You want real numbers. Not the “depends on the tree” answer every company gives.
We’ve done 412 tree removals across Orange and Seminole Counties since 2023. Tracked every job. Every cost. Every factor that pushed prices up or down. Here’s what we found.
What’s covered:
- Real removal costs by tree size (actual jobs we did)
- Why identical trees cost different amounts
- Hidden costs companies don’t mention upfront
- When Orlando tree removal costs more (and when it’s cheaper)
- What you’re actually paying for
Small Trees: $300-$850
Under 25 feet. Ornamental trees. Young maples. Small palms. Crape myrtles.
Wide open yard, truck access, nothing in the way? $300-$500 for most jobs. We did 127 of these. Average came in at $420.
Tree’s near a fence, pool, or AC unit? Add $100-$250. We rig it down piece by piece instead of dropping it. Takes longer.
Side yard, no gate access for equipment? Add $150-$300. We’re hand-carrying everything through the house or around it. Slower.
Last month we removed a 20-foot crape myrtle in Winter Park. Middle of the back yard. Nothing around it. $340. Took two hours including stump grinding.
Same week. Same size crape myrtle in Oviedo. Wedged between a deck and a screened porch. Had to climb it and piece it out with ropes. $720. Took most of a day.
Same tree. Different location. Big cost difference.
Medium Trees: $850-$2,400
25-50 feet. Most residential shade trees. Oaks. Palms. Pines. Magnolias.
Standard removal (some rigging, normal complexity): $850-$1,600. We did 184 of these. Average: $1,280.
Near structures or power lines? $1,600-$2,400. More rigging. More precision. Sometimes a bucket truck. Costs go up.
We removed a 40-foot live oak in Casselberry three months ago. Fifteen feet from the house. Branches hanging over the roof and pool. Had to lower every piece with ropes. Couldn’t drop anything. $1,950. Full day of work.
Compare that to a similar oak in Apopka. Open yard. No buildings for 40 feet. We dropped it in sections. $1,050. Done in five hours.
Large Trees: $2,000-$5,500
50-75 feet. Mature oaks. Big pines. Tall palms. Old magnolias.
Open area, normal rigging: $2,000-$3,200. We did 78 of these. Average: $2,850.
Tight access, crane needed, or tangled in utilities: $3,200-$5,500. Equipment costs jump. Time doubles. Risk is higher.
Craned out a massive laurel oak in Altamonte Springs last year. 60 feet tall. Right against the house on two sides. Pool on the third side. No safe drop zone. Brought in a crane. $4,800. Crane rental was $1,600 of that. But we got it out in one day with zero property damage.
Without the crane? Would’ve taken three days of careful rope work. More labor cost. More risk. Crane was the right call.
Huge Trees: $4,500-$15,000+
75+ feet. Old-growth oaks. Giant pines. Trees that’ve been there 50+ years.
Not common removals (we did 23 in three years). But they’re complicated.
Basic giant tree: $4,500-$7,000. Crane almost always needed: $7,000-$15,000+. Emergency removal (tree’s actively failing): add 40-60% to those numbers.
Removed an 85-foot slash pine in Lake Mary last summer. Tree was half-dead. Leaning toward two houses (theirs and the neighbor’s). They wanted it gone before hurricane season. Crane job. Two days. $11,200.
Expensive? Sure. But that pine weighed 20,000+ pounds. Drop it wrong and you’re looking at catastrophic damage to two properties. The $11,200 was cheap compared to that risk.
Palm Trees Are Different
Palms don’t have branches to rig. They’re just trunk. That changes the removal process (and cost).
Short palms (under 20 feet): $200-$600. Medium palms (20-40 feet): $600-$1,400. Tall palms (40+ feet): $1,400-$3,500.
But access matters more with palms. Palms in tight spaces (between houses, near pools) cost more. We can’t drop the trunk. We cut it in sections and lower each one. Slow process.
Removed a 45-foot Canary Island date palm in Maitland two months ago. Tight side yard. Fence on one side, house on the other. Had to section the whole thing out in two-foot pieces. $2,100. Took most of a day.
Another palm same height in Longwood. Wide open yard. We dropped the whole trunk in three sections. $900. Done in three hours.
Stump Grinding: $125-$700
Most people want the stump gone.
Small stump (under 12 inches): $125-$250. Medium stump (12-20 inches): $250-$450. Large stump (20-36 inches): $450-$700. Huge stump (36+ inches): $700-$1,200+.
Grinding removes the stump 6-8 inches below grade. Roots stay (they rot over a few years). If you’re replanting right there immediately, you’ll need full root removal. That’s different. More work. Costs double or triple.
Most people just want the stump gone so they can lay sod or mulch. Standard grinding handles that fine.
What Cheap Bids Leave Out
Low-ball quotes skip stuff. We see it constantly.
“$350 to remove your tree!” Great. Then they cut it down, leave the wood in your yard, don’t touch the stump, and disappear when you call about cleanup.
Or they show up with no insurance. Drop a branch on your fence. Now you’re paying for fence repairs and the tree removal didn’t save you money.
Here’s what should be included (and what we include):
- Tree removal with proper equipment and safety gear
- Complete debris cleanup
- Wood hauled off (or stacked if you want firewood)
- Branches, leaves, and sawdust cleaned up
- Property protection during work
Stump grinding’s extra (we tell you that upfront). Everything else? Included in the price.
Hidden Costs Nobody Warns You About
Permit fees. Some Orlando-area cities require permits for tree removal. Heritage trees. Trees over a certain size. Protected species. Permits run $50-$300 depending on the city. Most companies handle the paperwork. But it adds to the cost.
Utility clearance. Tree’s touching power lines? Florida Power & Light has to clear it before we touch it. That’s free (they do it). But it delays the job by a week or two sometimes. Plan for it.
Access damage. Heavy equipment in Florida sand tears up grass. We fix minor tire tracks. But if we have to drive over sprinklers or landscaping, that’s extra repair work. We’ll tell you before we start if there’s risk.
Disposal fees. Tree waste goes to the landfill or mulch facility. Most places charge by the ton. Oak’s heavy. Pine’s lighter. A massive oak might generate 6,000 pounds of waste. That’s a disposal fee we pass through. We mention it upfront.
HOA requirements. Some HOAs require replacement planting when you remove a tree. That’s not our cost. But it’s your cost. Check your HOA rules before removing anything.
Florida-Specific Cost Factors
Sandy soil. Florida’s sandy soil means easier stump grinding (stumps come out fast). But it also means less root stability. Trees near structures need more care during removal. Costs go up.
Hurricane risk trees. Laurel oaks. Bradford pears. Eucalyptus. These fail in storms. Insurance companies sometimes require removal. If your insurer flagged a tree, removal might be urgent (and more expensive if it’s peak season).
Height matters more here. Florida trees grow tall fast. Live oaks. Slash pines. Southern magnolias. Tall trees cost more to remove safely (more rigging, more time).
No frozen ground. Up north they remove trees in winter when the ground’s frozen (protects the lawn). We don’t have that. Heavy equipment tears up grass year-round. Lawn repair after removal is common here.
Peak Season vs. Off-Season Pricing
Tree removal costs more in spring and fall. That’s when everyone’s calling.
March through May? Peak season. Hurricane prep. Spring cleaning. Everyone wants work done before summer heat. Prices go up 15-25%.
September through November? Another peak. Post-hurricane cleanup. Fall maintenance before holidays. Prices stay high.
December through February? Off-season. Demand drops. We’re slower. Prices drop 10-20% compared to peak.
You’ve got a tree that needs removal but it’s not urgent? Book it for January or February. You’ll save money. And we’re faster (less backlog).
What You're Actually Paying For
Tree removal isn’t just “cut it down.” Here’s what the cost covers.
Labor. Trained crew (usually 2-4 people). Certified arborists cost more than random guys with chainsaws. But they know what they’re doing.
Equipment. Chainsaws, ropes, rigging gear, chippers, bucket trucks, sometimes cranes. Professional equipment isn’t cheap. Maintenance and fuel add up.
Insurance. We carry $2 million in liability coverage. That’s not cheap. But if something goes wrong, you’re protected. Uninsured crews save money by skipping insurance. You’re exposed if they damage your property.
Disposal. We haul debris to the dump or mulch facility. That costs money (fuel, dump fees, time).
Expertise. Knowing how to drop a tree safely without hitting your house, pool, fence, or power lines. That’s skill. Years of training. You’re paying for that knowledge.
Cheap crews cut corners on all of this. Equipment’s subpar. No insurance. Minimal training. They’re cheaper for a reason.
Emergency Removals Cost More
Tree fell on your house during a storm? That’s an emergency removal. Costs 40-100% more than standard removal.
Reasons. We’re dropping everything to respond. Overtime pay for crew. Higher risk (tree’s already unstable). More complexity (it’s on your house, we can’t just cut and drop).
Emergency removals we did in 2024: Average cost was $2,400. Standard removal of the same trees would’ve been around $1,500.
But you don’t have a choice in an emergency. Tree’s on your roof. Water’s coming in. You need it off now.
Better to address problem trees before they fall. Cheaper. Less stressful.
Multiple Trees = Lower Per-Tree Cost
Removing three trees costs less per tree than removing one.
We’re already on-site. Equipment’s already there. Crew’s already working. Efficiency drops the per-tree cost.
Last year we removed five oaks from one property in Sanford. Quoted individually they’d have been $9,200. We did all five for $6,800. Homeowner saved $2,400.
You’ve got multiple trees that need removal? Get them done together. You’ll save money.
Get It in Writing
Any company that quotes over the phone without seeing the tree? Don’t hire them.
You need a written quote. In person. After they’ve looked at the tree, the site, access, and what’s nearby.
Written quote should list:
- Tree removal
- Cleanup
- Haul-off
- Stump grinding (or note it’s extra)
- Any permits or fees
If it’s not written, it didn’t happen. Verbal quotes turn into disputes when the bill shows up.
We provide free written estimates. On-site. We’ll look at your tree, explain what we’re doing, answer questions, and hand you a quote before we leave. No surprises later.
Call for Your Free Quote
All Southern Outdoor provides free written estimates for tree removal in Orange and Seminole Counties. We’ll assess your tree, explain what’s involved, and give you a fair price in writing. No pressure. No hidden fees. Call (407) 630-8674 to schedule your free estimate. We’ve been doing this for years and we don’t leave till the job’s done right.
