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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Tree Removal Cost in Madison County, AL

Oak removal in Madison County usually prices somewhere between $300 and $2,500 a tree, the oak band in HomeGuide's cost survey published February 2026, while an ordinary yard tree of any kind tends to fall between $400 and $1,200 on that survey. A water oak in a Madison subdivision back yard usually lands mid-range; a big white oak on a Monte Sano or Green Mountain slope above the house costs more because it has to be climbed and lowered in pieces.

Demand is high here because the county keeps building. The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey estimates 2,866 single-family homes permitted in Madison County in 2025, against 49 in neighboring Jackson County, and every new lot cut out of the woods brings removals, lot clearing and later storm work.

Woods still cover a lot of the county: the Forest Service's FIA inventory (2025 evaluation) estimates roughly 202,200 forested acres, 47.4% in oak/hickory types, 20.5% loblolly/shortleaf pine and 14.8% oak/gum/cypress bottomland. Hardwood ridges in the east, river bottoms in the south and a long tornado record set the local picture.

Cost at a glance

Madison 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 30-60 ft	$500-$1,500	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Land clearing, per acre	$1,200-$8,000	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Huntsville open burning permit (city limits)	$250.00, nonrefundable	City of Huntsville Air Pollution Control Rules (2025), 5.1.2(e)
AFC burn permit (over 1/4 acre or within 25 ft of woods)	Free	Alabama Forestry Commission

Permits

Madison County itself does not appear to require any permit to take down a yard tree; we looked and found none. The rule that catches people is burning inside Huntsville. The City of Huntsville Air Pollution Control Rules and Regulations (2025 edition) require an Open Burning Permit from the city's Natural Resources office for any open burning within city limits, with a nonrefundable fee of $250.00 per permit, an application at least three days before the burn, and no permits while ADEM or the Alabama Forestry Commission has a burn ban in place.

Even with a permit, the same rules limit residential burning to leaves and limbs under 3 inches in diameter where collection is not available, and they prohibit burning trees or limbs cut as a commercial service by tree surgeons, landscapers or anyone else. In other words, a crew's brush must be chipped or hauled inside Huntsville; land-clearing vegetation can be burned only with an air-curtain destructor or another method the city approves.

Out in the county, a brush fire bigger than a quarter acre, or one closer than 25 feet to woods or grass, calls for a burn permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) under Code of Alabama Title 9, Chapter 13; the AFC charges nothing for it but lists penalties as high as a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both. Firms that sell cabling, bracing or cavity work need the state Horticulture Professional Services License, which the Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) lists at $175 a year; plain removal crews should show proof of liability insurance.

Step 1: check whether the address is inside Huntsville, Madison or another city. Step 2: plan disposal: chipping or haul-off in Huntsville, or a permitted burn in the county. Step 3: mark what the trunk and crown could land on (roof, deck, car, swing set, overhead wires) and phone the power company about any limb resting on a wire. Step 4: compare bids that list felling, stump grinding and cleanup separately. Step 5: call Alabama 811 before grinding.

Local conditions

Mountains inside the county: the NRCS soil survey for Madison County maps 31.4% of acres at an 8% grade or steeper and 19.2% at 15% or steeper, and finds rock within roughly 39 inches (100 cm) of the surface on 18.7%. Most of that is Monte Sano, Green Mountain and the limestone ridges east of Huntsville toward Gurley and Owens Cross Roads, where stump grinders chew slowly.

Bottomland: that NRCS survey also flags 14.2% of soils as flooding occasionally or frequently, chiefly by the Tennessee River along the southern line and the Flint River to the east; after a wet week a loaded bucket truck can rut those yards badly.

Twisters: of the 11 weather-driven major disaster declarations covering Madison County in FEMA's records between 1973 and 2019, three were tornado declarations and six were severe storm declarations, the April 2011 super outbreak (DR-1971) among them; Ivan's remnants added a hurricane declaration in 2004.

Mixed canopy: oaks and hickories on the ridges, loblolly pines in newer subdivisions and sweetgum and cottonwood near the creeks mean crews here price a wide range of wood weights and crown shapes.

What drives local prices

Size first: a short tree under 30 ft sits around $200-$500 in HomeGuide's data, a 30-60 ft shade oak $500-$1,500, and a 60-80 ft ridge hardwood $850-$2,000.
Wood type: HomeGuide's per-tree figures are $300-$2,500 for oak and $250-$1,600 for pine, and Madison County yards hold plenty of both.
Disposal: inside Huntsville a crew's brush can't be burned, so chipping ($50-$100 per HomeGuide's survey) and haul-off are standard; a city burn permit, where allowed, is $250.00.
Slope: ridge lots on Monte Sano and Green Mountain add climbing and hand carry; we add an est. 15% to 30%.
Clearing: HomeGuide's survey lists land clearing at $1,200-$8,000 per acre, and booking several trees at once can save 10%-25%.
Method: dollar ranges for trees, sizes, chipping and clearing come from HomeGuide's nationwide survey dated Feb 4, 2026; the $250.00 burn permit is from Huntsville's air rules; anything tagged est. is our own allowance for local terrain. None of it is a quote from a Madison County crew. Checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

Oak and hickory removal on ridge and slope lots
Tornado and thunderstorm cleanup
Lot clearing for new home sites
Pine and sweetgum removal in subdivisions

Service area

Quote requests come from Huntsville and Madison in the center and west, Harvest and Toney to the northwest, Meridianville, Hazel Green and New Market to the north, and Owens Cross Roads and Gurley to the east. I-565 and US 72 cross the county east to west, US 231 and US 431 run north and south, and SR 53 heads northwest toward Harvest.

Jackson County borders Madison on the east, past Gurley and the Paint Rock Valley; its page covers Scottsboro brush pickup and the NAEC right-of-way rules there.

Ready to price your tree? The free form below asks for the tree type, a rough height, how steep the yard is and what sits underneath. Someone on our team writes back by email with what to do next and, when we have them, names of insured local crews.

Communities: Huntsville, Madison, Harvest, Meridianville, Hazel Green, New Market, Owens Cross Roads, Gurley, Toney

When something can’t wait

After a tornado or storm, stay clear of downed lines and call your electric utility or 911. Inside Huntsville the debris has to be chipped or hauled, not burned. Rush jobs carry a premium of 2 to 3 times the usual price on HomeGuide's survey, so take pictures for the insurer before anything is moved.

Questions about Madison County

How much does tree removal cost in Madison County, AL?

Figure $400 to $1,200 for an average tree and up to $2,500 for a big oak, going by HomeGuide's 2026 survey. Ridge lots with rock and a long carry to the truck cost more.

Can my tree crew burn the brush in Huntsville?

No. Not legally. City air rules forbid burning wood that a paid tree service, landscaper or similar business cut, so plan on chipping or a dump run. Homeowners may burn small limbs only with a $250.00 city permit where collection isn't available.

Do I need a permit to burn outside the city?

If the pile covers more than a quarter acre or sits within 25 feet of woods or grass, yes. The AFC permit is free, and the AFC says violations can bring fines of up to $1,000.

Do I need a county permit to remove a tree?

We found no county permit for a yard tree. City rules and subdivision covenants can apply, so check with your city or HOA before a large removal.

Why are there so many tree jobs here?

The county is growing fast; the Census Bureau's permit survey estimates 2,866 new single-family homes in 2025, and new lots, mature hardwoods and spring tornado season keep crews busy.

Sources

Nearby counties

Tree problems

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