What Tree Removal Costs in Lubbock (2026)
Updated 2026-10 · Lubbock, TX
The broad ranges
Tree removal is priced per job, not per foot, and the people quoting it are pricing risk and time as much as wood. With that caveat, here is roughly where Lubbock estimates land for residential work. These are broad figures for what local companies generally quote, not a price list, and we do not set or take a share of any of them.
- Small tree, under about 25 feet, in open ground: commonly $250 to $700
- Medium tree, 25 to 50 feet, some obstacles: commonly $700 to $1,800
- Large or mature tree over a house, fence or line, climbed and lowered in sections: commonly $1,800 to $4,000
- Very large, dead or dangerous trees needing a crane: above that, sometimes well above
- Stump grinding: usually extra, often from about $100 to $350 for a typical stump
A number well outside those ranges is worth a question in either direction. A very low price usually means something has been left out, most often hauling or insurance.
What actually moves the price
What is underneath it
The single biggest factor. A 40-foot elm in the middle of a back lawn can be felled or taken down in a few big pieces. The same elm leaning over the roof with the alley power line behind it has to be climbed, and every limb tied off and lowered. That is hours of skilled rope work, and it is where most of a big estimate goes.
Access
Lubbock has a quiet advantage here: a lot of homes back onto an alley. If a truck and chipper can work from the alley, brush goes straight in the chipper. If everything has to be carried through a side gate and across the front lawn, the labour doubles. Narrow, unpaved or blocked alleys count against you.
Condition of the tree
A dead tree is not cheaper to remove. Dry, brittle wood is harder to climb safely, rigging points are less reliable, and a dead Siberian elm or pine can mean the crew uses a lift or a crane instead of a climber. Rot inside the trunk found halfway through the job can change the plan.
Species and wood
Cottonwood is soft but very large and heavy with water. Pecan and oak are dense and slow to cut and chip. Elm is stringy and hard on chipper blades. These matter less than access, but they show up in the time.
How much is cleared away
Hauling every log and all the brush is a real cost: someone has to drive it to a disposal site and pay to drop it. Leaving logs cut to firewood length, or leaving the chips, can take something off.
What should be itemised
Ask for the estimate in writing with the parts listed. If it is one number with no detail, you cannot compare it to another estimate, and you cannot tell what was left out until the crew leaves.
- Removal of the tree down to a stated stump height
- Hauling: all wood and brush, or brush only with logs left
- Stump grinding, with depth, and whether the chips are removed
- Any crane, lift or traffic control, priced as its own line
- Repairs: who pays for a fence panel or sprinkler head if one is damaged
Storm and emergency pricing
After a big wind or ice event, prices go up, and for a real reason: a tree on a house with a trunk under tension is more dangerous and slower than the same tree standing, and every crew in town is working long days. Where the price goes up is fair. Being asked for full payment before any work starts is not. Photograph the damage first and check what your homeowner's policy pays for tree removal before you agree.
Ways to bring the cost down
- Get the work done before it becomes a storm job. A dead tree removed in a calm week costs less than the same tree pulled off a roof
- Have several trees, and any stumps, priced at once
- Ask whether the price drops if you keep the logs or the chips
- Book late fall or winter, when many companies have more room on the calendar
- Clear cars, furniture and anything fragile out of the drop zone before the crew arrives
Want a real number rather than a range? Call for a free estimate. A local tree company will look at the tree and put the price, and what it includes, in writing.
Where to go next
Common questions
Why will nobody give me a price over the phone?
Because the price depends on what is under and around the tree and how a truck gets to it, and none of that can be judged from a description. A photo helps get a rough idea. A firm number needs someone to stand in the yard.
Is a dead tree cheaper to take down?
Usually not. Dead wood is brittle and less safe to climb, which can mean more rigging or a lift. Dead trees also get worse the longer they stand.
Should I pay a deposit?
A modest deposit for a large job is normal. Full payment before any work starts is not, and is the most common sign of a door-to-door storm crew.