Tree Pruning Cost

Professional tree pruners in Indianapolis charge $75 to $2000 to prune a single tree. Homeowners with average-sized trees enjoy a lower tree pruning cost, with professionals charging $350 to $650. The typical medium-sized tree with low to medium risks will set you back $450. 

When planning a pruning project, the best way to get a good cost estimate is to invite a professional tree service company to evaluate your trees. However, by considering a variety of factors – and the effect they have on the tree pruning cost – it should be much easier for you to plan your budget without the help of a professional. 

Tree Pruning Cost Factors in Indianapolis, IN

1. Tree Size 

Your 100-foot trees will have a higher tree pruning cost compared to your 30-foot tree, and it is easy to see why. As the height of a tree increases, its crown spread also increases. 

While a 100-foot white oak will have a crown spread of up to 70 feet, your 20-foot crape myrtle may carry a crown spread of under 15 feet. While pruning the white oak may take half a day, professionals can prune the crape myrtle in one hour. 

Climbing a 150-feet white will also be riskier compared to climbing a 40-foot California Juniper – this further increases the tree pruning cost for large trees. 

Below, we have outlined the cost to expect when pruning trees of varying sizes: 

• Small trees – These trees have the smallest distance between their base and the crown. Professionals only have to climb a maximum of 30 feet. The small height, combined with a small crown spread, puts the small tree pruning cost between $75 and $400. 
• Medium trees – These have a height of 30 – 60 feet. Professionals will charge you $150 to $800 to prune your medium-sized tree. 
• Large trees – These have a height of 60 to 100 feet. Professionals will charge you $800 to $1500 to work on large trees. 
• Very large trees – Although these trees are not that common on private properties, some homeowners do own them. The trees are taller than 100 feet. Pruning these trees costs $1,500 to $2000. 

2. Tree Species 

Different types of trees have varying pruning needs. While one tree species will have a complicated tree crown, a different tree will have a simple shape that needs just a few snips. 

While eucalyptus trees mature at heights over 200 feet, most magnolias will never exceed 50 feet in height. While some tree species have a large crown spread, others will have a small, compact crown. This shows why the tree pruning cost varies from one tree species to the other. 

Avocado Tree Pruning Cost 

Avocado trees cost $350 – $700 to prune. This cost, however, may vary depending on the size of the avocado tree, with property owners in Indianapolis planting the dwarf and the average-sized varieties. 

Olive Tree Pruning Cost 

Olive trees have a tree pruning cost between $300 and $700. These trees depend on this tree maintenance procedure for productivity. With overcrowded crowns, the olive flowers do not receive enough sunlight. This keeps these flowers from setting and developing fruits – this causes the production to plummet. Olive pruning, however, opens up the crowns, guaranteeing maximum access to sunlight. 

Maple Tree Pruning Cost 

Although maples have an average height of 60 feet, they can grow to heights above 80 feet. The trees have a pruning cost of $400 to $1,000, depending on how big they are. 

Pine Tree Pruning Cost 

Pine trees are available in heights of between 80 and 150+ feet at maturity. The tree, however, may require pruning when it is as small as 40 feet. Depending on the pine tree height, professionals charge as low as $200 or as high as $2000. 

Crepe Myrtle Tree Pruning Cost 

These ornamental trees mature at heights below 30 feet. Crepe myrtle is also available as shrubs with a height of between 3 and 10 feet. This makes crepe myrtle extremely affordable to prune, with professionals charging $75 to $400. 

Palm Tree Pruning Cost 

On average, palm trees have a height of 80+ feet. You will, however, find trees as short as 20 feet needing tree pruning. Palm trees with a height of 20 – 60 feet will have a pruning cost of around $100 to $500. Palms with a height of 60 to 80 feet may set you back $500 to $1500. 

3. Accessibility 

Bucket trucks have created a revolution in the pruning industry. Tree pruners no longer need to climb up the trees manually – instead, the bucket trucks are used to raise the tree pruners, together with their tree pruning tools to the crown.

In addition to making the tree pruning procedures easier, the bucket trucks improve safety, minimizing the chances of falling. Increased safety and ease of tree pruning often leads to lower tree pruning cost. 

Trees in Indianapolis, however, are not always accessible to the bucket truck. When a tree is standing in the backyard, with minimal parking space and no path for the bucket truck to use to get to the tree, manual climbing becomes the only ideal option. 

Manual climbing is riskier and takes more time. This can increase the tree pruning cost by about 30% to 40%. If you had been charged $1000 to prune your 70-foot oak tree, the tree pruning cost may reach $1300 to $1400 if manual climbing is the only option. 

4. Proximity to Nearby Utilities 

The closeness of a tree to houses and utility lines does affect the tree pruning procedure. If a tree is near powerlines, the branches cannot be allowed to fall from the tree crown uncontrolled. Instead, the tree pruners will use ropes, cranes, and bucket trucks to lower the cut branches down slowly. This leads to a higher tree pruning cost. 

When a tree is standing on open ground, away from structures and utilities that may suffer damage, the branches can be dropped down without the need to control them. The ease of pruning associated with trees standing on the open ground leads to a reduced tree pruning cost. 

5. Tree Health 

In cases where bucket trucks cannot be used, the tree pruners rely on branches as attachment points for their harnesses. However, tree diseases and pests weaken these branches, making them riskier to use. On diseased trees, professionals have to inspect each branch carefully before relying on it for safety. This increases the time needed to prune a tree. 

When pruning unhealthy trees, the tree pruners have to remove all affected branches. This further increases the amount of time needed and often results in a higher tree pruning cost. 

After pruning, an unhealthy tree will need the attention of an arborist. The arborist will determine the disease or the type of pest attacking the tree. Recommending the best pesticides and medications, arborists ensure that the tree heals. The arborist and the medications/pesticides needed will add extra money to the quoted tree pruning cost. 

6. Additional Costs 

Before hiring a tree service provider for tree pruning, you should understand the services covered in the quoted cost. Some services – such as the ones outlined below – are often charged for separately: 

Treatment Costs

If your tree is suffering from a health problem, you will have to pay for an arborist service and also buy medications/pesticides. This may cost you an extra $50 to $500. 

Cleanup and Dumping 

If left lying around on your compound, the branches removed from the tree crown during pruning create a bad picture. You can, however, enjoy cleanup for $25 – $100. 

Travel Fees 

Professional tree pruners rarely charge a travel fee when serving customers whose properties are in their service zone. However, when they have to cover a large distance to get to your home, you may pay $50 to $200, or $0.5 per mile covered. 

Tree Pruning Timing 

The timing for tree pruning is often affected by a variety of factors. The major factors include: 

• Tree safety – If your tree is carrying branches featuring a risk of falling, pruning should be done immediately to eliminate the possibility of tree damage and injury. 
• Tree health – If your tree has some diseased branches, immediate pruning can keep the disease from spreading. 
• Property value – If you are planning to sell your home or commercial property, you may want to prune your trees beforehand. This will boost the property’s aesthetic appeal, and hence, the overall value. 

Saving Money on Tree Pruning 

To reduce the amount of money you spend on tree pruning, you will need to use the tips outlined below: 

• Hire tree pruners when they are less busy. The offseason allows homeowners to enjoy reduced tree pruning rates. 
• Allow the power companies to handle tree pruning for trees near powerlines. This is generally done for free to improve safety. 
• Request estimates from more than one tree service provider. Comparing the estimates will help you choose the most affordable company. 
• Use DIY trimming on small, non-risky trees. 
• Keep your trees healthy to avoid treatment costs during tree pruning.