What Does Tree Removal Cost in Nashville?

Typical Prices by Tree Size

Height sets the pace of a removal because it decides how many cuts, how much rigging and how many hours a crew spends in the canopy. For one tree with normal access, typical Nashville ranges look like this:

• Small trees under 25 feet: about $400 to $700
• Medium trees from 25 to 50 feet: about $700 to $1,300
• Large trees from 50 to 75 feet: about $1,300 to $2,400
• Very large or crane-assisted trees over 75 feet: $1,800 to $4,000 and up

Most Nashville yards sit in the middle bands. Lots in Oak Hill, Forest Hills and Belle Meade tend to hold tall tulip poplars, red and white oaks and sugar maples, and those trees fall in the medium-to-large tiers. Shallow rocky soil over limestone means big trees are often rooted wide and thin, which can change how a crew approaches the drop.

What Moves the Price Up or Down

Wood Condition and Decay

Hollow or rotting trunks are slower and riskier to cut. A silver maple or hackberry with internal decay cannot be trusted to hold a rope, so climbers use extra anchor points and smaller pieces. A tree health diagnostics visit before the estimate shows what is happening inside the trunk.

Access and Obstacles

A tree in an open backyard in Crieve Hall can often be dropped in one piece. The same tree boxed in by a deck, a detached garage and neighbors' fences in Lockeland Springs has to come down in sections on ropes. Service wires, steep slopes and gated alleys add labor fast.

Crane Work

When rigging would put too much weight over a house, a crane typically adds $500 to $1,500. On tight East Nashville and Germantown lots, a crane often saves money overall because a two-day climb becomes a half-day pick. We price both approaches for tree removal on cramped sites.

Stumps and Add-Ons

Stumps are billed separately. Stump grinding typically runs $150 to $500 per stump depending on diameter, root flare and access. Hauling logs, chipping brush and raking up afterward are worth asking about, since some crews include them and some do not.

Cleanup depends on the tree too. A split-trunk sweetgum drops a lot of spiky balls and brittle limbs, while a clean-trunked oak leaves a tidy pile. We list haul-away on the estimate so nothing surprises you.

Rules and Permit Costs

Trees in the public right-of-way belong to Metro, so call Metro before anyone touches a street tree. Private single-family lot trees generally do not need a Metro permit, but development and lot-clearing sites go through landscaping and tree-protection review, and we check the rules before we start.

In Williamson County, protections apply to development sites in unincorporated areas, and Franklin asks for replacement of specimen trees at 2 caliper inches per inch removed or a payment to the city tree bank. Brentwood, Nolensville and Spring Hill have their own rules, so confirm with the town. Dead or fallen trees are generally exempt in the county. Our permit guide covers who needs what.

Storm and Emergency Pricing

After-hours work for emergency tree removal typically carries a premium. A tree resting on a roof can cost well past the normal tiers, because the crew has to lift weight off rafters without letting it drop through the ceiling.

When the late-January 2026 winter storm hit, NES reported more than 230,000 customers without power, and most outages traced to trees and limbs on lines. Crews across the county were stretched thin for days. Taking down a failing tree on a calm October morning costs a fraction of the same job done at midnight under ice.

Storm calls also carry more cleanup, because broken limbs land on fences, cars and the street. We separate hazard work from the general debris haul on the invoice so you and your adjuster can read each piece.

Ways to Keep the Bill Reasonable

• Combine removals with tree trimming so the crew and chipper make one trip
• Book non-urgent work in late fall or winter, before spring storm season
• Remove an ash that is thinning before it turns brittle, since dead wood costs more to cut
• Keep the logs for firewood or mulch if you have the room, which trims hauling time

Get a Written Nashville Estimate

We measure the tree, check wires and rules, and hand you a written number. Ask for a free estimate and we will tell you which tier your tree falls in and why.