Tree Trimming Cost

Tree trimming puts a focus on the aesthetic appearance of a tree, generally thinning out branches to shape the tree and removing dead limbs to ensure that a tree has a natural green color. The tree maintenance practice also helps property owners open up their properties by reducing the number of branches on overcrowded crowns – this improves the view of the surroundings. By ensuring that the trees on your home are looking appealing, trimming boosts the overall value of an entire property.

The easiest and safest way to conduct trimming is to let professionals handle it. When working with professionals, you avoid damaging your home with the falling branches or falling from the tree and sustaining injuries. This option, however, will cost you some money. In this article, we will help you understand the tree trimming cost to expect.

Average Tree Trimming Cost in Nashville

To trim a single tree, Nashville property owners pay between $75 and $1000. If you have average-sized trees on your property, however, the tree trimming cost will range from $250 to $500. The average cost depends on several factors – below, we will take a deeper look at how each factor affects the cost.

Tree Trimming Cost Factors in Nashville

1. Tree Height

When trimming a tree, professionals have to get to the tree crown before initiating the cutting procedures. As the height of the tree increases, getting to the tree crown gets more complicated.

Compared to average-sized and small trees, tall trees have more complicated shapes and their branches are generally much harder to cut. All this suggests that tall trees have a higher trimming cost compared to smaller trees. Below, we have outlined the tree trimming costs to expect for trees of varying heights:

• Under 30 feet – People with trees with heights of below 30 feet enjoy the lowest tree trimming cost, with professionals charging an average of $75 to $400.
• 30 to 60 – Most property owners in Nashville have medium-sized trees. To trim these trees, the property owners generally pay $150 to $875.
• 60+ feet – Trees taller than 60 feet have the highest tree trimming cost, with most pine and red oak owners paying $200 to $1000 to trim the trees.

2. Accessibility

Bucket trucks make the tree trimming work extremely easy for professionals. Instead of wasting their time climbing up a tree manually, the professionals can just get in the truck’s bucket, get raised to the position where they need to trim a tree, and then cut the branches without getting out of the bucket.

To use a bucket truck, however, enough space has to be available under the tree. This means that if your tree is surrounded by other trees or houses, a professional will have to climb the tree manually – this will raise the tree trimming cost.

For example, oaks with heights of 70 feet are usually trimmed with $1000 in Nashville when a bucket truck can be used. However, when the same tree is inaccessible – making the use of a bucket truck impossible – the professionals can charge up to $1400 to climb the tree manually while conducting the tree trimming.

3. Proximity to Utilities

Trimming trees that are far away from utilities is extremely simple. The professionals can use a bucket truck to get to the branches they need to cut. Once they cut the branches, they can allow the limbs to fly off to the ground – this is because they won’t be risking damaging your home.

On the other hand, when trimming trees close to powerlines or surrounded by houses, more effort will be needed. The professionals will have to tie the branches with ropes to keep them from falling on the utilities. Once the branches have been cut, they will have to be lowered down slowly. This takes more time and hence can raise the amount you pay to trim a tree.

4. Tree Stability

To work on a tree without worrying about it falling, the tree has to have maximum stability. This, however, is not always the case for trees in Nashville.

For example, if heavy machinery has operated near your tree’s roots recently, there is a chance that the tree’s stability is compromised. Before going up such a tree, the professionals will have to come up with innovative ways to stabilize the tree, keeping it from falling during tree trimming.

Once the tree trimming is completed, professionals will have to use permanent stabilization mechanisms. This will keep the tree from being forced to fall on your house by winds and it will also help the tree regain its stability over time. If your tree is unstable, you should expect your tree trimming cost to be higher than that of someone with a tree of the same size, but stable.

5. Tree Health

Trimming trees with health problems is more complicated and generally takes more time. Most unhealthy trees have stability problems on the tree crown and the professionals often need more complicated safety gear to avoid falling from the tree.

Once the tree trimming process is complete, the professionals will have to use arborist services to determine the health problem that is bothering your tree and the medications that should be used to treat it.

The arborist services will have to be paid for separately. Also, you will need to spend some extra money on the medications. The cost of the medications and the arborist service could add an average of $50 to $500 to the quoted tree trimming cost.

6. Travel Fees

Property owners in Nashville are charged a travel fee when they invite tree trimming professionals who have their bases too far from the trees they need to trim. Since the tree trimmers do have a base of operation (service area) that they serve free of the service fee, property owners can avoid the travel fee by working with professionals closest to their homes.

If you decide to invite professionals who live too far, you should expect a travel fee of about $0.5 per mile. Some professionals, however, charge based on the number of hours they spend on the roads, with costs generally ranging from $50 to $200.

7. Bulk Trimming

If you gave several trees on your compound, waiting to trim them together could help you spend less on each tree. When handling the trimming of a single tree, the high cost of tree trimming is generally because of various fixed costs – these may include fuel prices, overhead costs, and the costs of getting the licenses.

If the professionals are handling the trimming of one 100-feet tree, you may be charged $1000. However, if they are handling the trimming of five 100 feet trees, you may end up paying $4500. This means that you will end up saving $100 on each tree.

DIY Tree Trimming

Some property owners see DIY trimming as an ideal way to save some money. This option, however, is only valid for trees that do not pose any risks. In this section, we will help you understand the risks, the costs, and the tips & techniques you need to know when handling DIY tree trimming.

Cost of Trimming Gear

Most homeowners usually don’t have tree trimming tools – this is especially true for those attempting DIY trimming for the first time. To trim your trees, you will need to invest in the tools outlined below:

• Ladder – A ladder will cost you between $150 and $600.
• Gas Pole Pruner – To get this tool, you will need an average of $150 to $300.
• Safety gear – You will need a helmet, goggles, gloves, and a safety harness to protect yourself. You may need an average of $50 to $150 to pay for the gear.
• Loppers and hand-held pruners – For this gear, you will need to be prepared with $30 to $50.

Risks

When trimming a tree, the following risks could cost you a lot of money:

• Property damage – This will occur if you attempt to trim trees next to your houses or utility lines. If you drop the branches on your house, you may pay thousands on property repair costs.
• Injuries – Your tools may cut you. Also, if you fall from the tree, you may suffer broken bones.
• Tree damage – If you use the wrong methods when trimming a tree, you may damage it. This could force you to spend money on removal and replacement.

Tree Trimming Tips and Techniques

When trimming a tree, you will need to keep the following in mind:

• Check branch size – Branches with diameters of less than 5 cm can be removed. Avoid removing branches with diameters of more than 10 cm.
• Branch Angle – You can remove branches forming a V-shaped angle with the tree trunk. Those forming a strong U-shaped angle should be allowed to stay.
• Branch age – Since younger branches feature a lower risk of scarring and are easier to manage, put more focus on removing them.
• Cutting – To avoid cutting too far or too close to the tree trunk, locate the branch ridge and collar. Next, cut in between the two parts.
• Sanitize your tools – Use rubbing alcohol with a concentration of over 70% to sanitize your tools when moving from one tree to the other. This will help you avoid spreading tree diseases.