Tree Pruning Cost

To hire professional tree pruners in Portland, Oregon, you should have $75 to $2000 set aside for each tree. With most properties in Portland having average-sized trees, the more common tree pruning cost ranges from $350 t0 $650.

Several factors affect the amount you pay for the tree pruning service. In this guide, we will take a deeper look at the factors. This should help you estimate the tree pruning cost to expect for your trees.

Tree Pruning Cost Factors in Portland, Oregon

1. Tree Size

Pruning a 150-foot tree is more complicated and riskier than working on a tree with a height of 15 feet. Falling from the 150-foot tree has the potential of causing 10 times the injuries that might result from falling from the 15-foot tree. For this reason, the tree pruners have to use more advanced safety gear when pruning the taller tree.

Most tall trees feature wider crown spreads. White oaks which mature at a height of 60 – 100 feet feature a crown width of between 50 and 70 feet. Compared to the franklin tree which matures at a height between 10 and 25 feet and a crown width of 10 – 15 feet, the white oak will need more time to prune.

Depending on your tree’s height, you should expect the tree pruning costs listed below:

• Very large trees – In Portland, trees that fit in this category have a height above 100 feet. Growing to over 150 feet, trees like white pine fit in the very large tree category. To work with professional tree pruners, you will need to pay $1,500 to $2,000 for a very large tree.
• Large trees – These trees have a height of 60 to 100 feet. Although the trees are easier to prune compared to the very large trees, they are more complicated than the small to medium trees. Tree pruners will charge you $800 to $1500 to prune large trees.
• Medium trees – Trees in this category reach maturity at a height of 30 – 60 feet. Armed with $150 to $800, you can get professionals to trim your medium-sized tree.
• Small trees – Small trees grow to a maximum height of 30 feet. Their small crowns and thin branches make them affordable to prune. The cost of pruning a small tree sits between $75 and $400.

2. Tree Species

Tree species impact the height of a tree, the crown spread, and the complications the tree pruners may have to deal with. Some trees are extremely tall, have wide crowns, and their branches have a big diameter. Others are much smaller, with small crown spreads, and thinner limbs. In almost all circumstances, the big tree species will always have a high tree pruning cost.

Olive Tree Pruning Cost

Olive trees require regular pruning to stay productive. When tree pruning is ignored, the tree’s crown becomes overcrowded, limiting the amount of sunlight available to the flowering branches. Without enough sunlight, olive tree flowers fail to develop fruits. For $350 to $700, property owners in Portland, Oregon can prune their olive trees.

Avocado Tree Pruning Cost

In Portland, homeowners plant both medium-size and dwarf avocados. Depending on your avocado’s size, you should expect a tree pruning cost between $350 and $700.

Pine Tree Pruning Cost

Pine trees are available in heights ranging from 80 to 150+ feet. The tree, however, takes a lot of time to reach maturity and may need pruning from a height of 40 feet. This puts the pine tree pruning cost between $200 and $2000, depending on the tree’s height.

Maple Tree Pruning Cost

Maple trees mature at a height of 40 to 100 feet. The size of the tree determines the pruning cost, with professionals charging $400 to $1000 to prune maple trees.

Palm Tree Pruning Cost

Although palm trees may reach a height of 80 feet, most property owners start pruning them when they have a height of 20 feet. The tree pruning cost for palms increases with height, starting at $100 and maxing out at $1,500.

Crape Myrtle Tree Pruning Cost

One of the best ornamental trees you will come across on Portland landscapes, crape myrtle reaches maturity at a height of between 3 and 30 feet. The tree’s pruning cost ranges from $75 to $400.

3. Accessibility

Accessibility affects the tree pruning procedure in 2 main ways – it impacts the bucket truck use and how the cut limbs are brought down.

Bucket trucks make tree pruning much easier, eliminating the need to take too much time climbing a tree manually. With a bucket truck, the tree pruners get lifted to the tree crown in a couple of seconds, together with their tree pruning tools. Compared to harnesses and other safety tools, bucket trucks make the entire procedure safer, allowing the tree pruners more flexibility, with minimal risks of falling.

Bucket trucks, however, can only be used on trees whose accessibility is not blocked by utilities or houses. If a tree is not accessible to the bucket truck, manual climbing will have to be used. Manual climbing can increase the tree trimming cost by 30% to 40%. If a tree would be charged $1000 to prune with the bucket truck, you may need to pay $1,300 to $1,400 if manual climbing is the only option.

Trees that are inaccessible to bucket trucks are generally standing close to utilities that may suffer damage during tree pruning. For this reason, the tree pruners are further forced to control the falling direction for the cut branches. To keep the branches from landing on utility lines or houses under the tree, professionals use ropes to lower the branches down slowly. This can further increase the tree pruning cost.

4. Tree Health

Diseases and pests affect the stability of the entire tree. They tend to make the branches weaker and, therefore, riskier to stand on when pruning a tree. This makes it necessary to bring additional safety gear to avoid falling during.

Unlike healthy trees which generally need just a couple of cuts to shape and improve the tree crown, trees with health problems require more time. The professionals have to inspect the entire tree crown to remove all the infected branches. While this does lead to a higher tree pruning cost, it ensures that all the diseased branches have been removed, keeping the diseases or pests from spreading to other parts of the tree.

5. Additional Costs

The tree pruning cost in your quotation may not be all that you pay during the tree pruning procedure. You may find yourself dealing with extra costs, including:

Treatment Costs

Removing the diseased and pest-infested branches is not always enough to restore the health of a tree. Sometimes, a professional arborist may be needed to diagnose the tree, determining the health problem it may be having. The arborist will also recommend the best treatment options you will need to restore the tree’s health. The cost of the arborist service and the medications you buy for your tree can add an extra $50 to $500 to your tree pruning cost.

Cleanup Costs

You wouldn’t want the branches removed from the tree crown to be left lying around on your property. Tree service providers can help you with the cleanup. However, you may need to pay them an extra $25 to $100.

Travel Fees

This is an uncommon additional cost. It only comes up when a property owner decides to use a tree service provider living a large distance from his or her property. If the company has to cover hundreds of miles to get to your home, you may need to pay $.5 per mile, which could add up to between $50 and $200, depending on the time spent on the road.

Factors Affecting the Timing for Tree Pruning

The benefits you get from tree pruning are dependent on the timing of the procedure. Tree pruning experts prefer handling the procedure when the trees are in their dormant stage. The period when the trees stop growing actively starts in late fall and can last through winter. However, some tree species that grow in Portland may have different timing.

In some cases, however, trees have to be pruned outside the dormant stage:

• When tree pruning is needed to improve safety. If your tree has some branches that are threatening to fall, pruning it immediately can reduce the risk of property damage.
• When the tree has unhealthy branches. Removing limbs carrying health problems keeps the disease from spreading. This should be done immediately after discovering the signs of ill-health on a tree.

How to Spend Less on Tree Pruning

• Instead of paying professionals, prune non-risky trees yourself.
• If you have trees next to powerlines, let the power company handle tree pruning.
• Ask for quotations from different companies. Hire a company with a good reputation and competitive prices.
• Keep your trees healthy to avoid treatment costs.
• Hire professionals close to your home to avoid the travel fee.
• Prune your trees in the offseason to enjoy lower charges.