What does this cost, and what is involved?
What does each job cost in DeKalb County?
| Work | Published range |
|---|---|
| Emergency Tree Removal | $1,000 to $3,000 per job |
| Storm Damage Cleanup and Debris Removal | $500 to $2,500 per job |
| Tree Removal | $751 to $2,500 per job |
| Tree Trimming and Pruning | $350 to $1,200 per tree |
| Stump Grinding and Stump Removal | $150 to $700 per stump |
| Tree Health and Hazard Assessment | $150 to $600 per assessment |
Which factors move the price most?
Proximity to power lines
Work near energized conductors requires line clearance qualification and utility coordination, which adds cost and lead time. Trees actually contacting primary lines are generally the utility's to clear, not the homeowner's.
Condition of the tree
A dead or decayed tree cannot be safely climbed, so the job requires a crane or a bucket that a sound tree would not. Waiting until a tree is dead frequently increases removal cost rather than deferring it.
Debris disposal
Hauling wood and chips is a real per-load cost. Agreeing to leave rounds on site or chips in a pile reduces the price and is worth asking about explicitly.
Stump grinding and grindings disposal
Grinding is priced by stump diameter. The resulting pile of grindings is several times the volume of the stump, and hauling it away and backfilling with soil is usually a separate charge from the grinding itself.
What does DeKalb County add to the bill?
Which mistakes push a quote higher?
Assuming the stump is included
Stump grinding is separate on most quotes. Discovering that after the crew has left means paying a second mobilization for the grinder.
Not asking who is responsible for damage to the driveway or septic components
Heavy equipment on a residential lot cracks driveways and can collapse a septic tank lid or crush drain field pipe. Identify anything buried before the crew arrives and put responsibility for it in writing.
Skipping the 811 locate before stump grinding
Georgia law states that stump removal is considered excavation, which brings it under the state's one call requirements. Grinding into a gas service or a fiber drop is expensive, dangerous, and entirely preventable.