Why there are no dollar figures on this page
Plenty of tree sites publish a neat table of prices. We are not going to, because we cannot source honest Illawarra ranges we would stand behind, and a made-up number is worse than no number. What we can do is explain exactly what moves a quote, so that when three come in you can tell which one is realistic.
The factors that matter
| Factor | Why it changes the price | What to tell us up front |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Whether machinery can reach the tree, or whether every piece is carried to the street. The single biggest variable in this region. | Side gate width, driveway slope, whether a truck can park on the street |
| Height and spread | Taller means more climbing time and more rigging; a wide crown over a roof means more controlled lowering | Rough height against the house, and what is under the canopy |
| Trunk diameter | Volume of timber to cut, handle and dispose of rises sharply with diameter | Trunk measurement at chest height, or a photo with something for scale |
| Drop zone | An open lawn lets sections fall freely. A pool, glasshouse, shed or neighbour's roof means everything gets rigged and lowered | What sits under and around the tree |
| Crane requirement | A crane costs money for the day but can turn two days of carting into one morning | Whether the street can take a crane setup |
| Species and condition | Hollow, decayed or storm-damaged trees cannot be climbed normally and need a different method | Any fungal brackets, hollows, cracks or recent limb failures |
| Slope and ground | Steep escarpment blocks slow everything; saturated Dapto clay bogs machinery | Slope, and whether the ground holds water |
| Council approval | Whether a permit is needed, and whether an arborist report is required to support it | Council area, and whether you have already applied |
| Stump | Grinding is priced separately by diameter, depth required and access | What you plan to do with the ground afterwards |
| Disposal | Chip left on site costs nothing. Carting everything away is a tipping cost | Whether you want mulch, firewood, or a clean site |
| Urgency | Scheduled work is cheaper than an after-hours callout with a crew pulled off another job | Whether it is genuinely urgent |
Where the Illawarra skews the numbers
Access dominates here more than in most parts of the country. The region is narrow, the older subdivisions are tight, and the escarpment suburbs put half the properties on a slope. Two identical trees — one in Dapto, one in Thirroul — are not close in price, and the difference has nothing to do with the tree.
Council area matters too. Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama each run their own controls and fees, and a significant native will need more supporting work than an exempt camphor laurel.
Ways to genuinely reduce the cost
Combine jobs into one visit. Keep the mulch instead of paying to cart it. Let us take the timber for firewood if you do not want it. Book planned work in a dry stretch so machinery can get on. And deal with a declining tree as planned removal or pruning rather than waiting until it becomes emergency work, which is always the most expensive way to solve the problem.
For a free onsite quote call (02) 4214 8006, or read more about how we work.
Frequently asked questions
Why will you not publish a price list?
Because a price list for tree work is close to meaningless. The same species at the same height can vary by a factor of three between a flat Dapto backyard with a wide driveway and a Thirroul hillside where every piece has to be carried to the street. Publishing a number we would rarely charge would win calls and lose trust. We quote on site instead.
How do I compare three quotes properly?
Make them describe the same scope. Check whether each includes stump grinding, whether the chip stays or gets carted, how far the clean-up extends, whether council application work is included, and what happens to the timber. A cheap quote that leaves a stump, a pile of chip and an unlodged application is not cheaper.
Does council approval cost money as well?
Usually there is a council application fee, and for significant trees an arborist report to support the application is often needed on top. Both are separate from the tree work itself. We will tell you when we think a report is likely to be required rather than letting you find out after the application is knocked back.
Is it cheaper to do several trees at once?
Almost always. A large share of any job is mobilisation — getting the crew, the chipper and the truck to your address and set up. Doing four trees in one visit spreads that across four jobs. If you are planning work over the next year or two, it is worth doing it in one hit.