Tree Service Estimate Template for Tree Crews
Removals by height and trunk diameter, trimming per tree, stump grinding per inch, debris hauling and crane or bucket truck time on one PDF.
- Free, no signup
- PDF in about two minutes
- Works on a phone
A tree estimate prices risk, not just wood
Two oaks of the same size can be a $900 job and a $3,500 job. One stands in an open yard where you can fell it in one piece. The other leans over a garage with a service drop running through the canopy. A tree service estimate has to show the client why, which means describing the tree, where it is, and how it has to come down, then pricing each part.
How to structure the line items
Name the tree in every line. "Tree removal, $2,400" invites a client to point at the wrong tree, or to assume the stump and the logs go with it.
| Description | Quantity | Unit | Unit price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove #1 pine, 45 ft, 18 in. DBH, open drop | 1 | each | $950 |
| Crown raise #2 live oak to 14 ft over drive | 1 | each | $450 |
| Deadwood removal #3 maple, 2 in. and larger | 1 | each | $375 |
| Stump grinding, 8 in. below grade | 22 | inch | $5.00 |
| Crane, 60-ton, with operator | 4 | hour | $375 |
| Emergency storm crew, after hours | 3 | hour | $450 |
Removal tiers by height and DBH keep your pricing consistent, and equipment lines like a crane or bucket truck show the client what access costs. Write "open drop," "rigged" or "crane pick" in the description so the method is part of the scope.
Worked example: oak removal near the house, plus pruning
One red oak, 65 ft, 30 in. DBH, 15 ft from the house. It has to be climbed and rigged in sections, with a bucket truck for the top. A silver maple in the back needs thinning and deadwood. The client keeps no wood.
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove #1 red oak, 65 ft, 30 in. DBH, rigged | 1 | each | $2,400 | $2,400 |
| Bucket truck with operator | 4 | hour | $150 | $600 |
| Crown thin and deadwood #2 silver maple, 40 ft | 1 | each | $650 | $650 |
| Stump grinding #1, 34 in. at grade, 8 in. deep | 34 | inch | $5.00 | $170 |
| Haul grindings, topsoil and seed | 1 | each | $225 | $225 |
| Haul logs and chips, 12 cu yd truck | 3 | load | $175 | $525 |
| City tree removal permit, pulled by us | 1 | each | $125 | $125 |
Subtotal: $4,695.
The removal price covers felling, rigging and raking small debris. Hauling is priced separately so a client who wants to keep firewood can take that line off and see the new total.
Free download
Tree service estimate template, ready to edit
The worked example above as a file, with its line items and terms already filled in. Change the prices, add your details and send it.
Or skip the file: fill it in above and download a PDFAll trade templates
Terms that belong on a tree service estimate
- Validity: 30 days. Trees change: a storm or a dying limb can change the method and the price.
- Deposit: many tree services take no deposit on small jobs and 25% to 50% on crane work, with the balance due on completion.
- Cleanup: "Brush chipped and removed, logs hauled, site raked and blown." If wood stays, say where and in what lengths.
- Stump: cut to within 6 in. of grade unless stump grinding is listed.
- Ground and access: the equipment needed and the route it takes. Minor lawn ruts from equipment are not repaired unless listed. Underground sprinklers and invisible fences must be marked by the owner.
- Permits: who pulls them, and that work waits until the permit is issued.
- Emergency rates: after-hours and storm work is billed at the emergency hourly rate, stated on the estimate.
The common dispute: "I thought the stump was included"
This is the most common argument in tree work. The client sees a tree today and expects bare lawn next week. The crew leaves a 6 in. stump and a pile of logs, and the phone rings. Settle it with one line in the scope:
"Tree removal means cutting the tree to within 6 in. of grade and removing brush. Stump grinding, root removal and log hauling are included only where listed above as separate line items."
When you walk the job with the client, point to the stump and ask whether they want it ground. If they say no, the estimate already shows it, and the conversation is on paper.
Prices on this page are ballpark US figures in US dollars for early 2026. They show how a quote is put together, not a rate survey: price from your own costs and your local market.
How to use
Three things, then download
Your business name, the client and the line items are all a PDF needs. Tax, dates and terms are there when you want them.
- 01
Header with credentials
Business name, phone, ISA certification number, liability and workers' comp insurance, and any city or state license on the address line.
- 02
Number every tree
Identify each tree by species, location, height and DBH, the trunk diameter at 4.5 ft, with a number that matches a photo or site sketch.
- 03
Price by tier and access
Removal by height and diameter tier, trimming per tree, stump grinding per inch, plus equipment, hauling and surcharges for structures or power lines.
- 04
Lock the terms
Validity, deposit, cleanup level, whether wood stays or goes, stump depth, permits and lawn damage in the terms box. Download the PDF.
Use cases
Frequently asked questions
Typical US ranges are $300 to $700 for a tree under 30 ft, $700 to $1,800 for 30 to 60 ft, and $1,800 to $4,000 or more for trees over 60 ft. Trees over a house or near power lines, or jobs that need a crane, run higher.
Usually $3 to $6 per inch of diameter measured at ground level, with a minimum charge of $100 to $200 per visit. Standard grinding goes 6 to 12 in. below grade; removing the grindings and adding topsoil is a separate line.
Diameter at breast height, the trunk diameter measured 4.5 ft above the ground. It is the standard size measure for trees in the US, and it is the fairest way to tier removal pricing because it tracks wood volume better than height alone.
It depends on the city. Many local ordinances protect trees above a set trunk diameter or of certain species, and street trees in the public right-of-way often belong to the city. Check before you quote, and say on the estimate who pulls the permit and pays the fee.
OSHA keeps workers who are not qualified for line clearance at least 10 ft from overhead lines up to 50 kV. That often means scheduling the utility to drop or cover the line, extra rigging and slower work, so proximity to lines is priced as its own surcharge.
Yes. List general liability and workers' comp on the estimate and offer a certificate of insurance on request. If an uninsured worker is hurt on a homeowner's property, the homeowner can end up facing the claim, and careful clients ask about it first.
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Estimate templates by trade
Each page loads the line items that trade actually bills, in the units it bills them. Ballpark US figures, there to show the structure.