Home / Counties / Arizona (statewide)
Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Arizona Tree Removal Cost and Rules

Expect $200 to $1,200 to take out a palm in Arizona and $400 to $1,200 for a typical single tree, per HomeGuide's February 2026 national cost survey. The bill climbs with height, with power lines overhead, and with how far a crew has to carry trunk rounds and fronds to the truck, because burning the debris is rarely an option in Arizona's cities.

The state's forests sit mostly in the high country. The Forest Service's 2023 FIA evaluation counts about 18.9 million acres of forest land in Arizona, with the pinyon/juniper group at 58.5%, woodland hardwoods at 20.5% and ponderosa pine at 11.9%. In the desert metros the work is on planted trees instead: palms, mesquite, palo verde, eucalyptus, ash and pines.

This hub collects the statewide rules and links the Arizona county pages on the site, where local burn permits, utilities and storm history are covered.

Cost at a glance

Arizona tree removal cost at a glance
ItemTypical costSource
Typical single tree$400-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Palm$200-$1,200HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Ash$650-$2,000HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Chipping$50-$100HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Stump grinding, first stump$120-$400HomeGuide, Dec 2025 (national)
Illegal outdoor fire, Maricopa County (minimum fine)$200Maricopa County Air Quality, Rule 314
Rural Metro burn permit, unincorporated Yuma County (30 days)$15Rural Metro Fire

Permits

Native plants: A.R.S. 3-904 requires anyone destroying protected native plants to notify the Arizona Department of Agriculture first, 20 days ahead for under an acre, 30 days for 1 to under 40 acres and 60 days for 40 acres or more, and the work must happen within a year. Subsection H exempts individually owned residential property of 10 acres or less where the house is already built, so most yard removals need no notice.

Burning: rules are local. Maricopa County Air Quality prohibits burning yard waste such as tree trimmings, with a $200 minimum fine for an illegal outdoor fire under Rule 314. In unincorporated Yuma County, Rural Metro Fire sells burn permits for prescribed burn days, starting at $15 for 30 days, and inside the city the City of Yuma Fire Department permits anything larger than a small recreational fire.

Utility lines: SRP prunes or removes vegetation that grows into lines between two poles at no charge, removes palms that grow within 10 feet of a high-voltage line, and leaves the stump to the owner. APS uses only approved contractors near its lines and says a forestry representative reviews requests within 10 business days. Neither clears the line from the pole to your house.

Step 1: find your county page below for local burn and disposal rules. Step 2: identify the utility and request a review or a temporary disconnect if a tree touches any line. Step 3: if you are clearing native plants on undeveloped land, file the A.R.S. 3-904 notice in time. Step 4: get itemized bids that include chipping or haul-off and stump grinding. Step 5: call Arizona 811 at least two full working days before digging or grinding.

Local conditions

Floods and monsoon storms: FEMA's declarations data list 37 major disasters for Arizona from 1966 through May 2026, 17 of them floods and 14 severe storms. Most tree damage comes from summer monsoon gusts and microbursts that never reach that level; the National Weather Service in Phoenix counted more than 20 microbursts in about 1.5 hours on July 24, 2024.

Terrain varies by county: NRCS soil survey data put only 4.0% of mapped acres in central Maricopa County at 8% slope or more, against 21.6% in the Yuma-Wellton survey area, where the Gila and Tule Mountains rise above the irrigated valley.

Regrowth: Arizona Cooperative Extension notes that oak, ash, cottonwood, mesquite and many other natives resprout from a cut stump, while most native pines, junipers and cypress do not. That decides whether a removal needs grinding or a stump treatment afterward.

Palms dominate city removals because SRP cannot prune a palm within 10 feet of a high-voltage line and tall palms are the first trees to fall in microbursts.

What drives local prices

  • Per tree: HomeGuide's survey lists palm at $200-$1,200, pine at $250-$1,600 and ash at $650-$2,000.
  • Stumps: after a utility removal the stump is yours; HomeGuide's stump grinding survey puts the first stump at $120-$400 and each additional one at $30-$60.
  • Disposal: where burning is banned, chipping and haul-off are always in the bid; HomeGuide's survey puts chipping at $50-$100.
  • Lift work: tall palms near lines or walls may need a crane or bucket truck; we add an est. 20% to 40% for crane jobs.
  • Method: per-tree and stump ranges are HomeGuide's published national figures (Feb 4, 2026 and Dec 22, 2025); local burn fees are quoted from the county and fire district pages; lines marked est. are our estimate, not Arizona bids. Figures checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

  • Tall palm removal, including palms near SRP and APS lines
  • Monsoon cleanup of split and uprooted trees
  • Mesquite and palo verde removal with stump treatment against resprouting
  • Native plant clearing on undeveloped lots, with state notice

Service area

County pages on the site: Maricopa (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Glendale and the West Valley) and Yuma (Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, Fortuna Foothills, Wellton).

If your county is not listed yet, the state notice law and the utility rules above still apply; ask your county air quality or fire office about burning before you plan disposal.

Want a price for an Arizona palm or shade tree? Send it through the free quote form below with height, species and what is underneath. A member of our team replies by email with next steps and, where we know them, local insured crews to contact.

Communities: Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Yuma, San Luis, Somerton

When something can’t wait

If a monsoon gust drops a tree or palm on a line, stay back and call SRP, APS or 911. Photograph damage before cleanup; HomeGuide reports that emergency same-day removals cost 2 to 3 times standard rates.

Questions about Arizona

How much does tree removal cost in Arizona?

Palms usually run $200 to $1,200 and typical trees $400 to $1,200 on HomeGuide's 2026 national data. Crane work, line clearance and haul-off push the price up.

Do I need permission to remove a mesquite or palo verde in Arizona?

Not on an existing home lot of 10 acres or less, which A.R.S. 3-904(H) exempts. On undeveloped land, A.R.S. 3-904 requires notice to the Department of Agriculture 20 to 60 days ahead, depending on acreage.

Can I burn tree debris in Arizona?

It depends on where you live. Maricopa County Air Quality bans burning yard waste; in unincorporated Yuma County, Rural Metro Fire issues permits for prescribed burn days. Check your county page first.

Will the utility remove a tree near my power line?

SRP and APS both handle trees that threaten lines between poles at no charge. For the line from the pole to your house, hire a crew and ask the utility for a temporary disconnect.

Will the stump grow back?

Often, for natives such as mesquite, oak and ash, which Arizona Cooperative Extension lists as stump sprouters; most native pines and junipers do not resprout. Plan on grinding or a labeled stump treatment.

Sources

County pages in Arizona

Tree problems

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. Estimate your clearing cost.

Other counties we serve

Free, no obligation

Ask about your clearing project

Tell us the acreage, what is growing on it and what the land is for: pasture, house pad, trails or a view. The form goes to Cornelia Cove LLC, which runs this site, and we reply by email. We use your details only to answer this request, and we pass them to a contractor only if you ask us to.

Bring a range from our estimator to every site visit. A clearing bid should price clearing, stumps, debris disposal and grading separately, and say who handles permits.