On this page
- What does removal cost by tree height?
- What average do the guides give?
- How are storm and emergency jobs priced?
- How much does the stump add?
- What does it cost to haul the wood away?
- What if the tree only needs trimming?
- What makes one Forney removal cost more than another?
- Why isn't there a Forney price list?
- What should the written price spell out?
What does removal cost by tree height?
Height is the first thing every guide sorts by, because a taller tree means more cutting, more rigging and more wood to move. Two national guides break it down this way:
| How tall the tree is | This Old House (updated Mar. 5, 2026) | HomeGuide | HomeGuide calls it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorter than 30 ft | $150 to $450 | $150 to $500 | Small |
| 30 ft to 60 ft | $450 to $1,200 | $300 to $1,000 | Medium |
| 60 ft to 80 ft | $800 to $1,500 | $650 to $2,000 | Large |
| Taller than 80 ft | $1,000 to $2,000 | $1,200 to $2,700 | Extra-large |
The two guides don't line up exactly, and that's worth keeping in mind: these are spreads across many jobs around the country, not a rate card anyone in Kaufman County works from.
What average do the guides give?
| Source | Figure | Date on the page |
|---|---|---|
| This Old House | $906 average (the page's summary box shows $960) | Updated Mar. 5, 2026 |
| HomeGuide | $1,150 national average; usual range $300 to $2,000 | None shown |
| Angi | $1,264 average to remove a large tree | None shown |
| HomeGuide city table | Dallas: $320 to $2,100 | None shown |
The Dallas line is the closest any of these guides comes to Forney. It is HomeGuide's range for Dallas, not a figure for Kaufman County.
How are storm and emergency jobs priced?
Storm work is often billed by the hour, and a tree lying on a roof can need a crane. The guides list these figures:
| Item | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Storm damage or emergency removal | $150 to $250 per hour | HomeGuide |
| Crane-assisted removal | $500 to $2,500 per day, on top of the removal | HomeGuide |
| Fallen tree removal, hauling and disposal included | $100 to $600 per tree | HomeGuide |
| Emergency removal, high end | Up to $5,000 | This Old House |
After a declared disaster, Texas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act makes it unlawful to sell necessities such as building materials and construction tools at an exorbitant or excessive price, and the Texas Attorney General takes complaints online (checked Nov 14, 2026). The storm page covers what to watch for.
How much does the stump add?
A removal price may or may not include the stump. If it doesn't, these are the national numbers for grinding it out:
| Item | HomeGuide | Angi (2026 figures) |
|---|---|---|
| First stump | $120 to $400 | $150 to $500 to grind |
| Per inch across the stump | $2 to $6 | $2 to $5 |
| Each added stump | $30 to $60 | $40 to $75 |
| Smallest job charged | $80 to $160 | Not given |
| National average | Not given | $370; most pay $195 to $609 |
| Root removal | $75 to $150 per hour | Not given |
| Cleanup of the grindings | $2 to $4 per inch | Not given |
Angi's tree service guide also prices stump grinding as an extra on a removal at $65 to $350 (checked Nov 14, 2026). Before any grinding, an 811 locate request is part of the job; see the stump grinding page.
What does it cost to haul the wood away?
HomeGuide puts tree debris removal at $75 to $250 per dump trip (checked Nov 14, 2026). A big shade tree can mean more than one trip, so ask how many the price assumes. You can cut that line down by keeping the logs in rounds for firewood or keeping the chips for mulch, if you have a use for them.
What if the tree only needs trimming?
Angi puts the average trimming job at about $450, with most between $375 and $525 (checked Nov 14, 2026). Thinning a crown or lifting limbs off a roof can be the cheaper answer for a healthy tree. See tree trimming in Forney.
What makes one Forney removal cost more than another?
Two trees of the same height can land far apart on price. These are the things that move it:
- What's underneath. A tree over a roof, pool or fence is usually taken down in pieces and lowered, which takes longer than dropping a tree in an open yard.
- Power lines. If work could come within six feet of a high-voltage line, Texas Health and Safety Code §752.003 calls for 48 hours' notice to the line's operator, and the electric provider may have to be involved first (checked Nov 14, 2026).
- Getting equipment in. A backyard behind a fence, a narrow gate or soft ground can rule out a bucket truck, and a crane adds $500 to $2,500 a day (HomeGuide, checked Nov 14, 2026).
- The tree's condition. A decayed tree may not be safe to climb; the Texas A&M Forest Service warns that a tree infected with hypoxylon canker "may not support the weight of a climber."
- The wood and the stump. Hauling, chipping and stump grinding are often separate lines.
- Storm timing. Emergency work is commonly billed by the hour.
- The city rule, where it applies. On land Forney's Sec. 39a covers (vacant land, redevelopment, required landscape areas), a permit and replacement trees at a 3:1 value ratio can add cost. On a developed single-family lot, Sec. 39a.2.B.3 takes that off the table (checked Nov 14, 2026).
State law also caps what a city can charge. Under Local Government Code §212.905, a Texas city generally may not charge a tree mitigation fee for removing a dead, diseased or imminently dangerous tree, or for a tree under 10 inches across (measured 4.5 feet up) at your own one- or two-family home (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Why isn't there a Forney price list?
Because none of the guides checked for this page publishes one. Every figure above is a national range, apart from HomeGuide's Dallas line, and none of them should be read as what a Forney job costs. The number that counts is the price the contractor writes down after walking around your tree.
What should the written price spell out?
- Which trees, by location, and whether each comes down whole or is only trimmed.
- Whether the stump is ground, and to what depth below the grass.
- Who puts in the 811 locate request before any grinding.
- Whether brush and logs are hauled, how many trips that covers, and whether rounds or chips stay.
- Cleanup of the lawn, beds and driveway.
- Any permit on land the city rule covers, and who files it.
- When payment is due and what any deposit covers. The hiring guide explains your three-day cancel rights.
For a real number on your own tree, call (469) 689-1811 or fill in the request form. The independent contractor who gets it prices the job only after seeing the tree in person. Unsure whether the city rule touches your lot? Start with the Forney permit rules.
Sources: HomeGuide, tree removal cost; HomeGuide, stump grinding cost; This Old House, average cost of tree removal (updated Mar. 5, 2026); Angi, stump removal cost; Angi, tree service cost; Texas Attorney General, price gouging; Tex. Health & Safety Code §752.003; Texas A&M Forest Service, hypoxylon canker; City of Forney Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 39a (posted Apr. 9, 2026); Tex. Local Gov't Code §212.905. All checked Nov 14, 2026.