Skip to content
TreeRemovalServices.net
Arborist cutting through a standing trunk with sawdust spraying

Tree services

Tree cutting services

Tree cutting is the work of bringing a tree down safely. With open space, a tree can be felled in one piece using a notch and a hinge of wood that steers its fall. Near houses, fences or lines, it's cut down in sections from the top, with heavy pieces lowered on ropes. Choosing the method is the most important decision in the job.

Call for tree service

By calling, you agree that your call may be recorded and routed to an independent local tree-service provider, who may call or text you back about your request. Calling is free and does not obligate you to hire anyone. See our Privacy Policy.

Who needs tree cutting

Bringing a tree down safely: felled in one piece or cut down in sections.

Often needed with: tree removal, large tree removal, stump grinding & removal, emergency tree cutting.

Call and we'll connect you with a tree-service provider for tree cutting in your area.

Call for tree service

What to confirm in a tree cutting quote

Quotes differ mostly in what they include. Ask each provider to put these in writing so you can compare like for like:

  • Felled in one piece or taken down in sections, and why
  • What's protected under the tree
  • Wood: cut to firewood length and left, or hauled
  • Brush chipped or hauled
  • Whether stump grinding is included

Last updated

When a tree needs cutting down

  • The tree is dead, dying or structurally unsound and has to come down.
  • It's too close to a house, foundation or septic system.
  • You're clearing room for a building, driveway or garden.
  • A tree is leaning more each year toward something it could hit.
  • You need a tree cut down and left as logs or firewood rather than fully hauled.

How a tree is cut down

  1. 1

    Plan the fall or the drops

    The crew reads the lean, wind, defects and targets, and decides whether to fell or dismantle.

  2. 2

    Clear the work zone

    People, vehicles and anything movable are kept out of the area the tree or its pieces could reach.

  3. 3

    Cut

    For felling, a face notch and back cut leave a hinge that steers the tree; for dismantling, limbs and trunk sections are cut and lowered on ropes.

  4. 4

    Buck the wood

    The trunk and big limbs are cut into lengths you can use as firewood or that can be hauled.

  5. 5

    Clean up as agreed

    Brush is chipped or hauled and wood is stacked or removed, depending on the quote.

Felling vs. cutting in sections

Felling brings the tree down in one piece. The cutter makes a face notch on the side the tree should fall toward and a back cut from the other side, leaving a strip of uncut wood called the hinge that steers the fall. It's fast and economical, but only where there's a clear landing zone longer than the tree is tall.

Sectional dismantling takes the tree apart from the top: limbs first, then the trunk in short lengths. Pieces are lowered on ropes through blocks and friction devices, or lifted out by crane. It's slower, but it's how trees next to houses, fences and lines are cut down.

Why DIY tree cutting goes wrong

The most serious accidents happen at the stump: a tree that falls the wrong way because of lean or a bad hinge, a trunk that splits upward during the back cut (a barber chair), or a saw that kicks back. Trees with lean, decay or storm tension make every one of those more likely.

Professional crews work to the ANSI Z133 safety standard, wear cut-resistant gear, and plan escape routes before cutting. If the tree could reach anything you care about, it's a job for them.

Getting the site ready

Safe for a homeowner

  • Keep everyone back at least twice the tree's height while it's being cut.
  • Move cars and outdoor furniture out of the area before the crew arrives.
  • Decide ahead of time whether you want to keep the wood.

Leave these to professionals

  • Don't cut a tree that's leaning toward a house, line or road yourself.
  • Don't cut trees that are bent or pinned under tension after a storm; they can spring back violently.
  • Don't work within 10 feet of power lines; only qualified line-clearance workers can.

What it costs to cut a tree down

What it costs to cut a tree down depends mostly on whether it can be felled or must be dismantled:

  • Whether the tree can be felled or must be dismantled
  • Height and trunk diameter
  • Targets under and around it
  • Access for equipment such as lifts or cranes
  • Whether you keep the wood or want everything hauled
  • Stump grinding, if you want it done the same day

Keeping the wood

Asking the crew to leave the wood can lower the bill. Specify the length you want (firewood rounds, or longer logs if you'll split them yourself) and where it should be stacked.

Don't move firewood long distances. Invasive pests such as emerald ash borer travel in firewood, and many states restrict moving it.

Tree cutting questions

What's the difference between tree cutting and tree removal?

Tree cutting is bringing the tree down. Tree removal usually means the whole service: cutting, hauling the wood and brush, cleanup and often stump grinding. Ask what's included so you can compare bids.

How much room do you need to fell a tree in one piece?

A clear landing zone longer than the tree is tall in the planned direction, plus room to the sides for the crown and a clear escape path for the cutter. If that space doesn't exist, the tree is taken down in sections.

Is it safe to fell a small tree on my own?

Small trees in open ground, maybe, with proper protective gear and chainsaw skills. Anything near a structure, leaning, damaged, or over about the height of a one-story house is where DIY cutting most often goes wrong.

What is a barber chair?

A dangerous failure where the trunk splits vertically during the back cut and the butt kicks up or out toward the cutter. It's most likely on leaning trees and is prevented with the right cutting technique.

Can I keep the wood from my tree?

Yes. Ask the crew to cut the trunk and big limbs to firewood length and leave them stacked; it often reduces the price because there's less to haul.

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?

In many cities, yes, for trees above a certain trunk size or for protected species. Rules vary widely, so check the local rules before cutting. See tree removal permits.

What's the best time of year to cut a tree down?

Dormant season is often easier: no leaves add weight, and frozen or dry ground is less damaged by equipment. For red oaks in oak wilt areas, avoid cutting and wounding in spring and early summer when the disease spreads.

Will cutting a tree leave a stump?

Yes. Cutters leave a stump a few inches high unless it's ground or removed afterward. Stump grinding is usually quoted separately.

Is cutting limbs off a tree the same as tree cutting?

Cutting off limbs to keep the tree is pruning or trimming, which follows different rules about where and how much to cut so the tree stays healthy.

What tree cutting can include

Assessment
What the tree could hit, its condition, and access.
Job planning
Whether it can be felled or must come down in sections.
Sectional removal and rigging
Limbs and trunk lowered on ropes near buildings.
Crane work when needed
For big or decayed trees over structures.
Brush and debris cleanup
Chipping branches and raking the work area.
Wood hauling or leaving rounds
Agree in advance which you want.
Stump options
Grinding is usually a separate line item.
Property protection
Mats, plywood or careful drops to protect lawns and drives.

Before you call about tree cutting

These answers let a provider tell you on the first call what the job involves and roughly how it'll be done.

Height and trunk width
Taller than the house?
Space around it
Room to fell, or tight?
What it could hit
House, fence, lines, neighbor
Lean and condition
Dead, leaning, damaged?
The wood
Keep it or haul it

Safety and permission checks

  • Power lines: stay at least 10 feet from overhead lines (OSHA's minimum distance for unqualified workers) and call the utility; only line-clearance-qualified tree workers cut closer.
  • Underground lines: call 811 a few days before stump grinding or digging so buried utilities are marked for free.
  • Permits: ask the city or county before removing or heavily pruning a large tree; protected-tree sizes and street-tree rules vary by place.
  • Who is responsible: a tree on your lot is usually yours, street (right-of-way) trees are usually the city's, and trees on lines are the utility's to clear.
  • Doing it yourself: picking up small fallen limbs is a homeowner job; chainsaw work off a ladder, near lines or on anything that could hit a building is not.

Have your answers ready? Call and we'll connect you with a provider serving your area.

Call for tree service

How getting tree cutting works

  1. 1

    Tell us what's happening

    Call and describe the tree, where it is and how urgent it is.

  2. 2

    Get connected

    Your call goes to an independent tree-service provider serving your area.

  3. 3

    The tree is assessed

    The provider looks at the tree, what's around it, and access for equipment.

  4. 4

    Scope and price are discussed

    You get the plan and price directly from the provider, before any work.

  5. 5

    You decide

    There's no obligation; you choose whether and when to go ahead.

TreeRemovalServices.net is a referral service and doesn't perform tree work. How it works

Related tree services

Tell us what's happening and we'll connect you with a tree-service provider serving your area.

Call for tree service

Why these services go together

Before a tree is cut down

Tree Cutting by location

By state (51)
By city (57)
By county (14)
By town and neighborhood (8)

Need help with a tree?

Call to speak with a local tree-service provider about removal, trimming, stumps or storm damage. Describe the tree and what it's near, and they'll explain the next step.

Call for tree service

By calling, you agree that your call may be recorded and routed to an independent local tree-service provider, who may call or text you back about your request. Calling is free and does not obligate you to hire anyone. See our Privacy Policy.

Emergency help Call now