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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Arkansas Tree Removal Cost and Rules

HomeGuide's nationwide survey (February 2026) is a fair yardstick for Arkansas: roughly $400 to $1,200 for an average tree, $250 to $1,600 when it's a pine, and $300 to $2,500 for an oak. Arkansas bids depend heavily on access, because so many homes sit on wooded hillsides in the Ozarks and Ouachitas, and on whether you can legally burn the brush that week.

Roughly 18.8 million acres of Arkansas is forest by the Forest Service's 2025 FIA estimate: 38.9% oak/hickory, 32.8% loblolly/shortleaf pine, 10.5% oak/gum/cypress and 10.2% oak/pine. Hardwoods dominate the northern hills and pine the Ouachitas and the south, with bottomland hardwoods in the Delta.

This hub gathers the statewide burning law and links the Arkansas county pages on the site, which cover local rules, utilities, soils and storm history.

Cost at a glance

Arkansas tree removal cost at a glance
Item	Typical cost	Source
Typical single tree	$400-$1,200	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Pine	$250-$1,600	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Oak	$300-$2,500	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Land clearing, per acre	$1,200-$8,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Max fine, unlawful burning (Class A misdemeanor)	$2,500	Ark. Code §5-38-310, §5-4-201
Open burning inside Fort Smith	Prohibited by city ordinance	City of Fort Smith

Permits

Cutting your own trees in Arkansas generally needs no permit; fire is what the statutes police. Ark. Code §5-38-310 defines unlawful burning to include burning brush, stumps or logs with no safeguards against escape (a fire that reaches a neighbor's timber or grass is taken as proof there were none) and any burning during a §12-75-108 burn ban that lacks a permit from whoever declared the ban.

That offense is a Class A misdemeanor; the fine ceiling for the class, set in Ark. Code §5-4-201, is $2,500. The Arkansas Forestry Division posts county burn bans and fire danger on its daily map, so check it the morning of any burn.

Cities can ban burning outright. The City of Fort Smith prohibits general open burning by ordinance, allows only small recreational fire devices burning seasoned wood, and stops even those after a county burn ban under Sebastian County Ordinance No. 88-13 or when winds top 15 miles per hour.

Step 1: open your county page below for local burning and disposal rules. Step 2: check the Forestry Division map and your city's rules before planning a burn. Step 3: call your electric co-op or utility if limbs reach a line. Step 4: get written bids that list felling, stump grinding and cleanup separately. Step 5: call Arkansas 811 before digging.

Local conditions

Storms, floods and ice: FEMA's declarations data list 73 weather-related major disasters for Arkansas from 1957 through 2025, including 32 severe storm events, 20 floods, 14 tornado declarations and four severe ice storms, with 40 declared since 2000.

Rock and slope in the west: NRCS soil survey data put bedrock within about 100 cm on 60.9% of mapped acres in Scott County and 40.7% in Sebastian County, and 44.0% of Scott County's mapped acres are on slopes of 15% or more, so ridge removals across the Ouachitas mean climbing, rigging and slow grinding.

Forest owners: Scott County's own website says 82% of its land is timber, most of it national forest, while Sebastian County's forest is 64.1% oak/hickory in the FIA tables, so crews here handle everything from homestead pines to heavy city hardwoods.

Ice is the signature hazard: hardwood crowns split and tall pines snap under glaze, and those broken trees hung up in other crowns are among the riskiest jobs crews take.

What drives local prices

Pine or oak: HomeGuide's per-tree numbers are $250-$1,600 for pine and $300-$2,500 for oak, the two groups that make up most Arkansas woods.
Height: per HomeGuide, 30-60 ft trees run $500-$1,500 and 60-80 ft trees $850-$2,000.
Acreage: HomeGuide puts land clearing at $1,200-$8,000 per acre for rural parcels with many trees.
Access: long drives, gates and steep ground add an est. 15% to 30%; in Fort Smith, haul-off replaces burning.
Method: species, height and clearing ranges are HomeGuide's published national figures (Feb 4, 2026); fines are quoted from Arkansas Code; lines marked est. are our estimate, not Arkansas bids. Figures checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

Pine and oak removal on wooded hillside lots
Ice storm cleanup of split hardwoods and snapped pines
Removal near rural electric co-op lines
Brush disposal during and between burn bans

Service area

County pages on the site: Scott (Waldron, Mansfield, Boles, Parks) and Sebastian (Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling, Lavaca), linked by US 71 and with I-49 at Fort Smith.

If your county is not listed yet, the state burning law above still applies; ask your county judge's office or local Fire department about burn bans, and the Forestry Division about fire danger.

Want a price for an Arkansas tree? Use the free form below: tree type, rough height, how steep the ground is, and what's underneath. We answer by email with what to do next and, when we have them, insured crews in your part of the state.

Communities: Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling, Lavaca, Waldron, Mansfield, Boles, Parks

When something can’t wait

Glaze or a gust put a tree on the wires or the house? Clear the area and call the electric provider or 911 first. Hold off burning storm wood while a ban is on. Same-day work runs 2 to 3 times standard prices by HomeGuide's count, so document everything for the insurer.

Questions about Arkansas

How much does tree removal cost in Arkansas?

Expect about $400 to $1,200 for an ordinary tree, $250 to $1,600 for a pine and up to $2,500 for an oak, using HomeGuide's 2026 survey. Steep ground, ice-broken tops and hauling raise that.

Can I burn brush during a burn ban?

Only with a permit from the official who declared it; otherwise Ark. Code §5-38-310 treats it as unlawful burning, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500.

Where do I check for burn bans?

The Arkansas Forestry Division's daily fire map shows county burn bans and fire danger. Cities such as Fort Smith ban open burning year round.

Do I need a permit to cut trees in Arkansas?

Not on your own land, as a rule. Work near national forest boundaries should stay on your side of a surveyed line.

Why do ice storms cause so much tree work?

Arkansas forests are heavy in oak and pine, and FEMA lists four severe ice storm declarations for the state; glaze splits wide hardwood crowns and snaps tall pines.

Sources

County pages in Arkansas

Tree problems

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