Tree Removal Cost: Pike County, IN

Pike County is small-town southwest Indiana: Petersburg, Winslow and Otwell, farm ground, reclaimed coal land and wooded hollows along the Patoka River and White River. Tree jobs here are farmhouse yard trees, fence rows and storm damage more than subdivision work. A typical single removal is $400 to $1,200 in HomeGuide's cost guide, updated February 2026,.

Hardwoods dominate: the Forest Service's FIA estimates (Indiana 2025 evaluation) show about 94,600 acres of forest land, 39.4% oak/hickory, 28.9% elm/ash/cottonwood along the river bottoms and 13.3% oak/pine.

New construction is almost nil, so the work is mature trees: the Census Bureau's county permit tallies show 9 one-family houses approved in 2023, 20 in 2024 and none reported for 2025.

Permits

Burning clean wood is allowed with conditions. Indiana's IDEM open burning rules let residents burn clean wood waste, including brush and limbs, at home only under set conditions: in a noncombustible container with a cover or screen, during daylight, attended the whole time and put out before dark. The state and county can declare burn bans in dry weather, so check before lighting.

We found no Pike County permit for cutting trees on your own land. Petersburg regulates its own street trees, and work near a state highway right-of-way should be cleared with INDOT.

Expect HomeGuide's $400-$1,200 typical range to cover the cut and cleanup, not hauling from a far corner of a farm.

Step 1: decide whether to burn, chip or leave the wood. Step 2: check for a burn ban. Step 3: walk the drop zone for buildings, fences and lines. Step 4: get two written quotes. Step 5: get utilities marked (811) before anyone grinds.

Local conditions

River bottoms flood: NRCS soil survey data for Pike County (IN125) rate 22.4% of mapped acres as occasionally or frequently flooded and 21.7% as poorly drained, mostly along the White River on the north line and the Patoka River through the middle of the county, where cottonwoods, silver maples and sycamores grow fast and fail.

Hilly in places: 23.3% of the county's mapped acres are at 15% slope or more per the NRCS data, in the wooded hollows south of the Patoka near Stendal and Velpen.

Storm record: FEMA's declarations data list 15 weather-driven major disaster declarations that include Pike County, 11 of them severe storms, the latest an August 2026 declaration for storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes.

Ash decline: the elm/ash/cottonwood share in the FIA data includes ash killed by emerald ash borer, which turns brittle and dangerous to fell.

Oaks and hickories on the ridges south of the Patoka near Stendal grow on thin, rocky soil, and they tend to break at the top in ice rather than tip over.

What drives local prices

Most farmhouse shade trees are 30 to 60 feet, which HomeGuide puts at $500 to $1,500 to remove.
Dead ash costs more to fell safely; HomeGuide's ash range runs $650 to $2,000.
Remote fence rows add drive time and drag distance; expect an est. \1% to 20%.
Grinding a stump runs $100 to $500 or more in HomeGuide's guide.
Method: dollar figures quoted from HomeGuide's published guide (Feb 4, 2026); the distance add-on marked est. is ours. Checked October 20, 2026.

Common jobs

Clearing dead ash and storm-broken trees from farmyards and fence rows.
Removing big silver maples and cottonwoods near houses in the river bottoms.
Storm cleanup after summer thunderstorms and tornado warnings.
Stump grinding in old yards in Petersburg and Winslow.

Service area

Calls come from Petersburg, Winslow, Otwell, Spurgeon, Stendal and Velpen. I-69 runs north and south past Petersburg, SR 57 and SR 61 cross the county, and SR 56 heads east toward Jasper.

Southern Indiana Power and Duke Energy lines cross rural roads; let the utility handle trees on wires.

Send the free form below with the species, trunk size and what's nearby.

Communities: Petersburg, Winslow, Otwell, Spurgeon, Stendal, Velpen

When something can’t wait

For trees on lines after a storm, keep back and phone the utility. Emergency work can run 2-3x normal rates, HomeGuide says.

Questions about Pike County

What does a tree removal cost in Pike County, Indiana?

Usually $400-$1,200 for a single tree, per HomeGuide's 2026 national data. Dead ash can run higher.

Can I burn the brush?

Clean wood waste can be burned at home under IDEM's conditions: a covered noncombustible container, daylight only, attended. Not during a burn ban.

Do I need a county permit to cut trees?

We found none for your own land. Street trees in Petersburg and trees in a state right-of-way are different.

Why are river-bottom trees risky?

Wet, flood-prone soils and fast-growing, weak-wooded species. NRCS data rate 22.4% of the county as flood-prone.

Sources

Related tree removal guides

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.