“How much is it going to cost?” is the first thing almost everyone asks when they call about a tree. The honest answer is that it depends on the tree, but after 30 years of taking trees down on the Eastern Shore, Pete can tell you what moves the number and roughly where jobs tend to land. Here is the plain version.
Short on time? Call 443-692-TREE and Pete will come look at the tree and give you a free written price before any work starts.
What tree removal usually costs on the Mid-Shore
Every tree is different, so treat these as ballparks, not quotes:
- Small tree (under about 30 feet, easy access): a few hundred dollars. Think an ornamental, a leaning cedar, a small dead pine in the open.
- Medium tree (30 to 60 feet): most jobs in this range run in the high hundreds to low thousands. A maple or gum near the house that has to be taken down in pieces is a typical example.
- Large tree (60 feet and up, or anything over a roof): several thousand dollars. Big oaks, poplars and sycamores that have to be rigged down limb by limb, or need a crane, are the most expensive removals.
- Emergency and storm work: priced on the situation. A tree on a house or a car takes careful rigging, sometimes a crane, and usually happens on a day when every crew in the county is busy.
The five things that actually set the price
1. Size
Height and trunk diameter decide how much wood has to come down, how many cuts it takes, and how much debris we haul. Bigger tree, bigger number.
2. What’s underneath it
A tree in an open field can be felled in one cut. The same tree leaning over your roof, your neighbor’s fence, a pool or a power drop has to be climbed and lowered in sections on ropes. That is where most of the labor goes.
3. Access
Can we get the bucket truck and chipper close? A tree in a backyard behind a narrow gate means hand-carrying wood out, and that adds hours. Soft ground after a wet week can also keep heavy equipment off the lawn.
4. Condition of the tree
Dead and rotten trees are more dangerous to climb than healthy ones, so they are sometimes more expensive to remove even when they are smaller. If a tree has been dead a long time, don’t wait; it only gets harder and riskier.
5. Cleanup and the wood
Full haul-away is the default. If you want the wood left as firewood rounds, or the chips left as mulch, say so when we quote and the price drops a bit.
Does homeowners insurance pay for tree removal?
Usually only when the tree has already fallen on something covered, like the house, garage, fence or a car. Insurance rarely pays to take down a standing tree, even a dead one. If a storm puts a tree on your house, photograph the damage before anything is moved, call your insurer, and then call us; we document our work so your claim goes smoothly. More on that on our emergency tree service page.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Easton or Talbot County?
On most residential lots, no permit is needed to remove a tree on your own property. The exceptions are trees inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (within 1,000 feet of tidal water), trees in a forest conservation easement, and work in the Town of Easton’s historic district. If you are near the water, ask us; we deal with this regularly and will tell you whether a quick check with the county is needed before we cut.
Why the cheapest quote is often the expensive one
Anyone with a pickup and a chainsaw can give a low number. The risk is to your house, your neighbor’s property and the people doing the work. In Maryland, tree work for hire legally requires a Licensed Tree Expert, and a legitimate company carries liability insurance. Pete Spencer holds MD DNR License #2312 and Spencer Tree Experts is insured; a certificate is available for any job on request. Ask any company you call for both, and look up the license at the Maryland DNR site.
Get a real number for your tree
Ballparks are useful, but the only price that matters is the one for your tree in your yard. Call 443-692-TREE or send us the details below, and Pete will come out, look at it with you and leave you a written estimate. Serving Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, Trappe, Cambridge, Denton, Centreville, Queenstown, Kent Island and Chestertown.
