done quickly.
However, this also means that the company has more workers to pay.
Depending on the complexity of the job, you might be able to get a cheap price if the company uses a lot of workers.
If they’re able to finish quickly, then it could save you money.
However, if the job is complex or if you have a lot of trees that you want removed, then it’s going to be expensive.
That’s because you’re paying all those workers for the time that they’re there and removing your trees.
Smaller groups of workers tend to be a bit cheaper because there are fewer to pay.
While it may take a bit longer, you also don’t have to worry about paying so many workers.
Before you confirm an appointment with a tree removal company, it’s always a good idea to ask about the number of men expected to perform the job.
That can give you an idea of how expensive your bill might become.
Tree removal is expensive when you have a lot of workers assigned to your service.
7. Crane Operations
If your tree is large enough, then it may require the use of a crane.
Tree removal companies will bring in a crane to pull a tree from the ground.
They’ll lift it and move it to the ground where the workers can then cut it and remove it.
A crane is mostly used when direct access to the work site isn’t easy.
They’ll also use it when the tree is too large and there are concerns over where it might fall.
Someone’s house or a structure being too close to the tree is usually the main concern in this case.
The problem with using a crane is that it’s expensive.
Cranes are expensive pieces of machinery.
They’re difficult and expensive to transport.
They’re expensive to fuel.
They’re also expensive to operate.
Only those trained to use cranes can operate them.
As such, crane operators tend to get paid a pretty decent wage.
If your particular service requires the use of a crane, then you can expect it to be pretty expensive.
Cranes make tree removal expensive because they add substantial costs to business operations.
8. Condition Of The Tree
Another factor that makes tree removal expensive is the condition of the tree.
A common mistake that people make is waiting until a tree dies to get rid of it.
The best time to remove a tree is when it’s still alive and healthy.
That’s because dead trees are brittle.
When the team cuts into the tree, its shards end up exploding everywhere.
There’s no telling where the shards are going to go which means injuries are common.
They can also travel great distances which makes them a danger to other people.
Since it’s more dangerous to remove dead trees, tree removal companies will charge more.
Another variable is the length of the tree.
Smaller trees are easier to remove since they don’t require as much equipment.
A worker can simply climb the tree to start cutting it down.
Larger trees are more problematic.
They may require the use of special equipment.
The more complex the tree is, the more expensive it’s going to be to remove.
9. In-Season Pricing
The time of the year in which you order a tree removal service also impacts the price.
Spring and summer are the two most common seasons when people request tree removal services.
Because their services are in such high demand, tree removal companies can charge more.
It becomes a matter of supply and demand.
Since there’s high demand for tree removal services but a low supply, the company can charge high rates.
The best time to hire a tree removal company is during the winter.
That said, you don’t want to wait too long.
If it starts to snow, then that complicates the service and makes it more expensive.
Tree removal is expensive when you request it during the busy seasons.
10. Debris Removal
A final reason tree removal is expensive is because it also often includes debris removal.
When a tree removal company chops down a tree, it makes a mess.
You have leaves, twigs, and branches everywhere.
A tree removal company will remove the debris at an extra cost.
Another cost is stump removal.
Many tree removal companies will leave the stump where it is unless you pay for debris removal.
It costs more money because it takes more time for the crew to clean up the site after cutting down the tree.
If you want to make your tree removal service a bit cheaper, then you should clean up the debris on your own.
Conclusion
Tree removal is a useful service for getting rid of trees that threaten your home or keep interfering with the power.
However, you’ll quickly discover that tree removal services can be expensive.
There are many factors relating to the complexity of the job that tend to make the service expensive.
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