Removal: national figures
Cutting down one tree usually costs $450 to $1,450 nationally, according to Thumbtack's Tree Removal Cost Guide 2026, last updated March 24, 2026. Its low end runs $373 to $432 and its high end $2,500 to $3,300. With the stump removed as well, the usual range rises to $884 to $1,627, and the high end to $2,199 to $2,659. The guide sets prices by how thick the trunk is and how wide the crown spreads, not by height:
| Trunk width | Crown narrower than 30 ft | Crown wider than 30 ft |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 12 in. | $226 to $596 | $359 to $946 |
| 12–24 in. | $517 to $1,364 | $808 to $2,132 |
| 24–36 in. | $976 to $2,573 | $1,562 to $4,117 |
Thumbtack's separate trimming guide, updated October 23, 2026, also carries a single national average for removal: $985 for a tree, and $1,072 for a tree and its stump. Two guides from one company, seven months apart, give somewhat different pictures, which is one more reason to treat any national number as a rough starting point.
Trimming: national figures
The October 2026 trimming guide puts the national average for a trimming job at $402 to $1,158, with $186 as the low-end average and $2,456 as the high-end average. Unlike removal, it prices trimming by height, from $474 to $848 for a tree of 5 to 10 feet up to $1,126 to $1,957 for one over 40 feet. The full table is on tree trimming.
Stump grinding: national figures
The March 2026 removal guide prices grinding on its own, once the tree is already cut, by stump width: a stump less than 12 inches wide, $267 to $354; 12- to 24-inch stumps, $324 to $443; 24- to 36-inch, $355 to $486; and 36- to 48-inch, $372 to $494. More on stump grinding.
Worked example: a tall tulip poplar behind a two-story house
Say the poplar's trunk measures about 22 inches at chest height, its crown spreads roughly 35 feet, and the stump is to be ground as well.
- Taking the tree down (trunk in the 12–24 in. tier, crown wider than 30 ft): $808 to $2,132.
- Grinding a stump in the 12–24 in. tier: $324 to $443.
- Both jobs, by the national tiers: $1,132 to $2,575.
Height isn't one of Thumbtack's removal tiers, but it shapes the job. NC State lists tulip poplar at 80 to 120 feet when grown, and one tall enough to reach the house if dropped has to come down in pieces instead, which pushes the price toward the top of the tier or past it. Hauling a trunk that size out of an in-town Louisburg yard adds more, since the town won't collect logs over 10 inches.
What moves a Franklin County price
| Factor | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Trunk and crown | Thumbtack's tiers more than double between the small and large trunk sizes |
| What's below | Roofs, porches, sheds, fences and service lines mean lowering pieces on rope instead of dropping them |
| Access | A long or soft gravel drive, a fenced back yard or a septic field in the way limits where a truck, lift or loader can go |
| Hauling | Louisburg won't take logs over 10 inches, stumps or root balls; the county has no curbside pickup at all |
| Burning instead | Generally not allowed in towns with yard-waste pickup; outside them, state air rules and a Forest Service permit may apply |
| Wires | Limbs near a line may need the utility's involvement before or during the job |
| Creek or pond nearby | Within 50 feet of a mapped stream or pond, a state buffer rule (Tar-Pamlico, or Neuse in parts of the south of the county) sets conditions on tree removal |
| The stump | Ground on the same visit or left; grinding is priced by diameter |
| Storm damage | A tree lying on a roof, or a pine top hung up in a crown, takes longer and carries more risk |
| How many trees | Doing several in one trip shares the cost of bringing the crew and machines out |
When insurance covers part of it
The Insurance Information Institute said in July 2010 that when wind or hail drops a tree onto an insured structure, standard homeowners policies cover the damage and generally pay to remove the tree up to about $500 to $1,000, depending on the insurer and the policy. A tree that falls without hitting a structure generally isn't covered for removal, though some insurers will pay to clear one blocking a driveway. Read your own policy and talk to your agent; see storm and emergency removal.
What the written price should list
- Each tree by location and kind, and roughly how thick its trunk is.
- The method: dropped whole, taken down in pieces, or lifted out.
- Whether the stump is ground, and to what depth.
- What leaves the property and what stays: brush, logs, chips.
- Who calls 811 before grinding.
- How the lawn, drive, septic field and anything under the tree will be protected.
- The total, any deposit, and when the balance is due.
Questions homeowners ask
Why is there no Louisburg price on this page?
No local contractor's prices were collected for this site, and there's no public record of yard-tree job prices to draw on. National figures give a starting range; the written price for your tree is the local number.
Is a bigger tree always more expensive?
Usually, but what stands under it can matter as much. A large pine with open pasture on every side can cost less than a smaller oak hanging over the house and the service line.
Does keeping the logs lower the price?
It can, since hauling is part of the cost of the job. Ask for the price both ways.
Can I save by burning the brush?
Only outside the towns, and only within the state's air rules and with a Forest Service permit where needed. Louisburg, Youngsville and Franklinton pick up yard waste, so inside them the state rule's no-pickup condition generally isn't met. Ask the town before burning anything, including stumps or logs it won't collect.
Price requests from this page go to one independent contractor who works around Louisburg. This website sets no prices and does no tree work.
- Thumbtack, Tree Removal Cost Guide 2026, updated March 24, 2026; Thumbtack, 2026 Tree Trimming Cost Guide, updated October 23, 2026. National figures.
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Liriodendron tulipifera.
- Town of Louisburg Solid Waste Collection Policy (2025); Franklin County Trash and Recycling page; 15A NCAC 02D .1903; 15A NCAC 02B .0734 and .0714.
- Insurance Information Institute, guidance on insurance for fallen trees (July 22, 2010).