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Last reviewed 2026-10-17

Tree Removal Cost in Yuma County, AZ

Removing a palm in Yuma County usually costs $200 to $1,200 on HomeGuide's national price list (February 2026), and HomeGuide's guide says most single trees of any species land between $400 and $1,200. In a county where Wikipedia notes almost all of Arizona's dates are grown, tall date and fan palms are the trees most homeowners ask about, followed by mesquite, eucalyptus and pines in older yards.

Wind, not rain, is the risk. Wikipedia's NOAA 1991-2020 normals give Yuma just 3.28 inches of rain a year and a July average high of 106.7 F, so trees here are stressed and often shallow-rooted from irrigation. When a monsoon storm hits, they go over: the Storm Prediction Center's reports for September 4-5, 2025 logged a 60 mph gust at Yuma International Airport, 58 mph readings at the Mohawk Dunes and Bakers Tank weather stations, a large tree down on 2 vehicles in Yuma, and Highway 95 closed by a downed power line near Fortuna Foothills.

After that storm, KYMA reported the City of Yuma opened a temporary green-waste drop-off at South Avenue A and West 17th Street, and that it did not take palm fronds. That detail sums up local tree work: fronds and trunks are bulky, fibrous and awkward to dispose of, and disposal is a real line on every Yuma bid.

Cost at a glance

Yuma County tree removal cost at a glance
Item	Typical cost	Source
Palm	$200-$1,200	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)
Chipping	$50-$100	HomeGuide, Feb 2026 (national)
Rural Metro residential burn permit	$15 (30 days) / $40 (6 months) / $75 (year)	Rural Metro Fire
Small recreational fire in the city (3 ft x 2 ft max)	No permit	City of Yuma Fire Department

Permits

Inside the city limits, City of Yuma Fire Department rules let you have a cooking or recreational fire up to 3 feet across and 2 feet high without a permit; anything bigger is a bonfire or open burn that needs a city permit, an application and a site plan, and the department must be notified before and after the fire.

In unincorporated Yuma County, Rural Metro Fire issues the burn permits, only for prescribed burn days, sometimes after a site inspection, and it does not allow burning weeds in place. Rural Metro's fee list is $15 for a 30-day residential permit, $40 for six months and $75 for a year; commercial and agricultural permits cost $30, $55 and $100.

Arizona's native plant law, A.R.S. 3-904, requires notice to the Department of Agriculture at least 20 days before destroying protected native plants on less than an acre (30 days for 1 to 40 acres, 60 days above that), but exempts an owner-occupied residential lot of 10 acres or less that already has a house on it. Farm and lot clearing in the desert can trigger it; an ordinary yard tree does not.

Step 1: check whether the tree is near an APS line and request a forestry review if it is. Step 2: decide on disposal: haul-off, chipping, or a fire permit from the city or Rural Metro. Step 3: ask crews for itemized bids that list fronds, trunk and stump separately. Step 4: call Arizona 811 at least two full working days before grinding the stump or replanting.

Local conditions

Palms dominate removals. Date palms grown in commercial groves near Yuma and fan palms in older neighborhoods both reach heights where crews need a lift or crane, and frond skirts are a fire and pest hazard if left.

Ground varies: the NRCS survey for the Yuma-Wellton area shows 21.6% of mapped acres at 8% slope or more, mostly toward the Gila and Tule Mountains and the mesa edges, while the irrigated valley floor near the Colorado River is flat and easy to reach with trucks.

Per the same NRCS data, bedrock sits within 100 cm on 12.0% of that survey area and 7.4% of mapped soil is rated for occasional or frequent flooding, mostly in washes and along the Gila River.

Disasters on paper are rare: FEMA's declarations data show just 3 weather-related major disasters for the county, floods in 1983 and 1993 and heavy rain and high winds in 1985. Most wind damage, like the September 2025 storm, never reaches that level, so cleanup costs fall on owners and insurers.

What drives local prices

Species: HomeGuide's national data put palms at $200-$1,200 and pines at $250-$1,600; hardwood shade trees like ash run $650-$2,000.
Height: per HomeGuide, 30-60 ft costs $500-$1,500 and 60-80 ft $850-$2,000; a mature date palm can sit in either band.
Lift work: palms near APS lines or houses may need a bucket or crane; we add an est. 20% to 40% when a crane is required.
Disposal: fronds and trunks are heavy and bulky and the city's 2025 storm drop-off would not take fronds, so haul-off is usually priced in; HomeGuide lists chipping at $50-$100.
Stump: HomeGuide's survey puts stump removal at $100-$500+.
Method: ranges are HomeGuide's published national figures (Feb 4, 2026), with local crane and access adjustments marked est.; none are Yuma County bids. Figures checked October 16, 2026.

Common jobs

Tall date and fan palm removal
Frond and skirt cleanup on palms before monsoon season
Removing storm-split eucalyptus, pine and mesquite
Stump and root-ball removal from irrigated yards

Service area

Requests come from Yuma and Fortuna Foothills along I-8 and the I-8 Business Loop, from Somerton, Gadsden and San Luis down US 95 toward the border, and from Wellton, Tacna and Dateland farther east on I-8; SR 195 links San Luis to the interstate.

APS serves the area. It says only APS-approved contractors trim near its lines and that a forestry representative will assess a request within 10 business days, with free pruning or removal where a tree threatens high-voltage lines.

Need a number for your palm or mesquite? Send it through the free quote form below with the height, species and what is underneath. A member of our team replies by email with next steps and, where we know them, local insured crews to contact.

Communities: Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, Fortuna Foothills, Wellton, Gadsden, Tacna, Dateland

When something can’t wait

If a storm drops a tree or palm onto a line, keep clear and call APS or 911. HomeGuide says emergency same-day or next-day removals cost 2 to 3 times standard rates; photos of the damage help with an insurance claim.

Questions about Yuma County

How much does palm tree removal cost in Yuma County?

HomeGuide's 2026 national range for palms is $200 to $1,200. Taller date palms, palms near wires and jobs that need a crane run higher, and haul-off of fronds and trunk is often extra.

Can I burn tree debris in Yuma?

In the city, only small cooking or recreational fires are allowed without a permit; larger burns need a Fire Department permit and site plan. Outside the city, Rural Metro sells permits starting at $15 for 30 days, for prescribed burn days only.

Will APS remove a tree near the power line?

APS says it will prune or remove trees that pose a risk to high-voltage lines at no charge after a forestry representative looks at them, and that only APS-approved contractors may trim near its lines. Keep plantings near overhead lines at 15 feet or less.

Why do Yuma trees blow over so often?

Trees kept alive by shallow watering often root shallowly, and monsoon gusts hit hard; SPC reports logged a 60 mph gust at the airport in the September 2025 storm. Leaning or heaving trees near the house are worth checking before the summer storms.

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.