Indicative ranges
These figures come from what this business has published about Illawarra pricing. They are ranges, not quotes — every job is priced on site after somebody has actually looked at the access.
| Job | Indicative range | What puts you at the top of it |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree, open access, under about 6m | $400 – $900 | Proximity to a fence, structure or power service |
| Medium tree, driveway or side access | $900 – $2,500 | Climbing required, target zone under the tree |
| Large tree, good access | $2,500 – $4,500 | Size, hardwood density, volume of timber to cart |
| Large tree, no rear access, steep block | $4,500 – $7,500 | Hand carry up stairs, rigging every piece |
| Crane-assisted lift over a house | add $5,000 – $6,000 | Street closure, traffic control, crane positioning |
| Stump grinding, per stump | $150 – $600 | Diameter, hardwood, narrow gate, slope |
| Emergency storm call-out | quoted on attendance | Time of day, load on the tree, power lines nearby |
Multiple trees in the one visit cost less each than the same trees done separately, because mobilisation, set-up and the chipper are paid for once.
The six things that decide the number
Access. The single biggest factor in the Illawarra and the one most often underestimated. Can a chipper and a truck get within a hose length of the tree, or does every piece of timber travel by hand up forty steps from a benched block? The escarpment suburbs generate most of the expensive quotes in the region for exactly this reason.
Size, and specifically mass. Height gets people's attention but weight does the work. A short, thick, dense hardwood stem holds far more tonnes than a tall skinny one, and every tonne has to be cut, moved and disposed of.
What is underneath. A tree over an open paddock is a different job from the same tree over a tile roof, a pool, a glasshouse or a neighbour's colorbond fence. The target zone decides whether pieces can be dropped or have to be rigged and lowered under control, and rigging is slow.
Condition. A sound tree can be climbed. A tree with decay in the stem, a torn union or significant deadwood cannot be safely climbed at all, so it needs an elevated work platform or a crane. Dead and dangerous trees usually cost more than live ones, which surprises people.
Species and waste. Some timber chips well and finds a use. Some does not. Camphor laurel makes poor mulch and poor firewood, so it becomes disposal cost rather than a by-product. Good hardwood can offset the bill slightly if you want it left as firewood.
Council and paperwork. A tree works application, and an arborist report where a significant tree is involved, both take time and money before anyone starts. The approval guide explains where those thresholds sit.
What should be in a written quote
Which trees, identified unambiguously. Whether the stump is included and to what depth. What happens to the brush and to the hardwood. Whether green waste is carted or left. Who is arranging council approval. Public liability insurance details. A date, and what happens if the weather moves it.
Anything left out of that list is a dispute waiting to happen.
Where money is genuinely saved
Book planned work between April and September, when crews are not tied up on storm call-outs. Group trees into one visit. Keep the hardwood if you burn wood. Clear the access yourself — moving pot plants, opening the gate, shifting the cars — because crew time spent doing that is crew time you are paying for.
And deal with things early. A dead limb removed during routine pruning in winter costs a fraction of the same limb removed from your roof in February. Ring (02) 4210 5885 for a free quote, or read the full service list first.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the range for tree removal so wide?
Because access varies more than trees do. A ten-metre gum on a flat front lawn next to a driveway can be dropped, chipped at the kerb and finished in a morning by two people. The same tree behind a house on a benched escarpment block, with stairs and a retaining wall, has to be climbed, rigged, lowered piece by piece and carried out by hand. That is days, not hours.
Is a crane really cheaper sometimes?
Occasionally, yes. A crane day rate is significant, but it can convert three days of hand carrying into six hours of lifting sections over the roof to a truck on the street. On large trees behind houses with no rear access it sometimes comes out lower than the labour-intensive alternative, and it is almost always safer. Ask for both to be priced.
Should I just take the cheapest quote?
Compare what is actually in each one first. Cheap quotes are usually cheap because something is excluded — the stump, the timber, the brush removal, the permit, or public liability insurance. A quote that is thirty per cent below the others on the same scope is a question to ask, not a bargain to grab.
Does the council permit cost extra?
Councils charge their own fee for tree works applications and the amount varies between Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama. Where a significant tree is involved an independent arborist report may also be required, which is a separate cost again. Ask whether the quote includes arranging the application or whether that is left to you.