Tree service in Texas

The prices below are national HomeGuide figures with no Texas breakdown. They give you a range to hold Texas quotes against; the size of the tree, access for equipment and whether debris is hauled away move a quote within it.

What a Texas tree service quote should spell out

HomeGuide notes minimum job fees of $100 to $300 or more for trimming, so a small job can cost more per tree than a big one. Ask whether the quote includes hauling the wood and brush, grinding the stump and cleaning up the yard, since each can be priced separately.

Tree work is taxable in Texas. The Comptroller's real property services rule lists arborist services, tree removal, tree surgery, pruning and spraying as taxable landscaping, and says businesses providing those services must hold a sales tax permit and collect tax on their charges. Ask whether the quote includes sales tax so you compare like with like.

Texas A&M Forest Service says oaks shouldn't be pruned or wounded from February through June. Spring is when the fungus produces the most spore mats, sap-feeding insects are most numerous and oaks are most susceptible. The Forest Service says all oaks can get oak wilt.

The disease spreads in two steps. Red oaks that died of oak wilt the year before can grow spore mats under the bark; sap-feeding beetles visit those mats and then fly to a fresh wound on any oak and infect it. From there, the infection can pass to nearby oaks through grafted roots.

The Forest Service also says to paint or cover every wound on an oak, at any time of year, and that any kind of paint will do. Wounds don't only come from pruning: construction, lawnmowers, string trimmers and storms cause them too.

How widespread oak wilt is in Texas

In 2019 the Forest Service said oak wilt had killed millions of trees in more than 76 counties of Central, North and West Texas. That count dates from 2019. The Forest Service also said that, as of 2019, Austin, Lakeway, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Round Rock had municipal oak wilt programs with dedicated foresters. If you live in one of those cities, ask the city whether its program is still running before you plan oak work.

Ask any tree service you hire three things about oaks: whether it will prune between February and June, whether it paints every cut, and how it cleans tools between trees. A crew that will cut live oaks in April without paint is ignoring the state forestry agency's guidance.

Ask every company which licenses, registrations and credentials it holds, and check each one with whoever issued it. Which of them apply depends on the job and on your city.

Tree spraying and the TDA license

Spraying or treating trees for pests for hire falls under the Texas Department of Agriculture's structural pest control licensing, in the lawn and ornamental category. If a quote includes insecticide, fungicide or other treatment, look the company up in TDA's current license lists and confirm it holds that category. Our pest control guide explains the TDA lookup step by step.

City tree contractor licenses

Some cities license tree contractors themselves. San Antonio's tree ordinance fact sheet, stamped 2021, says a homeowner at a finished home can prune or remove trees without a city tree permit, but a contractor hired to do the work must hold a valid, city-issued Tree Maintenance License. Confirm the current rule with the city. Ask your own city whether it has a similar rule, and ask the company for its city license number where one applies.

The ISA Certified Arborist credential

ISA Certified Arborist is a credential from the International Society of Arboriculture, a professional body, rather than a government license. The program is accredited to the ISO 17024 standard for certification bodies, and certified arborists must follow ISA's Code of Ethics. The City of Austin, which doesn't assess private trees outside its permit reviews, suggests hiring a qualified private arborist and points residents to ISA's Find an Arborist tool.

Tree service insurance

Ask for a certificate of liability insurance, check the dates, and call the insurer listed on it to confirm the policy is active before the crew starts.

Tree permits are set city by city. The three examples below show how much the rules differ; they are those cities' rules only, so check your own city's code or call its arborist or permit office before you remove a large tree.

Austin protected and heritage trees

In Austin, a tree 19 inches or more in diameter, measured 4.5 feet above the ground, is a Protected tree, and removing it needs a city permit. A Heritage tree is 24 inches or more and one of the listed species, which include all oaks, pecan, cedar elm and bald cypress; removing one is prohibited except as the City Code allows. The city also says no more than 25% of the canopy of a regulated tree may be removed without a permit.

San Antonio significant and heritage trees

San Antonio's ordinance treats most trees as significant at 6 inches, larger species such as Ashe juniper, mesquite and hackberry at 10 inches, and small species at 5 inches. Heritage trees are 24 inches or more, or 12 inches for small species. It applies to private property in the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, about 5 miles beyond the city limits, and a tree permit or affidavit is needed before clearing, construction or tree removal there. The city's 2021 fact sheet adds that a homeowner at a finished home needs no tree permit, but a hired contractor needs a city Tree Maintenance License; confirm with the city.

Dallas single-family lot tree rules

Dallas's urban forest conservation rules don't apply to a lot under two acres with an existing single-family or duplex home. Other single-family lots and vacant lots need a tree removal application or building permit before trees come down. When a demolition permit for the house is submitted, the lot counts as vacant and its trees become protected from that date.

Tree limbs over the property line

The City of Austin says a neighbor's limbs over your property line are a civil matter between owners. It says owners typically may remove vegetation crossing their line but strongly encourages neighbors to agree a plan first. Talk to your neighbor before the crew arrives, and check any city tree permit rule that applies to the tree itself.

Texas Health and Safety Code §752.004 bars anyone from working, or bringing any tool, equipment or material, within six feet of a high-voltage overhead line unless safety arrangements have been made with the line's operator. Under §752.003, whoever is responsible for the work must notify the operator at least 48 hours before it begins, agree on safety measures such as de-energizing or barriers, and pay the operator's actual cost.

Ask any tree service quoting near lines how it handles that notice. If the answer is that it will just be careful, look elsewhere.

Oncor tree trimming rules

Utilities set their own trimming policies; Oncor's is one example for homes in its service area. Oncor says its crews trim near high-voltage lines between poles, that trimming from pole to pole must be done by Oncor, and that extra trimming for looks is the owner's job at the owner's expense. The service line from the pole to your house is the customer's responsibility: Oncor says to hire a private arborist and call 888-313-6862 to request a temporary disconnect, which carries a charge. To report a tree near lines that could be hazardous, call Oncor at the same number, and call 911 if there's fire or sparking. If another utility serves you, ask it for its rules.

Fallen tree cleanup after a storm

After storms, Oncor says it prunes only what's needed to restore power and won't remove trees, limbs or debris it didn't create. If a fallen tree doesn't affect power lines, cleanup is the property owner's responsibility. If a tree has hit your roof, see our roofers guide for the insurance claim and contract checks.

Get the job in writing before any cutting starts: which trees, how much comes off, whether the stump is ground, whether wood and brush are hauled away, and the total with tax. Ask what deposit, if any, is due before work, and plan to pay the balance once the cleanup is done.

If a seller comes to your home and you agree there to buy services over $25, Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601 generally lets you cancel by midnight of the third business day after you sign. That right doesn't cover work you book yourself by phone or online.

If a dispute doesn't resolve with the company, you can file a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General. The office says complaints are public under Texas law and that filing one doesn't mean it has opened a case.

1. Check your city's tree permit rules before removing a large tree.
2. For oaks, schedule pruning outside February through June and ask the crew to paint every cut.
3. Ask which licenses, registrations and credentials the company holds, and verify each with the issuer.
4. If the job includes spraying or treating trees, confirm a TDA lawn and ornamental license.
5. Get a certificate of liability insurance and confirm it with the insurer.
6. For work near power lines, ask how the company arranges the 48-hour notice to the line operator.
7. Get the scope, cleanup, stump grinding and total with sales tax in writing.
8. Talk to your neighbor before cutting limbs that cross the property line.

Read our terms of service for how the city lists are ordered. The ranking doesn't check licenses or insurance, so run these checks yourself.

Each city page lists local tree services with ratings, review counts and contact details, and the tree rules and checks that apply there.

Tree service in Dallas-Fort Worth

• Fort Worth
• Dallas
• McKinney
• Arlington
• Frisco
• Plano
• Weatherford
• Flower Mound
• Grand Prairie
• Mesquite

Tree service in North Texas and Texoma

• Wichita Falls

Tree service in Houston and the Gulf Coast

• Houston
• Katy

Tree service in Southeast Texas

• Beaumont

Tree service in East Texas

• Tyler
• Longview

Tree service in Austin and the Hill Country corridor

• Austin
• Cedar Park
• Wimberley
• Georgetown
• Round Rock

Tree service in Central Texas

• Waco

Tree service in San Antonio and the Hill Country

• San Antonio
• New Braunfels

Tree service in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley

• Corpus Christi

Tree service in West Texas

• Abilene
• El Paso
• San Angelo
• Midland

Tree service in Panhandle and South Plains

• Lubbock
• Amarillo