Tree Trimming Cost (2026)
Updated October 2026
Prices checked 2026-10-02 — sources cited below.
Tree trimming costs $412–$640 per tree, about $530 typical — the midpoint of LawnStarter's $430–$640 band, with LawnLove's $412–$612 band close behind. By size: small trees $75–$420, medium $150–$900, large $300–$1,840. Hourly billing runs $50–$125/hour, and true health pruning is its own job at $350–$650+.
What drives the cost
- Height. The main variable — $75–$420 small, $150–$900 medium, $300–$1,840 large per tree across publishers.
- Access. Fixr: good access can sit as low as $75, while a difficult-access 20 ft tree runs $200–$600 and large difficult-access trees $600–$1,800+. Tight access shifts a tree up roughly one size tier.
- Trim vs prune. Shape trimming follows the size bands; health/structural pruning (deadwooding, crown reduction) is priced separately at $350–$650+ per tree (Fixr).
- Crew billing. $50–$125/hour per worker (TaskRabbit); arborists doing health work bill $87–$116/hr (Fixr/Homewyse).
- Bundling. Several trees in one visit lowers the per-tree rate — mobilization spread — though no publisher states a fixed discount.
Trimming vs pruning
Trimming shapes the canopy; pruning removes dead, dying, or structurally unsound wood for the tree's health. Publishers price them differently: shape trimming follows the per-tree size bands above, while Fixr prices health pruning at $350–$650+ per tree. Deadwooding and crown reduction are described under pruning without their own published dollar bands — we leave those null in the dataset rather than inventing figures. For the other end of the job (removing the whole tree), see the tree removal cost guide, and for the leftover base, stump grinding cost.
FAQs
How much does tree trimming cost?
Tree trimming runs $412–$640 per tree, about $530 typical (midpoint of LawnStarter's $430–$640 band; LawnLove's $412–$612 band agrees). By size: small trees $75–$420, medium $150–$900, large $300–$1,840 per tree. Hourly billing runs $50–$125/hour.
How much does tree pruning cost?
Health/structural pruning runs $350–$650 per tree (Fixr), more for larger trees. Pruning is distinct from shape trimming: deadwooding and crown reduction are folded into the pruning band — no publisher tracks a separate dollar figure for them.
Do tree trimmers charge by the hour?
Yes — $50–$125/hour (TaskRabbit; Fixr prices $50–$80 per worker-hour, with arborists doing health/structural work billing $87–$116/hr). Hourly suits multi-tree jobs in one visit; per-tree pricing suits one or two trees.
Why is trimming a big tree so much more?
Height and access. A difficult-access tree shifts up roughly one size tier — Fixr prices a hard-to-reach 20 ft tree at $200–$600 and large difficult-access trees at $600–$1,800+. Crews that need climbing gear or a bucket truck bill accordingly.
Is it cheaper to trim several trees at once?
Per tree, usually yes — LawnStarter and LawnLove both note that bundling several trees into one visit lowers the per-tree rate because mobilization is spread across the job. Neither publishes a fixed discount percentage.
Cost by tree size
| Size / method | Cost per tree | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under ~30 ft) | $75–$420 | Ornamentals, young shade trees. |
| Medium (30–60 ft) | $150–$900 | Typical backyard canopy tree. |
| Large (over 60 ft) | $300–$1,840 | Mature oaks/pines; bucket truck or climb. |
| Fixr height tiers (10–100 ft) | $75–$1,800 | Fixr's own tier table: small $75–$300 → extra-large $300–$1,800. |
Sources: LawnStarter, LawnLove, TaskRabbit, Fixr — retrieved 2026-10-02; bands quoted per source and never averaged across publishers.
Sources
- Fixr - Tree Trimming Cost (updated Jan 31, 2025)
- LawnStarter — Tree Trimming Cost
- LawnLove — Tree Trimming Cost
- TaskRabbit — Tree Trimming Cost
All sources retrieved live on 2026-10-02 (per the dataset source log). Estimate only — get local written quotes. Figures gathered 2026-10-25; see the dataset file for the full source log.