Tree Pruning Cost

Pruning is a risky procedure. With branches flying off from the top of the tree and you using sharp tools a significant distance from the ground, the possibility of injury and/or property damage is always high. However, with professional tree pruners taking the responsibility of pruning trees from you, life becomes much easier.

Working with professionals, however, costs money. However, compared to the benefits that you gain from working with professionals, the tree pruning cost is quite insignificant. In the sections below, we will help you discover the tree pruning cost to expect for different types of trees.

Average Tree Pruning Cost in Wichita

When planning a tree pruning project, you should have $75 to $2000 ready for each tree, depending on how complicated the procedure is and how big the trees are. If your home features average-sized trees, your cost will be approximately $460. These costs are dependent on a wide range of factors – below, we will take a deeper look at these factors.

Factors Affecting the Tree Pruning Cost in Wichita

1. Tree Height

Wichita residents pay more to prune taller trees. Unlike short trees, taller trees have a higher risk, they have bigger branches, their crowns are more expansive, and they may have complicated shapes. All this means that they generally need more effort and time to prune correctly.

Below, we have outlined the costs to expect when pruning trees of varying heights.

• Below 30 feet – Being the smallest trees in Wichita, trees whose height falls below 30 feet have the lowest pruning cost. Property owners generally pay $75 – $400 to prune.
• 30 to 60 feet – Most trees in Wichita have an average size. To prune these trees, property owners spend $150 to $800.
• 60 to 80 feet – If your tree is taller than 60 feet but shorter than 80 feet, expect to be charged $800 to $1500 for the tree pruning.
• Over 80 feet – Trees taller than 80 feet fit in the extremely large trees category. These trees cost $1500 to $2000 to prune.

2. Tree Health

Unhealthy trees are generally associated with more safety problems. For example, they usually have more branches that could drop unexpectedly. This calls for more ideas to keep the tree pruning professionals from falling off the tree.

When pruning an unhealthy tree, professionals are often forced to target branches carrying health complications. This often takes more time compared to sawing off branches from a healthy tree. This increases the cost of pruning a tree.

When pruning a tree with health problems, the tree pruners may need an arborist to help with diagnosing the tree. This will help determine the health problem bothering the tree and the treatment options that can be used to restore health. The cost of the arborist service and the prescriptions can amount to $50 to $500 depending on how unhealthy a tree is.

3. Tree Species

Different trees feature varying shapes, they grow to varying heights and the complications associated with the tree pruning procedure are different for each tree. This means that different trees carry varying tree pruning costs.

Below, we have outlined the cost of pruning some common trees in Wichita:

Crepe Myrtle

These trees fit in the small tree category, generally maturing at a height of between 3 and 30 feet. This gives the trees a pruning cost of between $75 and $400.

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees rarely exceed a height of 30 feet. If you have fruit trees in your home, you can prune each tree with an average of $100 to $400.

Pine Trees

In Wichita, pines are some of the tallest trees. Although most properties will have pines of 40 to 100 feet, the trees can grow to reach a height of 150 feet. For this reason, the tree pruning cost for these ranges from $200 to $2000.

Palm Trees

The biggest palm trees reach a height of 80 feet, while the smallest trees will have a height of 20 feet. This generally places the tree’s pruning cost between $100 and $1500.

4. Accessibility

To make their work much easier, tree pruners come with a bucket truck. The purpose of the truck is to help reach the branches at the top of the tree. It is, however, worth noting that the bucket truck can only be used if the space under the tree can accommodate it.

If the space is too small for the bucket truck, someone will have to climb up the tree manually – this involves more risks and takes more time, which often results in a higher pruning cost.

If you intend to prune a 100 feet tree and a bucket truck can be used, your pruning cost may be approximately $1000. However, if a bucket truck cannot be used and someone has to climb up the tree, your tree pruning cost may increase to over $1,400.

5. Nearby Utilities

Trees are often planted next to houses and utility lines. This generally makes the tree pruning process more complicated considering that the branches cannot be allowed to fall freely – if the direction of falling is not controlled, the branches may end up damaging the utilities or your house.

Professional tree pruners generally bring ropes to tie the branches they intend to remove. Once the branches have been cut from the tree trunk, they are brought down slowly, using modern machinery to keep them from the important structures. This process can lead to a higher pruning cost.

6. The Cost of Additional Services

When creating a quotation, most professionals generally include the cost of cutting the right branches from the top of the tree and bringing the limbs down. Other services that you may need during the tree pruning service are charged separately:

Arborist Service

If your tree is struggling with a pest infestation or health problems, an arborist may need to be invited to your home. This will help you figure out which pests or disease is bothering your tree. The arborist will also recommend the best treatment options.

Medications and Pesticides

Once the diagnosis is conducted and you know which medications or pesticides will help restore your tree’s health, the next step is to purchase them. The medications will have a separate cost of their own.

Travel Fees

Travel fees are generally easy to avoid – all you have to do is invite the tree pruners closest to your home to handle the job. Tree pruners have an area of service for which they never charge a travel fee.

The travel fee comes into play when the professionals have to operate out of their area of service. You will be charged $0.5 per mile. A fixed cost of $50 to $200 may, in some cases, apply.

Cleanup and Dumping

You probably do not want branches to be left lying around after the tree pruning process. However, the cost of cleaning up and dumping is generally not included in your tree pruning quotation. However, if you pay an extra $25 to $100, tree pruning professionals can help remove the mess from your home.

Factors Affecting the Timing for Tree Pruning

Tree pruning is not done randomly – several factors affect the timing. We have outlined the major factors below:

Tree Health

If you catch a health complication early enough, you can use tree pruning to contain it and keep it from spreading. For this reason, tree pruning whose purpose is to improve tree health should be conducted immediately.

Safety

It is not uncommon for trees to threaten to drop their branches. These branches could have partially detached from the tree trunk already and waiting for the right time to prune a tree puts you at a higher risk of suffering damages or injury. Hence, tree pruning for safety purposes should be done as soon as possible.

Dormant Stage

Unless your goal is to boost the safety or health of a tree, it is recommended that you wait for the dormant stage before pruning a tree. The dormant stage is ideal because it is generally more possible to remove the right branches.

DIY Tree Pruning

If you have small trees in your home, DIY tree pruning might help you avoid the tree pruning cost. If you are considering DIY pruning, keep the following tips in mind:

• Wear safety gear to avoid injuries – you will need a helmet, a safety harness, gloves, and goggles.
• Use each tree pruning tool for the right purpose. For example, use the coarse-toothed saws for branches with a diameter of more than 3 inches. For branches with a diameter of fewer than 2 inches, use a fine-toothed saw.
• When moving from one tree to the other, be sure to sanitize your tool with rubbing alcohol to avoid spreading diseases from one tree to the other.
• Branches with a diameter of less than 5 cm are safe to remove. Those with diameters of 5cm to 10cm need careful consideration before removal. Branches with a diameter of more than 10cm should be allowed to stay on the tree – only remove them if it helps improve the tree’s health or safety.

Branches forming V-shaped angles with the trunk can be gotten rid of. Those forming a U-shaped angle can stay on the tree.