What you’re paying for
A removal is mostly labour and risk. The chainsaw work is the quick part. The time goes into getting each piece down safely, and into moving, chipping and cleaning up. So the price follows five things.
1. Size. Height and canopy spread decide how many pieces the tree comes down in and how much there is to chip and cart away.
2. Access. A tree in the front yard next to the driveway is quicker than the same tree in a backyard with a 900 mm side path, stairs, or no road access at all. Waterfront blocks on Port Hacking and the Georges River are the extreme: we have taken the truck and chipper across by barge.
3. What’s underneath. Over open lawn, pieces can be dropped. Over a roof, pool, glasshouse or the neighbour’s fence, every piece is roped and lowered, which takes much longer.
4. Equipment. A crane or elevated work platform adds a day rate but can make a job faster and safer. For big trees over houses, a crane is often the cheaper option overall.
5. Extras. Stump grinding, removing the timber versus leaving firewood, traffic control on busy streets, and council fees if a permit is needed.
Price guide
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Small tree, under about 5 m, easy access | $ – $ |
| Medium tree, 5–10 m | $ – $ |
| Large tree over 10 m, or a crane job | $ – $ |
| Stump grinding, single stump | $ – $ |
| Arborist report for a council application | $ – $ |
These are guides only; every job is quoted on site. Council fees are separate and paid to the council, not to us: $213Council fee in the Sutherland Shire in 2026/27 ($90Council fee for pensioners), and about $56 to $230Council fee elsewhere. See your council’s page.
What a fair quote includes
- A fixed price, in writing, with the business name and ABN.
- Exactly what’s included: removal, chipping, taking away timber, stump grinding, clean-up.
- Whether council approval is needed, and who is arranging it.
- Insurance. Ask for the certificate of currency for public liability and workers compensation. Your own home insurance is unlikely to cover someone else’s tree work.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Group jobs. Pruning and a removal on the same visit saves a second set-up.
- Keep the firewood or mulch if you can use it.
- Clear the access before the crew arrives: move cars, pot plants, the trampoline.
- Don’t wait for a storm. Emergency work costs more and happens on the tree’s schedule, not yours.