Tree Removal Cost in Melbourne (2026)
Melbourne's big established trees and council protection overlays shape what a removal costs.
Your tree removal details
Below the typical range for this service.
Ask to see the contractor's public liability certificate and confirm it covers tree work specifically. Standard landscaping cover often excludes dismantling, which is exactly the part that damages roofs.
If you have several trees, get them done in one visit. The crew's mobilisation, chipper hire and travel are charged once, so tree two and three are usually 20 to 30 per cent cheaper than the first.
Where the money goes
Estimated breakdown for your configuration
💰 Ways to save
- Keep the mulch. Most crews charge a few hundred dollars to cart green waste away, but they will happily blow the chip into a pile on your property instead, which saves the tip fee and gives you free garden mulch. If you have nowhere to put it, ask the arborist whether a neighbour wants it, because a full chipper load is worth real money at a garden supplier.
- Book outside storm season. Demand for arborists spikes after every east coast low and summer storm front, and emergency callout rates run 50 to 100 per cent above scheduled work. A tree you know is coming down in autumn should be quoted in late winter when crews are chasing work.
- Separate the stump decision from the removal. Grinding is charged as its own line, usually $100 to $400 depending on diameter, and if you are not replanting or paving over that spot immediately you can defer it. Just make sure the quote states the stump height left behind, because a 600mm stub is far harder to grind later than a flush cut.
- Prune rather than remove where the problem is light or gutters. A structural prune or crown thin often costs a third of a full removal, keeps the shade and, importantly, avoids the council permit process entirely in most areas for minor works.
How we estimate this
## What tree removal costs in Australia in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
What a tree removal costs in Melbourne
Melbourne's leafy inner and middle suburbs are full of large mature exotics, elms, oaks and planes, and removing a big, established tree is a major job: more climbing, bigger equipment and far more green waste than a small suburban tree, so size is the dominant cost factor here. Wind-drop and limb-failure risk on these large trees also drives a steady stream of removals and major pruning.
Many Melbourne councils apply tree-protection overlays and local laws that require a permit to remove or even significantly prune a protected or significant tree, and starting without one risks a fine, so the approval is part of the job. The deep pool of arborists keeps planned work competitive, but the combination of large trees and council controls means a Melbourne removal is as much about permits and size as about the hourly rate.
Compare against the national picture: Tree Removal Cost in Australia →
Tree Removal Cost in other cities
Frequently asked questions
How much does tree removal cost in Australia?
Typically $600 to $6,000 in 2026 for a residential job. A small tree under five metres in an open yard runs $400 to $900, a medium 5m to 10m tree $1,000 to $2,500, and a large 10m to 20m tree $2,500 to $5,000. Very large removals over 20 metres, or anything needing a crane, commonly exceed $8,000.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree?
In most cases yes. Almost all Australian councils have a Tree Preservation Order or vegetation control that protects trees above a set height, usually three to five metres, or above a set trunk circumference. Applications typically cost $100 to $400, take two to eight weeks, and often need an AQF Level 5 arborist report at $400 to $800. Removing a protected tree without consent attracts fines that can run into six figures.
How much does stump grinding cost?
Between $100 and $400 for most residential stumps, priced on trunk diameter, and it is almost always a separate line from the removal. Grinding takes the stump 200 to 300mm below grade, which suits turf or garden. If you are paving, pouring concrete or building over the spot you need full root ball excavation instead, at roughly $700 to $1,500 plus imported fill.
Why is a tree near powerlines more expensive?
Work within three metres of live conductors must be carried out by an accredited utility arborist, and the network operator generally has to be notified or the line de-energised for the works window. That accreditation, the outage booking and often traffic management push these jobs 50 to 80 per cent above an identical tree standing in open lawn.
Is it cheaper to remove several trees at once?
Yes, noticeably. Mobilisation, chipper and grinder hire, travel and disposal runs are charged largely once per visit, so the second and third tree typically come in 20 to 30 per cent below what they would cost as standalone jobs. If you know three trees are coming out over the next two years, doing them in one booking is the single easiest saving available.
Does the quote include removing the branches and mulch?
Not always. Some arborists include chipping and cartage in the headline figure, others quote removal only and charge $200 to $400 to take the green waste away. Ask specifically. If you have somewhere to put it, having the chip blown onto your property instead saves the tip fee and gives you several cubic metres of free mulch.