The average cost of tree trimming will vary depending on the size of your tree, the tree species and a handful of other factors that we will go through below.

The average price for tree trimming so far this year is $431.

This is the median price including all tree species, sizes and other factors country-wide.

Below we break the average prices down into tree sizes for tree trimming costs, then go into more detail about what else might add to the price.

average cost of tree trimming infographic

Small tree

Average size: 4m or 15 ft.
Average cost/price for trimming: $ 65

This is a tiny tree and to be honest not really worth getting a professional arborist into to quote. For a job this small, you are better off getting a lawn care/ garden maintenance type company to do the job.

You will find they will charge about 50% less on average for tree trimming than a tree service company.

The reason for this is they have a lot fewer overheads to deal with so they can price much cheaper.

Medium tree

Average size: 7m or 25 ft.
Average cost/price for trimming: $ 431

This size tree is an average-sized tree and actually what the average price was taken from. It is worth bearing in mind that there are different pruning styles, but for this price, you can get a building clearance, a canopy lift or a canopy thinning.

The price would include the removal of 3 – 4 medium-sized branches.

Large tree

Average size: 12m or 40 ft.
Average cost/price for trimming: $ 762

With a 12 metre tree, you are starting to talk some serious size. This would need to be carried out by a professional tree surgeon with plenty of experiences. The average price of this tree trim might vary depending on the number of branches being removed and the difficulty of removal.

With the average price of tree trimming being $762 for this sized tree, you could expect to have 3-4 medium-sized branches removed with maybe one or two of them a little more difficult to get to, such as over your roof or a pool.

X-Large tree

Average size: 20m or 65 ft.
Average cost/price for trimming: $ 1,305

These are about as big as it gets. The average price to trim a tree as large as this is dependent on how high up the branches are that are being removed. Higher doesn’t always mean more expensive as the branches higher up are smaller and actually much easier to work with.

As you go higher up the tree however the skill and experience required increases along with the time needed to complete the task.

Factors that add to average price of tree trimming

Tree size

This is the most obvious factor and as discussed above the average cost to trim a tree will increase as the height of the tree increases. Please refer to the above-median prices for tree trimming by tree size.

Tree species

This is a not-so-obvious factor that contributes to price but actually has quite a large bearing. Think of the difference between a palm branch and the branch on a Eucalyptus tree. They are night and day and some species are just easier to work on than others.

So the real factor here is branch size and ease of access to the branches. So the smaller and more easily accessible the cheaper the average price to prune the tree.

Spread/ number of branches

When we talk about “spread” we are referring to how far the branches reach out from the tree trunk. Some trees naturally have small branches, others are quite big. So the number of branches and their spread is a factor when it comes to working out a price.

Time of year

This factor is often overlooked by most homeowners, but the best time to get a tree trimmed or removed is in the winter. This little hack is going to save you about 25% off the average cost of tree trimming.

For this to work you need to actually get the tree service out in winter to quote your job, then execute it. The reason for this is because there is simply not much work on in the winter, so you find yourself on the right side of the supply and demand cycle.

Bear in mind the average price will not fluctuate much in places closer to the equator where the temperature does not fluctuate.

Location on property/ access

This is a bigger factor with tree removal, but if you are getting several trees trimmed it can become a larger factor. Basically, if you have a tree in your backyard and the access is poor, you will be charged more on average.

The simple reason for this is it is going to take more time to drag all the waste down the side of your house to the truck out the front. Time is money and this will increase the average cost of trimming.

Obstacles around tree

By obstacles, we are referring to branches that stretch out over your home, over a power line, fence, shed or anything else that will slow down the process of trimming.

Again time is money when it comes to tree trimming so the fewer obstacles in the way the easier it is going to be and the cheap it is going to be for you.

The company you use

This is why we always get more than one quote. The difference in price between companies can be night and day. Most of the time if you catch a tree company that is busy they are going to charge you more.

The trick is to try and get one who can do it in the next few days. If they have so little on that they can come out in the next couple of days and remove the tree, then you will find they are going to give you a cheaper price on average to trim your trees.

The average tree trimming price by trim style

Canopy lift

Tree size: medium 7m or 20 ft.

Number of branches being pruned: 4

The difficulty of the job: low

Average cost: $ 431

A canopy list refers to the removal of the bottom few branches of a tree to let more light into a yard, home or lawn. It is a simple task as they are the branches close to the ground.

Tree thinning

Tree size: medium 7m or 20 ft.

Number of branches being pruned: 6

The difficulty of the job: Medium

Average cost: $ 743

Tree thinning refers to reducing the number of branches in the tree’s canopy while maintaining its shape. The reason would be to remove some weight, or aesthetics or to let more light in.

This a medium-skill level job and take more time to complete. The branches do not come down easily and often get stuck in the tree when trying to trim them. This is why the average cost to trim is a little higher.

Tree reduction

Tree size: medium 7m or 20 ft.

Number of branches being pruned: 12

The difficulty of the job: Hard

Average cost: $ 1,150

A tree reduction is to take the ends of each branch essentially reducing the overall size of the tree while maintaining its shape. It’s literally like shrinking the tree size by 20 – 30%.

This is so much more expensive because the arborist literally needs to climb out to each extremity of your tree and remove the end of the branch. It is a very time-consuming job and you will pay more on average for this trimming style.