What Tree Removal Costs in Perth in 2026

Perth tree prices at a glance

There is no official price list for tree work in Perth, and no government body publishes one. The figures on this page are our own 2026 planning ranges in Australian dollars, based on the kinds of jobs we see quoted across the metro. They are there so you can plan a budget and sanity-check a quote. They are not quotes, and the real number always comes from an arborist standing in your yard.

Tree removal

Job	Typical situation	2026 guide (AUD)
Small tree	Open backyard, easy access, can be dropped or cut from the ground	$400 to $1,000
Medium tree	Some climbing, near a fence, shed or pergola	$1,000 to $2,500
Large tree	Big gum or pine close to the house, taken down in roped sections	$2,500 to $6,000 or more

Pruning and lopping

Job	Typical situation	2026 guide (AUD)
Light prune or clearance	Small tree, easy access	From around $300 to a few hundred dollars
Crown reduction or lopping	Medium to large tree, some climbing	Several hundred dollars upward
Thinning or deadwooding a large gum	Mature tree over a house or driveway	Several hundred dollars to a few thousand

Stump grinding

Job	2026 guide (AUD)
Small stump, easy access	Under $100
Single average stump	$100 to $400
Large, hardwood or multi-stem stump	$400 and up

Palm removal

Job	2026 guide (AUD)
Short, light palm such as a small cocos in an open yard	From about $150
Most palm removals	$150 to $1,500
Tall or heavy palm such as a large Canary Island date palm beside the house	Toward $1,500

Full stump and root extraction for a slab or pool, block clearing and written arborist reports are quoted on their own, because the scope varies too much for a sensible range.

What moves the price

Height gets most of the attention, but it is rarely the biggest factor. Two trees of the same size can be priced thousands of dollars apart because of what surrounds them.

Height and spread

A taller tree means more climbing, more cuts and more wood on the ground. Spread matters as much as height: a broad gum with long limbs over the roof takes longer than a narrow pine of the same height.

Trunk size and timber

Big trunks take longer to cut into liftable pieces and longer to chip. Dense local hardwoods such as jarrah and marri are heavier and slower to cut and grind than softer exotics or palms, which shows up in both the removal and the stump.

Access

This is often the deciding factor. If a chipper can back up to the tree, branches go straight in. If everything has to be carried through a narrow side gate, down steps or across a neighbour's yard, the job takes more people and more hours. Blocks on slopes in the hills, and tight lots in newer estates, tend to sit higher in each band.

What is underneath

A tree in the middle of an open lawn can often be felled or dropped in large pieces. The same tree over a roof, pool, glasshouse or fence has to be climbed and lowered on ropes, piece by piece. That is sectional removal, and it is the main reason large trees near houses reach the top band.

Power lines

Keeping trees on private property clear of the service wire from the pole to the house is the occupant's job, not Western Power's. Work that may come within the danger zone around live lines (the space above any line, and within 3 metres of lines up to 33,000 volts) must be done under the EnergySafety code of practice for vegetation work near live power lines, which calls for trained, experienced people and extra controls. That slows the job and narrows who can do it, so expect it to be reflected in the price. Mention any wires near the canopy when you ask for a quote.

Cranes and elevated work platforms

Some jobs are quicker and safer with an elevated work platform (EWP) or a crane lifting sections clear of the house. The hire adds to the cost, but on the right job it can save hours of climbing and rigging. Access for the machine, and somewhere to set it up, decide whether it is an option. Operators of boom-type EWPs with a boom of 11 metres or more need a high risk work licence, so it is fair to ask about it.

The stump

A standard removal leaves the stump cut low. Grinding it below ground is normally a separate line on the quote, priced by size, timber and access. See stump grinding for how that part of the job is done.

Green waste and shot-hole borer rules

Chipping branches and removing logs is part of a complete job, and it takes time, fuel and tipping. The whole Perth metro is a quarantine area for the polyphagous shot-hole borer. In the Management Zone, untreated wood cannot be moved out of the zone unless it is chipped to pieces 2.5 cm or less, and green waste going to an exempt facility must travel in a fully sealed and covered skip, trailer or truck. Handling wood properly is part of the cost, and it is worth knowing about if a quote seems suspiciously light on disposal. Our shot-hole borer guide explains the zones and how to check your address.

Council approval

Several Perth councils do not currently regulate trees on private residential land, but some do, and the rules are changing. The City of Cockburn has required development approval since 28 May 2026 for removing or significantly lopping most mature trees over 8 metres on private land, and heritage places or trees on a significant tree register can need approval anywhere. If an application or an arborist report is needed, that time and cost sit outside the tree work itself. See can I cut down a tree in Perth before you book.

How to compare quotes fairly

Getting two or three quotes is sensible for bigger jobs. The trick is making sure they cover the same work.

1. Line them up item by item. Which trees, how much comes off, and whether the stump is included.
2. Check the method. A felled tree and a sectional climb are different jobs. If one quote assumes felling where there is no room to drop the tree, ask how it will be done.
3. Check the stump detail. Left at ground level, ground out, or fully removed? If ground, to what depth?
4. Check the clean-up. Are logs, branches and grindings taken away, left on site, or partly both?
5. Check what is excluded. Work near the service wire, a crane, or a second tree are common exclusions.
6. Ask about cover. We ask the arborists and contractors we work with to hold the public liability cover the job needs. Ask to see the certificate before work starts, whichever quote you choose.

What a good written quote includes

A proper quote for tree work in Perth should tell you, in plain words:

• The trees involved, identified clearly (for example "the lemon-scented gum by the back fence").
• What is being done to each: removed, reduced by how much, or pruned for clearance.
• How the work will be done, such as a climb, an EWP, or a crane.
• What happens to the stump, and the grinding depth if it is ground.
• Where the logs, branches and mulch end up, including any mulch you want left.
• How fences, paving, lawns and garden beds will be protected.
• Anything excluded, and the total price.

If a quote is a single number on a text message, ask for the detail in writing. It protects you and the contractor.

When a cheap quote costs more

A quote well below the others usually has something missing. Common gaps:

• No clean-up. The tree comes down but the wood stays, and you pay again to have it taken away.
• No stump. The stump is left and grinding is priced as an extra on the day.
• Topping instead of reducing. A tree lopped to stubs regrows fast and weak, and needs work again sooner, often costing more over a few years.
• The wrong method. Felling a tree that should have been sectioned is how fences, roofs and gutters get damaged.
• No cover. If something goes wrong and the person who did the work has no public liability cover, the cost can land on you.

The cheapest total is not always the cheapest outcome. The quote that spells out every step is the one you can hold someone to.

Getting a number for your tree

The tree removal page explains how a removal runs, and the palm removal page covers palms. For a price on your own tree, call or use the form with a photo and a note about what is near it. A local arborist will come and look, and the quote will be in writing. We are open 7 days, 8am to 5pm.