Tree Pruning Cost

The cost of pruning a tree ranges from $75 to $2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tree pruning cost is affected largely by the size of the tree, and property owners with medium-sized trees pay $350 to about $650. 

Several factors have a significant impact on the tree pruning cost. Understanding the effect that these factors have on the cost can help you create an ideal budget for your upcoming tree pruning project. 

Tree Pruning Cost Factors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

1. Tree Height 

In Milwaukee – and the whole of Wisconsin – tall trees have a higher tree pruning cost than small trees. The tree height impacts the time needed to complete trimming a tree. Compared to when pruning a small tree, the tree pruners require more time to climb tall trees. In addition to this, tall trees have a bigger crown spread and thicker branches. 

Depending on the size of your tree, you should expect the pruning cost to have the ranges listed below: 

• Small trees – These trees have a height below 30 feet. Pruning a small tree is extremely affordable, with professional tree pruners charging $75 to $400.
• Medium trees – These trees have a height of 30 to 60 feet. Professional pruning for these trees will set you back $150 to $800. 
• Large trees – In Milwaukee, large trees have a height of 60 to 100 feet. Their pruning cost sits between $800 and $1,500. 
• Very large trees – These trees have a height of above 100 feet. They include white pines which can grow to over 150 feet and the eucalyptus which can mature at a height above 200 feet. To prune these trees, you will need to pay $1,500 to $2000. 

2. Tree Species 

While some types of trees need a couple of snips to fix their tree pruning problems, others require hours of focused work. Trees like white oaks mature at heights of about 100 feet and have large, spreading crowns with a width of up to 80 feet. Before a tree pruner finishes working on the white oak, hours will be gone. 

California juniper is simpler to prune, considering that it has a small crown spread and its branches are much thinner. This explains why the tree pruning cost changes from one tree species to the other. 

Avocado Tree Pruning Cost 

Avocado trees are available in both dwarf and large varieties. The dwarf version has a lower cost while the medium-sized to large varieties are costlier to prune. The cost of pruning avocado trees increases with the size of the tree from $350 and maxes out at about $700. 

Olive Tree Pruning Cost 

Olive trees need tree pruning to maximize their productivity. If the tree’s inner branches fail to get enough sunlight, most of its flowers will not change into fruits. With professional pruning, however, you can open up the tree’s crown, improving air circulation and allowing the branches to access more sunlight. The tree pruning cost for olive trees ranges from $350 to $700. 

Maple Tree Pruning Cost 

Maple trees mature at a height of 60 to 80 feet. These trees, however, may need tree pruning long before they become mature. This puts the maple tree pruning cost between $400 and $1000. 

Pine Tree Pruning Cost 

Pine trees tend to mature at a height of between 80 and 150 feet. Tree pruning, however, is often required for pine trees as small as 40 feet. Therefore, depending on how tall your pine tree is, you should expect a tree pruning cost between $200 and $2000. 

Crepe Myrtle Tree Pruning Cost 

Crepe myrtle is one of the smallest tree species that grow in Milwaukee. The tree reaches maturity at a height of 3 to 30 feet. Professional tree pruning for crepe myrtle will cost you $75 to $400. 

Palm Tree Pruning Cost 

You can find the palm tree in Milwaukee in heights ranging from 20 – 80 feet. Depending on the size of your palm tree, you’ll spend $100 to $1,500 on professional pruning. 

3. Accessibility to the Bucket Truck 

Climbing trees manually takes a lot of time and is also extremely risky. To make tree pruning much easier and reduce the amount of time spent on each tree, professional tree pruners have invested in bucket trucks. 

However, bucket trucks are not always usable. While they may be a perfect solution for the tree standing in your front yard with ample parking space, bucket trucks may not work for the tree in the backyard with no way to access it and with no place to park the bucket truck. 

This means that even with the bucket truck, professional tree pruners are often forced by circumstances to use manual climbing. Manual climbing often increases the tree pruning cost by about 30-40%. If your tree can be pruned for $1000 under normal circumstances where a bucket truck can be used, you should expect a tree pruning cost of between $1,300 and $1,400 if the bucket truck cannot access the tree. 

4. Proximity to Utilities 

When utilities are close to the tree, professionals are forced to do a lot of extra work to avoid causing property damage. The cut branches cannot be allowed to fly off to the ground. Instead, the tree pruners will tie them with ropes, and then lower them down slowly, controlling their direction to keep them from landing on important utilities and causing a lot of damage. This leads to a higher tree pruning cost. 

If your trees are standing on open ground, the work will be much easier since the branches do not need control. Professionals can let the branches fly off to the ground. Since less time and effort will be needed, the cost of trimming reduces significantly. 

5. Tree Health 

Trees with health problems are usually riskier to work on. This has to do with the fact their limbs have been weakened by the disease or pests and unless the tree pruners are extra careful, they may end up falling if they step on weak branches.

Unhealthy trees often need more detailed pruning than healthy trees. This is done to remove all the limbs carrying the disease and hence keeping the problem from spreading. The additional time needed to complete the tree removal procedure leads to a higher tree trimming cost. 

6. Additional Services 

Property owners are often surprised when they learn that some of the services needed during tree pruning are not covered by the quoted cost. To help you be fully prepared, we have covered some of the services that are often charged separately: 

Treatment Costs 

If your trees have ill-health, a professional arborist may be needed for diagnoses and providing treatment options. The cost of the arborist service and the price of the pesticides or medications needed to treat your tree can add an extra $50 to $500.

Travel Fee 

Working with a team of tree pruners closest to your property is the best way to avoid the travel fee. If you hire a tree service company located hundreds of miles from your home, you should be prepared to take care of travel fees to the tune of $50 to $200. Some professionals, however, may charge you $0.5 per mile traveled. 

Cleanup and Dumping 

You probably do not want the tree pruners to leave branches lying around on your compound. Some tree pruners may include the cleanup costs in their quotation – this, however, is not always a guarantee. If the cleanup costs aren’t in your quotation, you should expect an extra cost between $25 and $100. 

Hourly Tree Pruning Cost 

Charging an hourly tree pruning cost increases the risk of losses for both the tree owner and the tree service provider. If one company has more experience and better tools, it will need lesser time to complete the pruning procedure. A different company may take the whole day on the same tree. 

If both companies have a similar hourly rate, one will suffer losses, while the other will overcharge you. It is, however, worth noting that tree service providers do include an hourly rate of $25 to $50 for each of their workers on site. This cumulative cost is, however, calculated and included in the quotation as a fixed cost. 

Timing Tree Pruning Correctly 

To determine the best time to prune your trees, you will need to consider the factors outlined below: 

• Safety – Trees with risky branches should be pruned immediately to minimize the possibility of property damage and injuries. 
• Tree health – Removing the unhealthy branches as soon as possible will keep the disease from spreading. 
• Growth stage – In the absence of safety and health concerns, the best time to prune trees is when they are dormant. Pruning trees when they aren’t growing actively minimizes the chances of tree damage. 

How to Save Money on Tree Pruning 

• Prune your trees in the offseason to enjoy lower rates. 
• Compare estimates from different tree service providers and choose a company with the lowest rates. 
• Use DIY pruning on small trees that feature minimal risks. 
• Keep your trees healthy to avoid treatment costs. 
• Work with professionals closest to your home to avoid travel fees.