Real Boone County ranges, what moves them, and how to compare bids on substance — because a free estimate should be an education, not a pitch.
Get My Written Number| Job | Typical range* | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Small removal (under 30 ft) | $400–$700 | Access, what sits beneath it |
| Medium removal (30–60 ft) | $700–$1,500 | Rigging needs, drop zone, species |
| Large / over-structure removal | $1,500–$2,500+ | Technical rigging, crane time |
| Dead ash removal | +20–50% vs live equivalent | Brittleness limits climbing |
| Single-tree pruning | $200–$700 | Size, crown volume, access |
| Whole-property tune-up | day rate, quoted | Beats per-tree math past 3–4 trees |
| Stump grinding | $100–$250 first, less each added | Diameter, access, batch size |
| Storm hazard mitigation | quoted at scene | Stored energy, structure involvement |
*Boone County and north Hendricks ranges. Free written estimates confirm exact numbers; crane days and night emergency work priced plainly when needed.
Because two trees of identical size can be entirely different jobs. A 50-foot maple in an open backyard is an afternoon; the same tree leaning over a sunroom with a fence on one side and the service drop on the other is a day of rigging. The number tracks four things: height and weight, what it can hit, how much must be lowered on ropes rather than dropped, and what happens to the wood. An itemized estimate shows all four. A lump sum scribbled on a card shows none — which also tells you something.
Dead ash lies about its strength, so climbers trust it less and machines do more — and equipment time is what you pay for. It's also why waiting is expensive: the ash that could be climbed last season may need a crane next season. If you're pricing ash removal, do it this year, and have the wood-handling options priced separately so you control the total.
Line them up on scope, not totals. Is stump grinding included? Wood hauled, bucked, or left? Cleanup to what standard? Insurance certificates offered unprompted? Same removal method? A $900 bid that leaves the trunk in your yard and a $1,300 bid that leaves a lawn are different products. Bring us any competitor's quote and we'll annotate it next to ours — five minutes, and the most transparent bid usually wins on the spot.
