Free tree service estimate template (removal, trimming, stumps)

A fill-in estimate for residential tree work: removals, trimming and pruning, stump grinding, cleanup, and haul-away, with your pricing basis written on it. It has lines for each tree, for what happens to the wood and debris, for equipment like a crane or bucket truck, and for storm work. Type it in on this page, then print it or save it as a PDF to send. The gray hints in each line are only suggestions and don't print.

Nothing leaves your device. Everything you type into the estimate stays in this browser tab. It isn't uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere, so refreshing or closing the page clears it. Save as PDF before you close it.

Trees near power lines are a different job. Don't quote, climb, or cut a tree that's touching or close to a power line unless you're qualified and trained for line-clearance work. Tell the customer to contact their electric utility first; trees near lines are handled by the utility or by qualified line-clearance crews. OSHA's tree care industry page covers tree work hazards, including electricity, falls, and falling objects. This page is about writing the estimate. It doesn't give instructions for doing any tree work.

What a tree service estimate should spell out

"Take down the big oak" leaves a lot open: which tree, how it comes down, whether the stump goes, and who keeps the wood. Writing those down keeps quotes comparable and avoids an argument after the job. A few habits help:

• State your pricing basis. Say on the estimate whether you price per tree, by tree size or height, by the hour for the crew (with how many people and what equipment the rate covers), or as one job price. If you mix them, say which line uses which.
• One line per tree, and say which tree. Describe each tree so there's no mix-up on the day: where it is (for example "back left corner, by the shed"), the kind of tree if you know it, and the rough height or trunk size as you judged it on site. If the customer can mark the trees (for example with ribbon), say so.
• Removal vs. trimming vs. pruning. For a removal, say whether it's cut down to a stump and how high the stump is left. For trimming or pruning, write what you'll do in plain words (for example remove dead branches, raise the canopy over the driveway, or cut back limbs from the roof) instead of just "trim tree."
• Stump grinding on its own line. Say whether stumps are included. If you grind, put it on its own line per stump and say what's left: the grindings left in the hole, spread, or hauled away, and whether surface roots are included. Say that grinding isn't included unless it's on a line.
• Debris: haul-away or chipping. Say what happens to branches and brush: chipped and hauled away, chips left on site (and where), or the brush stacked for the customer. Put haul-away or dump fees on their own line, or say they're included.
• Wood left on site vs. removed. Say whether the trunk wood is hauled away, cut to firewood lengths and left (and where it's stacked), or left in large rounds. Say it plainly so nobody is surprised on the day.
• Crane, bucket truck, or other equipment. If the job needs a crane, a bucket truck, or another machine you rent or bring in, put it on its own line and say what it's for. If the price depends on whether the equipment can reach the tree, say so.
• Access, structures, and hazards. Write down what's near the tree: the house, a fence, a shed, a pool, a septic area, a driveway, or a neighbor's yard, and how you'll get equipment in (for example through a gate, or carried by hand). Say what you'll protect (for example laying mats or plywood on the lawn) and that the customer moves cars, furniture, and anything breakable out of the work area.
• Power lines: stop and refer. Say that any tree or limb touching or close to a power line, including the service line to the house, is excluded from this estimate and goes to the electric utility or a qualified line-clearance crew. Don't price work you aren't qualified to do.
• Stop and price what you can't see yet. Say you'll stop, show the customer, and price it as a change before going on if you find rot or a hollow trunk that changes how the tree has to come down, metal (for example nails, wire, or an old fence) in the wood, hidden wasp or bee nests, or roots tangled in a fence, foundation, or underground line.
• Emergency and storm work. If you charge a different rate for storm cleanup, after-hours calls, or a tree that's already down on a roof, car, or fence, write that rate on its own line, and say whether the estimate covers only making the area safe or the full cleanup.
• Permits, HOA approval, and protected trees. Some cities, counties, and HOAs require a permit or approval before removing certain trees. Say who checks and gets it (usually the owner, unless you've agreed to handle it), and put any fee you handle on its own line.
• Call 811 before grinding stumps. Say that buried utility lines will be marked before you grind or dig. 811 is the free national before-you-dig service: contact 811 or your state 811 center's website a few business days ahead, and wait until the utilities have marked their lines; see call811.com. Also ask the customer where private lines run (for example sprinklers, lighting, or a line to a shed), since those may not be marked.
• Valid-until date, deposit, and payment terms. How long the price holds, any deposit to schedule the job or book equipment, when the balance is due, and how you take payment, including your own payment link if you use one. See how to ask for a deposit for wording.

For the longer walk-through (scope wording, exclusions, change orders, sign-off), see how to write a contractor estimate.

This is a general template, not legal, insurance, or safety advice. Licensing, insurance, and permit rules for tree work vary by state, county, and city, and a customer may ask to see proof of insurance before tree work starts. Check your local rules and your insurance before you quote, and put anything the job needs on its own line.

Your estimate

Job done? Use the free printable invoice template to bill for it. Need a plain version without tree service hints? Use the general estimate template. Replanting or redoing the beds after a removal? Use the landscaping estimate template. Offering mowing and upkeep too? Use the lawn care estimate template. Replacing a fence section a tree took out? Use the fence estimate template. Clearing a yard of more than branches? Use the junk removal estimate template.

Doing this from your phone

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