Tree Trimming Cost

We plant trees on our homes to improve the look and hence add value. However, if trees get ignored, they develop overgrown branches, dead branches, and drying limbs – these give your property a bad look. To maintain the good looks on your commercial or residential property, you will need to invest in regular tree trimming.

Tree trimming is best when handled by professionals who know how to manage the risks involved and give the trees the best shape and look. Professional tree trimmers will, however, require you to pay up. In this guide, we will help you discover the amount you will need to pay for tree trimming in Daytona Beach. We will also show you the different factors that influence tree trimming cost.

Daytona Beach Tree Trimming Cost

To trim a tree in Daytona Beach, you will need to set aside between $80 and $1000. If you have average-sized trees on your property, you will spend an average of $250 to $500 trimming these trees.

Size is the largest determinant of the amount you will spend on tree trimming. Homeowners with small trees of below 25 feet can expect a tree trimming cost of $80. As the height increases to between 25 and 50 feet, the tree trimming cost goes up to $175. When the trees hit over 50 feet, they cost $300 to $1000 to trim.

Tree Trimming Cost Factors in Daytona Beach

1. Tree Size

If you have tall trees on your home, you should expect to spend more on the tree trimming compared to someone with smaller trees. Bigger trees often require more complicated tools, they require special skills to lower the cut branches safely without causing property damage, and overall, they pose a bigger risk.

Below, we have the charges most tree service providers need to trim trees of varying sizes:

• Trees under 30 feet– Russian olive and dogwood tree species rarely grow beyond 30 feet. These trees cost between $75 and $450 to trim.
• Between 30 and 60 feet– If you have crab apples and other trees whose height range lies between 30 and 60 feet, you should expect to spend between $150 and $875 to trim the trees.
• Over 60 feet– If your commercial property has red oak and pine trees, the cost of trimming the trees will fall between $200 and $1000, depending on how tall they are.

2. Accessibility

If getting to your tree is easy and the tree is not surrounded by sensitive structures, the tree trimming process will be extremely easy. However, if your tree is near power lines, your house, or a busy road, tree trimmers will have to climb up the tree manually, tie down the branches they intend to cut, and lower these down slowly – this requires a lot of effort and time. This means that trees featuring limited accessibility have a higher tree trimming cost unlike trees sitting on open fields.

To give you a good example, if an 80-foot oak tree is sitting on an open field, and the tree trimmers can use a bucket truck to trim the tree, you may pay only $1000. However, if the same tree is sitting on a closed-off area and someone will have to climb up manually, the tree trimming cost may increase to over $1400. This is very understandable, considering that the bucket truck makes the tree trimming safer and quicker compared to going up the tree manually.

3. Tree Stability

Unstable trees pose a bigger risk compared to trees that don’t have stability issues. In most cases, the tree trimming professionals have to use stabilizing procedures to make the tree trimming process safer. After the tree trimming process, the tree trimmers are often forced to use permanent stabilizing methods to increase safety on your compound. All this increases the tree trimming cost.

4. Tree Health

Trees in Daytona Beach do get affected by pests and diseases. Compromising the tree’s structures, they make the tree trimming process riskier. This often leads to a higher tree trimming cost.

After tree trimming is conducted, professionals are often forced to use pesticides to eliminate pest infestations or medications to get rid of the diseases. Arborist service is often needed to determine the health complication a tree is suffering from and to recommend the right medications.

Since these services are charged separately, they may further increase the cost of tree maintenance. On average, Daytona Beach residents spend between $50 and $500 in addition to the tree trimming cost to treat their trees.

5. Travel Distance

If you are working with professionals whose base of operation is in Daytona Beach, you may not incur travel fees. Most tree service providers have an area of operation for which they don’t charge a travel fee. However, if the team you have hired is coming a long way – say, outside Daytona Beach – you will have to cater to the travel expenses.

When charging on a per-mile basis, each mile will cost you $0.5. Some tree service providers are, however, fond of charging a flat rate of between $50 and $200 depending on the travel distance.

6. Number of Trees

Most tree trimmers will charge a lower tree trimming cost per tree if your goal is to trim several trees at the same time. For example, the tree trimmers may charge you $300 to trim a 50-foot tree. However, if your goal is to trim 10 trees featuring a height of 50 feet, you may be charged $2000. This means that each tree will cost $200 instead of $300 – you will end up saving $100 on each tree.

Tree trimming rates vary depending on the tree service provider. However, the higher cost of trimming a single tree is a result of the fixed costs that are often involved when trimming a tree – these include overhead costs, vehicle charges, cost of gas, insurance costs, taxes, licenses, and permits.

DIY Versus Hiring Professionals: Which One is Better?

To trim a tree, you need experience, knowledge on which branches to cut, and tree trimming tools. If you are lacking one of these things, you will better off hiring professionals.

Proper tree trimming involves selecting the branches to trim correctly – otherwise, you may end up sawing off the wrong branches and damaging the tree irreparably. This will force you to spend money on tree removal and replacement.

Trimming a tree often involves climbing up to its clown so that you can cut the branches. This places you at the risk of falling and breaking your limbs. Most people often lose their lives to falling from the top of a tree.

When working alone, it becomes hard to control the direction that your branches fall. If you have utility lines next to your tree or your house is just under the tree you are trimming, you could end up doing a lot of damage. The damage may cost you thousands of dollars to fix.

While professionals will require you to spend some money on the tree trimming cost, they help you avoid spending a lot of money on unseen costs. Hospital bills, home repairs, and tree removal plus replacement will cost more than the tree trimming cost.

However, if you intend to work on a small, non-risky tree, turning tree trimming into a DIY project can help you avoid the tree trimming cost. Below, we have tips to help you through the trimming process:

Get Tree Trimming Tools

Small trees require basic tree trimming gear. For most projects, this could mean:

• Hand-held pruners and loppers– You will spend $30 to $50 on these.
• Gas pole pruner– To own this tool, you will need to pay an average of $150 to $300 at your favorite store.
• Heavy-duty has trimmer– This tool is extremely pricey. However, you can rent it for about $50 per day.
• Safety gear– To avoid getting injured, you will need safety gear. This could include safety goggles, a harness, gloves, helmet, etc. On average, the safety gear will be worth $50 to $150.
• Ladder– To get to the tree crown, you will need a high-quality ladder. On average, tree owners need a ladder worth $150 to $600.

Compared to the tree trimming cost, the cost of buying the tree trimming gear may be higher. In such a case, working with professionals can help you eliminate the risk of injury and save some money.

Risks Involved

Some of the risks associated with tree trimming – especially when handled by inexperienced personnel – include:

• Injury– The tree pruning gear is generally sharp. A slight mistake could inflict a deep cut on one of your body parts. If you fall from the tree, you could spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair, or even worse, lose your life.
• Property damage– Limbs falling from your tree can damage your house, car, or the utility lines.
• Tree damage– If you remove the wrong branches or cut the right branches the wrong way, you may damage your tree in a way that it can’t be repaired. In such a scenario, tree removal – which is more costly than tree trimming – will be the only solution.

The good news is that you can easily avoid all these risks. All you will have to do is pick up your mobile phone and call tree trimming professionals residing in Daytona Beach. This will even free you up to work on other projects.

Use the Right Tree Trimming Procedure

To avoid damaging your tree, you will need to follow the right procedure when trimming each tree. Below, we have outlined pointers to help you when trimming your tree:

Wait for the Dormant Stage

This is when your trees stop growing actively. Conducting tree trimming during this stage allows you to saw off the right branches from a tree.

Consider Branch Size

As long as a branch has a diameter of below 5 cm, you can go ahead and remove it. However, once the diameter of the branch exceeds 5 cm, proper consideration is needed. Branches with a diameter of more than 10 cm should be allowed to stay on the tree – these should only be removed if they are unsafe, dead, carrying pests, or harboring a disease.

Branch Angle is Crucial

Branches with strong U-shaped angles should remain on the tree. However, branches forming a weak V-angle with the tree trunk should be removed.

Saw Off Young Branches

Young branches won’t scar. Also, they are much easier to manage. This makes them good candidates for removal.

Do Not Over-Trim Your Tree

When trimming a tree, focus on trimming less than 25% of the tree crown. Be sure to implement a ratio of 2:3 between the tree’s living crown and trunk.

Cutting Your Branches

Start by locating the position where the tree attaches to the tree trunk – this should be the collar. Above the branch collar, find the branch ridge. Once you have located these 2, go ahead and cut the branch in between them, taking care to avoid leaving a huge stub on the tree or cutting too close to the tree trunk.

Saving Money on Tree Trimming

It is every homeowner’s goal to spend the least amount of money on tree trimming while maintaining good-looking trees. With these tips, maintaining good looking trees should be possible:

• Power companies trim trees sitting next to power lines to increase safety. If you have trees next to power lines, let the power companies handle the trimming for you.
• Improve your tree’s health through fertilization and watering. As noted earlier, a lower tree trimming cost is associated with healthy trees.
• Maintain your trees regularly. Instead of waiting for an extended period or allowing your trees to get too much out of shape, invest in regular tree maintenance practices. This should save you a lot of money.
• Spray pests and use medications to treat health complications. As noted earlier, trees with pests and diseases will have a high tree trimming cost. If you keep the trees free of these annoying problems, your tree trimming cost should reduce.