The short answer
In Port St. Lucie in 2026, removing a tree costs between about $300 and $6,500. A small palm or ornamental in the open is $300 to $750. A medium oak or pine, 25 to 50 feet, with room to drop it is $700 to $1,600. A large laurel oak or slash pine, 50 to 70 feet, near the house, cage or canal is $1,600 to $3,600 rigged down in sections. Trees that need a crane — over the roof, on a tight lot, or too rotten to climb — run $2,500 to $6,500. Stump grinding adds $75 to $600.
Prices by size
| Tree | 2026 price | What's typical |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree or palm, under 25 ft, open access | $300 – $750 | Queen palm, crape myrtle, small pine |
| Medium tree, 25–50 ft, room to drop | $700 – $1,600 | Laurel oak, pine, magnolia in an open yard |
| Large tree, 50–70 ft, near structures | $1,600 – $3,600 | Oak over the driveway, cage or seawall, rigged |
| Very large or over the house | $2,500 – $6,500 | Crane-assisted |
| Tall Washingtonia palm, 40–60 ft | $800 – $2,800 | Higher over a roof |
| Stump grinding | $75 – $600 | Per stump, by diameter |
| Permit (when required) | Usually not needed | Most single-family yard trees are exempt in PSL |
What moves the price
What's under it. A tree that can be felled in one piece is a two-hour job. The same tree over a roof, a pool enclosure, a fence, a neighbor's driveway or a canal seawall has to come down in fifty pieces on ropes, or by crane, and that's a day. This is the single biggest factor in Port St. Lucie, where GDC platted the lots close together and most big oaks are twenty feet from the house.
Species and condition. Laurel oaks are heavy and often hollow, which makes them slower and riskier to climb than a pine of the same height. A dead tree can't be climbed safely and goes to the crane. Palms are quick unless they're tall.
Access. Whether a bucket truck can reach the tree from the driveway, or the crew has to carry everything through a side gate to a canal-back yard, changes labor by half. Screened-cage back yards and seawall trees are the expensive case.
Cleanup and the stump. Chipping and hauling are included in our prices; some companies quote without them. The stump is always a separate line, and so is hauling a big trunk that won't chip.
Timing. Storm-day pricing is the same as any other day with us, but after-hours emergency dispatch carries a call-out fee. Non-urgent removals scheduled in the slower months are sometimes cheaper.
What a real quote includes
Ours lists the tree, the method (fell, rig or crane), chipping and hauling, the stump if you want it ground, any permit, and the total — good for 30 days, with the certificate of insurance attached. If a quote is one number on a business card, ask what's in it and whether they carry workers' comp.
Common questions
Why did I get quotes from $900 to $2,800 for the same tree?
Usually method and insurance. The low quote plans to drop it and hope, or has no workers' comp — which matters when a climber is hurt on your property. The high one may include a crane you don't need. Ask each company how they'll do it and for their certificate of insurance.
Is it cheaper to remove several trees at once?
Yes — 15 to 30 percent per tree, because the crew and equipment are already there. The same goes for neighbors scheduling together on the same street.
Does homeowners insurance pay for tree removal?
Only when the tree damaged a covered structure, and then usually with a cap. Preventive removal of a healthy or dying tree is not covered. See our insurance guide.
Can I save money by leaving the stump?
Yes, $75 to $600. A stump in a mulch bed is fine; one in the St. Augustine lawn will be a mower obstacle and sprout for years if it's an oak.
How much is a crane?
About $900 to $1,500 of the total for mobilization, but on big trees over the house it often replaces two days of rigging labor and comes out even or cheaper.
Related: Tree removal · Crane removal · Permit rules · Insurance guide