- Typical price
- $700 to $3,000 or more
- Time on site
- Often a full day
- Gate width
- Tell the crew the narrowest point
What Limited Access Means
Limited access means a truck, loader or chipper cannot get close to the tree. Common causes are a side gate under four feet wide, a locked or sloped fence line, a house with no side yard, a steep slope or a pool and patio in the way.
How Crews Work Around It
Climbers take the tree down in small pieces. Wood is rolled, carried or moved on carts to the street. The chipper may sit at the curb with brush dragged out. Some crews bring a small tracked machine that fits through a gate.
A crane set up on the street is the other option. It can be the faster, safer pick for a big tree over a roof.
Why It Costs More
Hand carrying slows the job a lot. A tree that takes two hours with truck access can take most of a day without it. A back yard tree can cost close to double a similar front yard tree. Expect the quote to reflect labor, not just the tree.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
- Measure your narrowest gate and tell the crew
- Send photos of the tree, the path out and what is near it
- Say whether a fence panel can be taken down and put back
- Move cars, furniture and toys out of the path
- Point out sprinklers, septic areas and buried lines
See also tree removal near houses and buildings and stump grinding, since small grinders can often get through tight gates too.