Tree removal in Stuart typically costs $250–$700 for a small tree in open ground and $1,800–$4,500 for a large one standing over a roof, pool cage or power line. We take trees down in controlled sections, haul every piece away and leave the ground raked, with stump grinding offered as its own line.
When a tree has to come out
Most of the trees we're called to remove are not dramatic. They're the laurel oak that has dropped two big limbs this year, the slash pine that went brown from the top down after a dry spring, or the ficus whose roots are lifting the driveway. A few are urgent: a fresh lean toward the house with the soil heaving on the opposite side, a split running down the trunk, or bark peeling off in sheets.
- Dead or dying. Brown needles that don't come back, bare limbs in summer, fungus at the root flare.
- Structurally unsound. Deep cracks, cavities, a co-dominant trunk splitting apart at the fork.
- Wrong tree, wrong place. Roots in the septic drain field, limbs in the service drop, a trunk against the foundation.
- Invasive species. Australian pine, Brazilian pepper and melaleuca spread fast in Martin County and are worth removing while they're small.
If a trim will fix the problem, we'll tell you. Tree trimming costs a fraction of a removal and a healthy shade tree is worth keeping.
How we take it down
Every removal starts on the ground. We look at which way the tree leans, where the weight is in the crown, what sits underneath and where the drop zone can safely be. Then we pick the method.
- Felled whole when there is clear open ground at least as long as the tree is tall. It's the quickest option and the cheapest.
- Sectioned with rigging when there isn't. Limbs and trunk rounds are cut, tied and lowered on ropes, one controlled piece at a time.
- Lifted out by crane when the tree is over a house or screen enclosure and too heavy or too hollow to climb safely.
Plywood or ground mats go down where the loader runs, so tracks don't rut a St. Augustine lawn that is soft after the afternoon rain. Brush goes straight into the chipper, and logs are cut to lengths we can load or that you can keep for firewood.
Permits in Stuart and Martin County
Whether a removal needs a permit depends on where the property sits (inside the City of Stuart or unincorporated Martin County), the size and species of the tree, and your HOA's own rules. Florida law also exempts a residential tree that an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect documents as a danger to people or property. We check which applies at the estimate and tell you what paperwork, if any, comes first.
Removal prices
| Tree | Estimated price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree, under about 30 ft | $250–$700 | Open lawn, truck can park close |
| Medium tree, 30–60 ft | $700–$1,800 | Whether it can be dropped whole or must be sectioned |
| Large tree, or one over a roof or pool cage | $1,800–$4,500 | Rigging time, a lift or crane, the drag to the chipper |
| Palm removal | $300–$1,200 | Height and whether the trunk can be felled in one piece |
Estimates only. A removal is priced after we've seen the tree, the access and what's under it. These ranges come from typical jobs around Stuart and are here to help you budget, not to quote from.
Every price we write includes chipping, hauling and raking. See prices for every service.
Removal questions
How do you take a tree down next to the house?
In pieces. A climber or lift works from the top down, tying off each limb and lowering it on a rope through a pulley set higher in the tree. The trunk comes down in short rounds. Nothing is allowed to free-fall toward a structure.
Can you remove a tree in the backyard if there's no gate access?
Usually. Most Stuart backyards have a side gate wide enough for a compact loader or a wheelbarrow line. Where there isn't one, we carry brush out by hand or, on bigger jobs, lift sections over the house with a crane. Access is part of the written price, so you know before we start.
Does tree removal include the stump?
Felling leaves a stump a few inches above the grass. Grinding it out is priced as a separate line on the estimate, at $75–$200 for an extra stump done the same day. About stump grinding.
Is a laurel oak worth keeping?
Laurel oaks grow fast and look good for decades, then often start to decay from the inside once they're mature. If yours has mushrooms at the base, cavities or large dead limbs in the crown, have it looked at. A live oak with the same symptoms often has more years left in it.
Related: stump grinding once the tree is down, emergency removal if it came down on its own, and lot clearing for more than a few trees.
Last reviewed October 8, 2026.