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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Tree Removal Cost: Forsyth County, NC

In Forsyth County the tree over the house is usually an oak, a hickory or a tulip poplar, and HomeGuide's February 2026 national survey puts oak removal at $300 to $2,500, with a typical tree of any kind at $400 to $1,200. A white oak in a roomy Clemmons yard sits near the bottom of that spread; a big red oak leaning over a Buena Vista roof with no truck access sits near the top.

Hardwood dominates. The Forest Service's 2024 FIA evaluation counts about 94,500 forested acres in the county, 57.4% of them oak/hickory and another 21.8% mixed oak/pine; the estimate rests on 21 sample plots, so treat the shares as rough. Most of that canopy is on suburban lots and creek bottoms rather than big tracts.

Growth adds work: the Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey reports 2,863 single-family buildings authorized in Forsyth County in 2025, up from 2,022 in 2023.

Cost at a glance

Forsyth County tree removal cost at a glance
Item	Typical cost	Source
Oak (most common forest group here)	$300-$2,500	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Typical single tree	$400-$1,200	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Tree 60-80 ft	$850-$2,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Winston-Salem yard waste sites	$37 per ton ($10 minimum)	WS/FC Utilities FY27 rates
Burning yard waste inside Winston-Salem	Not allowed (pickup provided)	Forsyth County EAP
Residential burning, first offense	$100-$2,000	Forsyth County EAP

Permits

We found no county or city permit for taking down a tree on your own private lot in Forsyth County. The rules that bite are about smoke. Forsyth County runs its own air program: the Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection (EAP) enforces the open burning section of the Forsyth County Air Quality Code (3D .1900).

Residential burning of limbs, logs and stumps from your own home is allowed only in towns that do not offer yard waste pickup. EAP says Winston-Salem provides pickup inside city limits, so burning there is illegal, and the city's fire department issues no permits for burning yard waste or land clearing. EAP lists first-offense fines of $100 to $2,000 for residential violations, and up to $25,000 per violation per day for repeat ones.

Commercial crews may not burn maintenance debris at all. A true land-clearing burn needs an EAP registration and office visit plus an N.C. Forest Service permit, must sit at least 500 feet from occupied buildings not on the property (250 feet with an air curtain burner), may start only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and is barred on Code Orange or worse air days. EAP sets land-clearing penalties at $50 to $5,000 per day for a first violation.

Step 1: find out whether your address gets city or town yard waste pickup. Step 2: plan chipping or haul-off to a yard waste site if burning is off the table. Step 3: check the drop zone for the house, driveway and Duke Energy lines. Step 4: compare written bids that split felling, grinding and cleanup. Step 5: call NC 811 before grinding.

Local conditions

Rolling Piedmont slopes: the NRCS soil survey for Forsyth County (NC067) puts 63.2% of mapped acres at 8% slope or more and 21.5% at 15% or more, so many back yards drop toward a creek and trees are lowered in pieces rather than felled.

Clay and rock: NRCS data show bedrock within about 39 inches (100 cm) on 11.1% of acres, mostly on ridges, which can stop a grinder short of full depth.

Ice and wind: FEMA's declarations data list 10 weather-related major disasters reaching Forsyth County from 1989 through 2024, including severe ice storms declared in 2002 and 2003, the 1989 tornadoes, Hurricane Hugo and, most recently, Tropical Storm Helene. Ice loads split hardwood crowns all at once.

Hardwood weight: oak, hickory and tulip poplar trunks are heavy and crews often need a crane or bucket truck on tight city lots.

What drives local prices

Species: oak removal runs $300-$2,500 and maple $600-$1,200 on HomeGuide's table; hardwood is most of the local canopy.
Height: HomeGuide lists $850-$2,000 for a 60-80 ft tree and $1,200-$2,500+ beyond 80 ft, common for old Winston-Salem oaks and poplars.
Disposal: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities' rate schedule sets yard waste at $37 per ton at the Overdale and Forum 52 sites, with a $10 minimum and a $15 flat rate for a pickup load.
Slope and access: lowering wood down a creek bank adds rigging time; we add an est. 15% to 30%.
Season and volume: HomeGuide says prices can run 10% to 20% higher in summer and fall, and that booking several trees can cut per-tree cost 10% to 25%.
Method: per-tree, height and seasonal figures are HomeGuide national data (Feb 4, 2026); burning rules come from Forsyth County EAP and the City of Winston-Salem; disposal fees from WS/FC Utilities; est. marks our own allowance. Reviewed October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

Oak and tulip poplar removal over homes
Ice storm limb and trunk cleanup
Lowering trees in sections on sloped lots
Chipping and haul-off where burning is banned

Service area

Requests come from Winston-Salem and its neighborhoods (Ardmore, Buena Vista, West End, Sherwood Forest), Kernersville to the east, Clemmons and Lewisville to the west, and Rural Hall, Walkertown, Tobaccoville, Bethania and Pfafftown in the north. I-40 and Salem Parkway cross the county east to west, US 52 runs north to Rural Hall and King, I-74 swings around the east side, and US 421, US 158 and NC 66 fill in.

No county bordering Forsyth (Guilford, Davidson, Davie, Yadkin, Surry, Stokes, Rockingham) has a page here yet. The North Carolina hub links our other NC county pages.

Tell us about the tree in the free form below: species if you know it, a rough height, and what's under it. We reply by email with next steps and, when we know them, insured crews in the Triad.

Communities: Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Clemmons, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Walkertown, Tobaccoville, Bethania, Pfafftown

When something can’t wait

If ice or wind drops a limb on wires or the roof, keep clear and call Duke Energy or 911 before anyone cuts. Emergency crews often bill 2 to 3 times standard rates on HomeGuide's survey; take photos for your insurer, and remember storm brush can't be burned inside Winston-Salem.

Questions about Forsyth County

How much does tree removal cost in Forsyth County, NC?

HomeGuide's 2026 survey puts a typical tree at $400 to $1,200 and an oak at $300 to $2,500. Steep lots, big hardwoods over roofs and haul-off raise the price.

Can I burn limbs in Winston-Salem?

No. Forsyth County EAP says burning is illegal wherever yard waste pickup is provided, and Winston-Salem provides it inside city limits.

Where can a crew take the wood?

To the Overdale or Forum 52 yard waste facilities; the WS/FC Utilities schedule lists $37 per ton with a $10 minimum. State law bars yard waste from landfills.

Do I need a permit to cut a tree on my property?

We found no county or city permit for a tree on a private lot. Land-clearing burns are another matter: they need EAP registration and a Forest Service permit.

When is storm risk highest?

Winter ice is the classic threat; FEMA lists ice storm disasters for the county in 2002 and 2003, and tropical storms such as Helene bring wind and saturated soil.

Sources

Nearby counties

North Carolina tree removal hub

Tree problems

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