How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Knoxville?

The short answer

Most residential tree removals in Knoxville fall between $400 and $2,000, with the majority of jobs landing in the $600 to $1,200 range. Small trees under 30 feet can come in under $400. Large, mature specimens over 70 feet in tight residential settings, where crane work is required, can push $2,500 or more.

Tree size	Typical Knoxville price range
Small (under 30 ft)	$200 - $450
Medium (30 - 60 ft)	$500 - $1,100
Large (60 - 80 ft)	$900 - $1,800
Very large (80 ft+, crane)	$1,500 - $3,000+

These ranges are starting points, not guarantees. The only number that matters for your job is a written estimate from a licensed pro who has seen your tree and your property, and that estimate is free. Call (865) 500-6459 to schedule one.

Want a range tuned to your specific tree right now? Our tree removal cost calculator turns five quick questions into a planning estimate, with the full pricing model and sources shown. And if you’re wondering whether you need a permit first, usually you don’t, but the exceptions matter.

What each size tier actually looks like

Under 30 feet covers dogwoods, redbuds, small ornamentals, and young shade trees, anything shorter than a two-story house. These are often single-climber jobs with minimal rigging. In an open yard, expect the low end of the range; against a fence or deck, the high end.

30 to 60 feet is where most Knoxville removals live: mature maples, medium oaks, hackberries, and the Bradford pears that fall apart in every wind storm. A 40-foot tree in decent access typically runs $500 to $900. This tier is also where proximity starts to dominate price. The same 50-foot maple might cost $600 in an open backyard and $1,100 leaning over your garage.

60 to 80 feet means big hardwoods and mature pines. Multi-hour jobs with a crew of three to five, full rigging, a chipper, and usually a bucket truck. Sectional dismantling is the norm because there’s nowhere to drop anything whole.

Over 80 feet is crane territory in most residential settings. Crane mobilization alone runs $300 to $600 per day in the Knoxville market, which is why these jobs start around $1,500 and climb.

Seven things that drive your quote

1. Height and trunk diameter. The biggest drivers, full stop. More wood volume means more crew hours and bigger equipment. A trunk you can’t wrap your arms around (roughly 2 feet across) pushes any job toward the top of its range.
2. Distance to structures. A tree that can fall freely is cheap to drop. A tree closer to your house than its own height must come down in pieces, each one rigged and lowered. Overhanging a roof adds 30 to 50 percent versus open ground.
3. Tree condition. Counterintuitive but true: a dead tree usually costs more, not less. Brittle, decayed wood is unpredictable under load, so crews rig conservatively and work slower. A tree that’s already on the ground is the opposite case, typically 40 to 60 percent of standing-removal cost, since you’re paying for cutting and hauling only.
4. Access. Knoxville’s older neighborhoods (Bearden, Sequoyah Hills, Fourth and Gill) mean narrow drives, mature landscaping, and backyards no truck can reach. If equipment can’t get close, wood gets carried out by hand, and hours add up. Newer subdivisions with tight lot lines in Farragut and Hardin Valley have the same problem for different reasons.
5. Power lines. If lines run through the canopy, KUB (865-524-2911) handles clearance around its lines before any crew touches the tree. Line-adjacent jobs price higher because of the added coordination and risk.
6. Cleanup and hauling. Most quotes include chipping and cleanup, but confirm what happens to the wood: chips left as mulch, logs stacked at the curb, or everything hauled off. Full haul-off can add $100 to $300 on a big tree.
7. Season and demand. After a major storm, every crew in Knox County is booked and emergency pricing applies. Late fall and winter are the slow season, and it’s the best time to schedule non-urgent removals.

How the math plays out: three typical jobs

These are illustrative scenarios using the ranges above, not quotes.

• 35-foot Bradford pear, open backyard, healthy: felled mostly whole, chipped on site. With the stump ground afterward: roughly $450 to $700 all-in.
• 55-foot maple overhanging the garage, healthy: sectional dismantling with rigging, half a day for a crew of four. Around $900 to $1,400. Add $150 to $300 for the stump.
• 75-foot dead pine between house and fence: conservative rigging because of brittle wood, possible crane assist. $1,600 to $2,800 depending on access. This is the job you don’t wait on; dead pines shed limbs without warning.

Somewhere in the middle of reading this, you might just want the number for your own yard. Fair enough: estimates are free and written, and there’s no obligation. Call (865) 500-6459 or request one online.

What about per-foot pricing?

Some companies quote by the foot, and it’s a decent sanity check even though real quotes are built job by job. Working backward from Knoxville’s typical ranges, removal runs roughly $8 to $15 per foot for straightforward small and medium trees and $20 to $35+ per foot for large, tight-access, or crane-assisted jobs. If a per-foot quote lands far outside that math, ask why.

Stump grinding and other add-ons

Removal quotes usually end at a flush-cut stump. Grinding is a separate line item:

Add-on	Typical cost
Stump grinding (first stump)	$100 - $400, by diameter
Each additional stump, same visit	$50 - $150
Full stump/root-ball excavation	Quoted per job; see our stump grinding page
Log haul-off (beyond curb stacking)	$100 - $300 on larger jobs

Bundling matters: grinding scheduled with the removal is cheaper than a separate visit, and multi-stump discounts are standard.

Emergency and storm pricing

Emergency rates in Knoxville typically run 30 to 50 percent above standard pricing, and major storm events push higher because demand outstrips crews for days. A tree on a structure with crane work can run several thousand dollars. Two things soften the blow: homeowners insurance often covers removal when a tree hits a covered structure (our insurance guide covers what qualifies), and emergency crews document everything your adjuster needs.

Can you get a tree removed cheap or free?

Honest answers to the versions of this question people actually search:

• “Someone will take it down for the firewood.” This mostly doesn’t happen anymore. Standing-tree removal is skilled, insured work; the wood is worth far less than the labor. Anyone offering free removal for wood is usually uninsured, and an uninsured accident on your property becomes your problem.
• KUB removes trees for free, right? KUB clears vegetation around its lines for reliability. It does not remove your trees for you, and its crews stop at line clearance.
• Insurance: genuinely does cover some removals after storm damage to structures. See the insurance guide.
• The real ways to pay less: schedule in late fall or winter, bundle multiple trees or stumps into one visit, keep the chips as mulch and skip haul-off, and get two or three written quotes. Cheap-quote outliers are usually missing insurance or cleanup; the checklist below catches that.

Before you accept any quote, confirm in writing: general liability insurance and workers’ comp (ask for certificates), exactly what cleanup is included, whether the stump is included, and who owns storm-damage documentation if insurance is involved.

The bottom line

Budget $600 to $1,200 for a typical Knoxville tree removal, less for small ornamentals, more for big wood near structures. Run your specifics through the cost calculator for a planning range, check the permit guide if your situation is unusual, and then get the number that actually counts: a free written estimate from a licensed, insured tree removal crew that has stood in your yard and looked up. Call (865) 500-6459.