Tree Service Pricing Calculator
For tree service owners and arborists: enter your own crew, equipment and job costs to price a tree removal or trimming job, set your margin and see your crew day rate.
| Labor (with burden) | $0 |
| Equipment | $0 |
| Disposal, travel and other | $0 |
| Direct job cost | $0 |
| Overhead | $0 |
| Break-even price | $0 |
| Profit | $0 |
| Quote price | $0 |
Default values are examples only. Replace them with your own costs. Homeowners can compare typical prices with the tree removal cost by size and type calculator.
How to Price a Tree Service Job
A tree service price has four parts: direct job costs (labor, equipment, disposal and travel), overhead (the cost of running the business), and profit. Add the first two together and you get your break-even price. Profit goes on top. The calculator above does this for one job, using your own numbers.
Quote price = (labor + equipment + disposal + travel + other costs + overhead) ÷ (1 − profit margin)
Dividing by (1 − margin) is what makes the margin a true share of the final price. If you simply add 20% to your costs, your real margin is only about 16.7%.
What to Include in Each Cost
- Labor: crew size × hours on site × average wage. Count setup, rigging, cleanup and loading, not just cutting time.
- Labor burden: payroll taxes, workers’ compensation insurance and any benefits, added as a percentage of wages. Ask your accountant or insurance agent for your actual rate.
- Equipment: what each machine costs you for this job, including rentals, fuel, maintenance and wear. A crane or bucket truck changes the price more than almost anything else.
- Disposal: dump or green-waste fees for wood and brush you haul away.
- Travel: round-trip miles × your cost per mile.
- Other job costs: permits, traffic control or a second visit for the stump.
- Overhead: business costs that aren’t tied to one job: general liability insurance, office, phones, software, marketing, loan payments and owner admin time. Many owners set overhead as a percentage of direct costs, based on last year’s books.
Worked Example
Here is the job loaded in the calculator by default: a 3-person crew on site for 6 hours with a truck and chipper.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Labor with burden | 3 × 6 hrs × $25 × 1.30 | $585 |
| Equipment | $250 truck and chipper + $40 saws and fuel | $290 |
| Disposal and travel | $75 + 30 miles × $0.70 | $96 |
| Direct job cost | $971 | |
| Overhead | 20% of $971 | $194 |
| Break-even price | $1,165 | |
| Quote at 20% margin | $1,165 ÷ 0.80 | $1,457 |
The job earns $291 of profit. At this rate, a full 8-hour crew day prices out at about $1,750. These are example numbers only. Your wages, insurance and equipment costs decide your real price.
Profit Margin vs. Markup
Margin is profit as a share of the price. Markup is profit as a share of your cost. They are easy to mix up, and mixing them up underprices jobs.
| Profit margin you want | Markup to add to break-even cost |
|---|---|
| 10% | 11.1% |
| 15% | 17.6% |
| 20% | 25.0% |
| 25% | 33.3% |
| 30% | 42.9% |
Markup = margin ÷ (1 − margin). The calculator shows the matching markup under every result.
How to Set a Crew Day Rate
A day rate is useful for storm work, land clearing and jobs where the hours are hard to estimate. Work out your hourly crew cost (all crew wages with burden plus equipment per hour), multiply by 8, add overhead, then apply your margin. The calculator’s day rate uses the equipment cost per hour from the job you entered, so enter a typical equipment setup if you want a standard rate.
Check Your Price Against What Homeowners Expect
Homeowners often research prices before they call. According to Lawn Love’s 2026 national data, most tree removals cost $385 to $1,070, with an average of about $850. Prices run from $285 to $435 for trees up to 30 feet to $1,160 to $2,000 for trees over 80 feet. LawnStarter lists hourly arborist rates of $75 to $250 for consultations and estimates.
If your quote is far above these ranges, be ready to explain why: a crane, a tree over the house, power lines, poor access or extra cleanup. If it’s far below, check that you haven’t left out burden, overhead or disposal. Homeowners can estimate their own job with the tree removal cost calculator and the cost by size and type calculator.
Tips for Quoting Tree Work
For a full walkthrough, from the site visit to writing the quote, read how to quote a tree removal job.
- See the tree in person or get clear photos of the whole tree, the drop zone, nearby structures and wires.
- Measure it. Use the tree height calculator and the DBH calculator, and check the wood weight with the tree weight calculator.
- Itemize the quote: removal, stump grinding, hauling and cleanup as separate lines. Price stumps with the stump removal cost calculator.
- Price the risk: jobs near power lines or emergency removals take more time, gear and insurance.
- Check permits before you schedule: see do you need a permit to cut down a tree.
- Review your numbers every season. Fuel, dump fees and insurance change, so update your burden and overhead rates at least once a year.
For trimming jobs, compare with the tree trimming cost calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do tree services calculate their prices?
Most add up labor, equipment, disposal and travel for the job, add a share of business overhead, and then add profit. Size, access, hazards and cleanup decide how many crew hours and which machines the job needs.
What is a good profit margin for a tree service?
It depends on your market, overhead and how much risk the work carries. Work out the margin you need from your own books, then use the calculator to see the price it requires. Remember that a margin is a share of the price, not of your cost.
How do I calculate a crew day rate?
Multiply your hourly crew cost (wages with burden plus equipment per hour) by 8, add overhead, then divide by (1 − your profit margin). The calculator does this automatically.
Should I charge by the hour or by the job?
A fixed job price is easier for homeowners to compare and approve. Hourly or day rates suit storm work and jobs where the hours are uncertain. Either way, the price should cover the same costs plus profit.
Why is my quote higher than online averages?
National averages describe typical jobs. Tight access, a crane, structures or wires under the tree, emergency timing and full cleanup all add hours. Itemize those items so the customer can see why.
Sources: Lawn Love, How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in 2026? · LawnStarter, How Much Does an Arborist Cost in 2026? Last updated: November 3, 2026.