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Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Tree Removal Cost: Bartholomew County, IN

Bartholomew County is mostly Columbus and the farmland around it, and the trees that come down are big hardwoods: silver maples, oaks, sycamores along the rivers and ash killed by emerald ash borer. HomeGuide's 2026 national survey lists $400 to $1,200 as the typical removal cost.

Oak and hickory make up most of the county's woods. The Forest Service's 2025 FIA evaluation for Indiana puts about 51,400 acres of forest land in the county, 74.1% of it oak/hickory and 13.2% elm/ash/cottonwood.

New construction is modest: the Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counts 183 single-family buildings authorized in 2025, the same as 2024 and up from 156 in 2023, so most work is on established lots in Columbus and nearby towns.

Cost at a glance

Bartholomew County tree removal cost at a glance
Item	Typical cost	Source
Typical single tree	$400-$1,200	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Ash	$650-$2,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Oak	$300-$2,500	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Tree 60-80 ft	$850-$2,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Resident yard waste drop-off (720 S. Mapleton St)	No charge	Bartholomew County SWMD
Friday mulch or compost load (Apr-Oct)	$10 per pickup load	Bartholomew County SWMD

Permits

Disposal is the local advantage. The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District says residents pay no fee to drop off yard waste from their own property, with brush, tree trimmings and shrubs going on the upper level of the Columbus/Bartholomew Yard Waste Site next to the recycling center at 720 S. Mapleton Street. The District lists hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays; businesses pay by load size.

The same District sells mulch and compost back to residents: its Friday loading program, April through October, charges $10 per pickup-truck load.

Cutting a tree on a private residential lot doesn't need a County permit that we could find; Columbus regulates trees in public rights-of-way, so check with the city before touching a street tree.

Step 1: look at the fall zone around the house and lines. Step 2: decide whether you'll haul brush to Mapleton Street or pay the crew to. Step 3: get written bids that spell out cleanup. Step 4: call Indiana 811 before stump grinding.

Local conditions

Floodplain ground: NRCS soil survey data for Bartholomew County (IN005) put a water table within about a foot (30 cm) on 43.2% of mapped acres and rate 18.8% as occasionally or frequently flooded, most of it along the East Fork White River, Flatrock River and Driftwood River through Columbus, where silver maples and sycamores grow fast and fail in wet soil.

Hillier land west: about 23.0% of mapped acres sit on 8% slopes or more, per the same NRCS survey, mostly toward the Brown County hills and in creek valleys.

Floods and tornadoes: FEMA's declarations data list 7 weather-related major disasters for the county, 3 floods, 3 severe storms and a tornado; the latest, declared July 2025, covered storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.

Ice storms and summer derechos break brittle silver maples and Bradford pears across older neighborhoods.

What drives local prices

Species: HomeGuide's species list prices ash at $650-$2,000, oak at $300-$2,500 and maple at $600-$1,200.
Height: river sycamores and maples pass 60 ft, which HomeGuide puts at $850-$2,000 for 60-80 ft trees.
Disposal: free resident drop-off at the District yard waste site, per the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District, can lower the bid if you haul brush yourself.
Wet ground: saturated floodplain soils slow equipment and add crew hours at HomeGuide's $100-$400+ hourly rate.
Stump: HomeGuide's survey puts stump removal at $100-$500+.
Method: species, height, hourly and stump dollars are HomeGuide national ranges (Feb 4, 2026), not Columbus quotes; disposal from the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District. Checked October 19, 2026.

Common jobs

Silver maple and sycamore removal
Dead ash removal
Flood and storm cleanup
Stump grinding

Service area

Calls come from Columbus, Hope, Taylorsville, Elizabethtown, Clifford, Hartsville, Jonesville, Petersville, Grammer and the county's share of Edinburgh. I-65 runs the west side past Columbus, US 31 parallels it, IN 46 crosses east-west through downtown Columbus, and IN 9 and IN 11 serve Hope and the south.

Duke Energy and Bartholomew County REMC serve the area; let them handle any limb on a line.

Want a number? The free form below asks for the species, height and what's under the tree; we reply by email.

Communities: Columbus, Hope, Taylorsville, Elizabethtown, Clifford, Hartsville, Jonesville, Petersville, Grammer, Edinburgh

When something can’t wait

Downed lines after a derecho or ice storm belong to Duke Energy or the REMC; call them or 911 and stay away. HomeGuide notes that storm work often costs 2 to 3 times normal rates.

Questions about Bartholomew County

How much does tree removal cost in Bartholomew County, IN?

HomeGuide's 2026 survey lists $400 to $1,200 for a typical tree; big river maples and sycamores cost more.

Where can I take branches?

The Columbus/Bartholomew Yard Waste Site at 720 S. Mapleton Street, free for county residents.

Can I get mulch back?

Yes. Residents can self-load during yard waste hours, and the Friday program charges $10 per pickup load, per the District.

Do I need a permit?

Not for a tree on your own lot as far as we found; street trees in Columbus are the city's.

What storms hit the county?

Floods, severe storms and tornadoes; FEMA lists 7 weather-related major disasters.

Sources

Tree problems

Local fees and rules change. Confirm with the county or state office named above before you clear. For published price ranges, see land clearing cost per acre or follow the worked estimate. Estimate your clearing cost.