Quick answer: removing one small tree under about 5 metres, with open access, typically costs $400–$900 in Sydney. Removing one medium tree of about 5–10 metres in sections, with ordinary residential access, typically costs $1,000–$2,800. Both ranges include GST. The biggest price drivers are the tree's size and condition, the access route, and how much controlled lowering is needed around houses, fences and other structures. Stump grinding is usually priced separately.
These are typical planning ranges, not prices from particular jobs, and we last reviewed them in September 2026. Your quote depends on the tree and the site. For how we approach the work, see tree removal in Sydney. Large trees, crane work, very tight access and hazardous or storm-damaged trees can cost more.
Typical tree removal costs in Sydney
| Removal scope | Typical range |
|---|---|
| One small tree, under about 5 metres, with open working space and nearby vehicle access | $400–$900 |
| One medium tree, about 5–10 metres, with ordinary residential access and removal in sections | $1,000–$2,800 |
Small tree with open access
This range assumes a tree in sound enough condition for a straightforward removal. It covers cutting down the tree, removing the timber and green waste, and a basic tidy of the work area.
Medium tree with ordinary residential access
This range assumes a clear route for carrying material out. It covers taking the tree down in sections, routine controlled lowering, removing the waste and a basic tidy.
Neither range includes stump grinding, replacement planting, council fees, independent arborist reports, traffic control, crane hire or work near power lines that needs the electricity network's involvement. Extensive rigging over buildings, long hand-carry distances, an unstable tree or specialised lifting also fall outside these straightforward scopes.
What a removal price usually covers
Removing a tree in a Sydney backyard is rarely a single cut at the base. Most residential removals are a controlled process that can include:
- climbing or elevated access to reach the canopy
- dismantling the tree in sections, from the top down
- rigging and lowering sections where they can't be dropped
- protecting roofs, fences, paving and gardens
- chipping branches and removing logs
- cleaning up the work area
The more control a site needs, the more time the job takes, and that shows in the price.
What changes the cost of tree removal
Size, trunk and canopy
Height is only part of the picture. A wide crown and a heavy trunk mean more cutting, more lowering and more material to handle. Two trees of similar height can produce very different amounts of timber.
Tree condition
A healthy tree can still be a large job, but a dead, decayed, split or storm-damaged tree often needs extra caution. Weak timber affects where a climber can anchor and may mean a different removal method altogether.
Access to the tree
Access is one of the biggest quote changers. A tree in an open front yard is a different job from one behind the house with a narrow side passage, stairs, steep ground or retaining walls. Tight access usually means smaller sections, more carrying by hand and fewer equipment options.
For example, a narrow side passage can make a modest tree a slower job than a much taller tree in open ground.
Houses, fences, pools and neighbouring property
A tree with nothing beneath it can be felled or dismantled quickly. A tree leaning over a roof, solar panels, a pool, a driveway or the neighbour's garden has to be taken down piece by piece and lowered under control. Every extra precaution adds time.
Cranes and specialist equipment
Some large or difficult removals are safer and faster with a crane, but cranes need suitable access, set-up space and lift planning. A crane is not needed for every large tree, and the decision depends on the site rather than the tree's height alone. On our Gladesville and Eastwood jobs a crane lifted the sections clear of the house and over the front fence; on others, such as Marsfield, the climber lowered the trunk in sections on ropes.
Waste, logs and timber
Removing everything, leaving suitable rounds for firewood or leaving mulch on site are different scopes. Long carrying distances to the truck also add handling time.
Urgent and storm-damaged trees
We answer calls and attend urgent tree work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although we can't promise a particular arrival time. A storm-damaged tree needs its condition assessed before a method is chosen, and blocked access, hanging branches or poor weather can make the work slower and more involved. If a tree has recently shifted or broken, read our storm-damaged tree guide first.
Power lines
A tree touching or close to power lines needs the electricity network's advice and appropriately authorised workers. That is outside an ordinary removal price.
Is stump grinding included?
Not automatically. Tree removal takes down the standing tree; stump grinding is a separate operation that reduces the stump to an agreed level below the surface. Roots outside the grinding area stay in the ground.
If you want the area cleared, ask whether stump grinding is included, offered as an extra or excluded. Grinding at the same visit can save a second trip. Our stump grinding cost guide explains that scope, including what happens to the grindings. Removing grindings, importing soil and preparing for turf or paving are separate items.
Does council approval affect the cost?
Council approval is separate from the removal work, but it can still shape the job. Many Sydney trees are protected by size, species, location or heritage controls, and removing a protected tree without the required approval can lead to penalties. An approval process can add:
- time before the job can be booked
- an application fee, paid to the council
- a requirement for an independent arborist report
- conditions such as replacement planting, or approval for pruning rather than removal
Use the Sydney council guide to find the right council and pathway for your address before treating the removal price as the whole cost.
When pruning is the better-value option
If the real problem is a few branches over the roof, deadwood or a canopy that has outgrown its space, the tree may not need to come down. Selective tree pruning or a suitable reduction through our tree lopping service is often cheaper than removal and avoids the extra cost of a stump.
Removal makes more sense when a tree is dead, structurally unsound, causing damage that pruning can't solve, or simply the wrong tree for the space. Our lopping vs removal guide walks through that decision.
Why the cheapest quote isn't always the cheapest outcome
A very low removal quote may not allow for:
- clean-up and waste removal
- the real difficulty of the access
- protection of structures and gardens
- the stump
- appropriate insurance
- the time needed to do the job safely
The highest quote isn't automatically the best either. Compare the scope, not just the total. Our team includes an AQF Level 3-qualified arborist, and we hold $20 million public liability insurance covering the tree work we advertise.
What a clear removal quote should include
Before you accept a price, check that the quote explains:
- which tree or trees will be removed, and how
- whether logs, branches and green waste will be taken away
- whether any timber or mulch will stay on site
- whether stump grinding is included
- how the access and nearby structures have been allowed for
- anything excluded, such as council fees, reports, cranes or power-line work
A quote with that detail is much easier to compare with another. Photos of the whole tree, its base, the access route and anything nearby help us understand the job before we visit.
For the service itself, see tree removal in Sydney and the areas we cover.
Common questions
Originally published .
AA Tree Services Sydney
Tree services in Sydney
Our team includes an AQF Level 3-qualified arborist with more than 15 years of tree-work experience. We provide tree removal, pruning, lopping, tall hedge trimming and stump grinding for homes, strata and commercial properties across Sydney, and write these guides from that work.
About AA Tree Services
