Home / Counties / Larimer County, CO

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Tree Removal Cost: Larimer County, CO

In Fort Collins, Loveland and Windsor the typical call is a big green ash, silver maple, cottonwood or Siberian elm in a yard; in the mountains west of the city it's lodgepole and ponderosa pine around cabins near Red Feather Lakes, the Poudre Canyon and Estes Park, often cut to reduce wildfire fuel. Nationally, HomeGuide pegs most single-tree jobs at $400 to $1,200 in its February 2026 report.

Much of Larimer is forest. By the Forest Service's count (FIA, 2023 Colorado evaluation), roughly 886,800 acres here are forest land. Lodgepole leads at 28.2%, then ponderosa at 21.5%, fir/spruce/mountain hemlock at 17.7% and Douglas-fir at 7.5%; another 11.5% is nonstocked, meaning too sparse right now to rate as stocked.

The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counts 985 single-family buildings authorized in Larimer County in 2025, down from 1,370 in 2024 and 1,289 in 2023.

Cost at a glance

Larimer 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)
Pine	$250-$1,600	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Land clearing, per acre	$1,200-$8,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Landfill green waste, car or SUV	$9	Larimer County 2026 fees
Landfill green waste, pickup	$16	Larimer County 2026 fees
Landfill green waste, trailer	$13 per cubic yard	Larimer County 2026 fees
Burning without a permit	Fines up to $10,000 per day	Larimer County DHE

Permits

Larimer County itself doesn't require a permit to take down a tree in your own yard, as far as we could find. Street and parkway trees are another story in Fort Collins and Loveland, and HOA covenants can add rules.

Burning needs two sign-offs: most outdoor burning requires a permit from your local fire department and from the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, which enforces Colorado's open burning rule (Regulation Number 9). The county warns that burning without a permit can bring fines of up to $10,000 per day. Only clean, dry slash under 6 inches thick may be burned, never yard waste, stumps or grass; piles can't exceed 8 feet wide and 6 feet high; and burning stops when winds top 10 mph or on Red Flag or Air Quality Action days.

The county's burn page sets a mountain season: above 6,000 feet, piles may burn only from October 1 to April 30, with at least 3 inches of snow on the ground around them. Below that elevation the county's season is year-round on paper, but fire districts such as Poudre Fire Authority can limit permits.

Disposal: the Larimer County Landfill's 2026 green waste rates are $9 for a car or SUV, $16 for a pickup and $13 per cubic yard for trailers, with no state surcharge; trunks must be cut to 6 feet long and 2 feet across or smaller, and root balls aren't taken. The county's new North Landfill and Transfer Station opened August 3, 2026 at the same prices.

Step 1: check your elevation and any current fire restriction. Step 2: pick chipping, landfill green waste or a two-permit pile burn. Step 3: check the fall zone for the house and power lines. Step 4: compare itemized written bids. Step 5: call Colorado 811 before stump grinding.

Local conditions

Rock west of Fort Collins: in the Larimer County Area soil survey (CO644), NRCS maps 57.8% of acres with bedrock inside roughly 39 inches (100 cm) and 44.5% on grades of 15% or steeper; in the Poudre and Big Thompson canyons, crews rig trees off ledges and carry brush out by hand.

Wildfire: FEMA's declarations data list 12 weather-related major disasters for Larimer County, including 3 fire declarations: the High Park and Waldo Canyon fires of 2012 and the wildfires declared January 15, 2021. Lodgepole and ponderosa stands near cabins are the main fuel.

Floods: FEMA counts 6 flood declarations, including the September 2013 floods along the Big Thompson and Poudre rivers, which undercut trees on stream banks.

Wind and wet snow: Chinook gusts and heavy spring snow regularly snap limbs on ash, elm and silver maple across the city side of the county.

What drives local prices

Species: a dying green ash runs $650-$2,000 on HomeGuide's species chart, versus $250-$1,600 for pine and $600-$1,200 for maple.
Height: plains cottonwoods often top 60 ft, a band HomeGuide puts at $850-$2,000 up to 80 ft; most mountain lodgepoles sit in the HomeGuide 30-60 ft row, listed at $500-$1,500.
Acres of lodgepole: when a cabin owner wants the whole hillside thinned, crews bid it like clearing land, and HomeGuide's per-acre band for that is $1,200-$8,000; several trees in one visit typically earn 10% to 25% off, it adds.
Disposal: the county landfill takes green waste for $9 a car or $16 a pickup, but trunks must be cut to 6 feet by 2 feet.
Canyon access: ropes, lowering gear and hand-carry add labor billed at $100-$400+ an hour per HomeGuide, and grinding a stump on ledge rock adds $100-$500+.
Method: every dollar range on this page that isn't a county fee is HomeGuide's February 4, 2026 nationwide figure, not a Northern Colorado bid; burn limits are the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment's, and green waste prices are from the county landfill's 2026 schedule. Checked October 19, 2026.

Common jobs

Ash, elm and silver maple removal in town
Lodgepole and ponderosa thinning around mountain homes
Snow and wind limb cleanup
Green waste haul-off to the county landfill

Service area

We hear from Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Wellington, Timnath, Berthoud, LaPorte, Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes and Livermore. I-25 runs north-south past Fort Collins and Loveland, US 287 links them and heads north toward Laramie, US 34 climbs from Loveland through the Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park, and Highway 14 follows the Poudre Canyon west.

Electric service comes from Fort Collins Utilities, Loveland Water and Power, Estes Park's municipal utility and Poudre Valley REA in rural areas; only utility crews should handle limbs on lines.

Want an estimate? Send the species, rough height and what's below through the free form below. You'll hear back by email, often with names of insured Northern Colorado crews.

Communities: Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Wellington, Timnath, Berthoud, LaPorte, Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes, Livermore

When something can’t wait

A Chinook or a wet April snow can put a cottonwood through a roof; if a line is involved, phone your utility or 911 and keep everyone back. Storm-night pricing commonly lands at double or triple a normal bill, according to HomeGuide.

Questions about Larimer County

How much does tree removal cost in Larimer County, CO?

HomeGuide's 2026 survey puts a typical tree at $400 to $1,200. Large cottonwoods and steep canyon lots cost more.

Do I need a permit to burn slash?

Yes, usually two: one from your fire department and one from the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. Unpermitted burning can bring fines up to $10,000 a day.

When can I burn piles in the mountains?

The county's rules allow piles above 6,000 feet only October 1 to April 30, with at least 3 inches of snow around them.

What does the landfill charge for branches?

In 2026, $9 for a car or SUV, $16 for a pickup, or $13 per cubic yard for a trailer, with trunks cut to 6 feet by 2 feet.

Can I burn yard waste from a cleanup?

No. Routine yard and garden waste, grass, leaves and stumps are prohibited burn materials in Larimer County.

Sources

More Colorado tree removal pages

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.