Branchline 02 7 min read Guide
What tree removal really costs in the Northern Rivers
What moves the price of a tree job up or down, what an itemised quote should include, and why the cheapest quote is rarely the real number.
Short answer: An itemised tree job in the Northern Rivers usually sits between $800 and $5,000, with $1,500 to $2,500 typical for a medium tree near a house. The price is driven by access, weight, what is below the canopy, and whether the stump and green waste are in or out of the number. Quotes outside this range are not wrong, but they should be itemised so you can see why.
What moves the price up or down
A tree in an open paddock with a clear drop zone is a small job. The same tree, the same height, against a colourbond fence with a tile roof on one side and a neighbour's pool on the other, is not the same job. Below the canopy is what we are quoting, more than the tree itself.
Get an honest quote in three steps
- Send us 4 photos: the tree from 10 metres back, the base, the canopy looking up, and what is underneath it (fence, roof, pool, power line, neighbour).
- Tell us if you have noticed it leaning, dropping limbs, or after a storm. Hollow timber changes the plan.
- Book a 20-minute on-site assessment. The written quote follows within one business day, line by line, with what is and is not included spelt out.
The six lines an itemised quote should show
If the quote is one number, you cannot tell what was assumed. If it is six lines, you can. Here is the standard shape for a tree job in the Northern Rivers.
$800 to $2,500
medium tree, near fence, clear drop zone. Includes climbing, removal, stump grinding, cleanup.
Branchline itemised quote range, indicative
$3,000 to $8,000
large tree near building or power line, tight access, sectional dismantle required.
Branchline itemised quote range, indicative
$150 to $800
council application fee plus arborist report, where required. Quoted as a separate line, never bundled.
Typical Northern Rivers council fees, varies
Indicative ranges for the Northern Rivers. The on-site assessment confirms the actual number for your address and tree.
Red flag
A quote that bundles everything into one round number, with "removal" as the only line, and
asks for cash on the day. When the stump turns out not to be included, or the truck is too
small for the green waste, the day-of price is usually 40 to 60 per cent higher than the
quote.
Watch for
A quote noticeably below the others can be legitimate (smaller overheads, owner climbing,
quiet week). Or it can be missing a line. Ask the cheap quote to itemise on the same six
lines as the others, and compare like for like.
Bundled quote vs itemised quote, side by side
Bundled quote
Itemised quote
"Tree removal: $1,200." One line.
Six lines: assessment, council fee, removal, stump, cleanup, traffic management.
Stump is "extra if you want it done".
Stump grinding is a named line with its own price.
Green waste is "extra if the truck cannot take it all".
Green-waste removal and disposal fee is named.
No mention of council fees or arborist report.
If a permit or report is required, it is a separate quoted line.
GST is "included" but no GST receipt issued.
GST invoice with ABN, payable after sign-off.
When the cheapest quote is the right one
Sometimes it is. A small owner-operator with low overheads, a quiet week, and a job they can finish before lunch will quote below a large company every time. That is fine. What you check is not the price, it is whether the six lines are there, whether the qualification is current, and whether the insurance certificate has arrived in your inbox before the day. If those three are right, take the saving.
Common questions
How much does tree removal cost in the Northern Rivers?
A small tree in an open yard is typically a few hundred dollars. A medium tree near a fence is usually $800 to $2,500. A large tree near a building, with tight access or a power line nearby, can be $3,000 to $8,000 or more. The honest range exists because the price is set by access, weight, where it has to be lowered, and what has to be protected on the way down.
Why is one quote so much cheaper than another?
Usually one of three reasons. The cheap quote excludes the stump, the cleanup, or the green waste removal (so the day-of invoice is higher). The contractor is uninsured or uses an unqualified climber (so the saving is your risk). Or the cheap quote does not include the council application fee and the arborist report when one is needed. An itemised quote shows you which it is.
What should be itemised on a tree quote?
Six lines, at minimum: site assessment and report (if required), council application fee (if required), tree removal itself, stump grinding, green-waste cleanup and disposal, and any traffic-control or council notification for a road-adjacent job. If two of those six are not on the quote, you do not have a quote, you have a starting number.