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ISA-Certified Arborists · Fully Insured · Serving the Twin Cities Since 2006

Tree Removal in Minneapolis & the Twin Cities

Not sure it has to come down? We’ll tell you straight, even when the answer costs us the job.

Most homeowners call us because something’s wrong: a tree that’s dead, split, leaning toward the house, or dropping limbs after the last storm. Some of those trees have to come down. Some don’t. An ISA-Certified Arborist will look at yours, tell you honestly which one it is, and give you a written estimate with the scope, the price, the cleanup, and the schedule spelled out.

You’ll speak with our scheduling team, who will arrange a visit from a certified arborist, not a salesperson.

Homeowner's view of a possibly dead tree in a Minneapolis MN back yard before an Urban Tree assessment

Does your tree need to go & what is the cost? Find out for free.

Send a photo so our certified arborist has the info they need to schedule you for the right estimate.

ISA Certified Arborist  ·  TCIA Member  ·  Fully Licensed & Insured  ·  4.8 / 133 Google Reviews  ·  1,000+ Removals  ·  Locally owned since 2006

The question nobody else answers first

Does It Actually Need to Come Down?

Plenty of companies will remove any tree you point at. We won’t. Before we quote a removal, a certified arborist looks at the tree’s condition, its structure, what’s under it, and whether the problem can be fixed with pruning or treatment instead. Sometimes the honest answer is “leave it alone and check it again in a few years.” We’ve given that answer more than once, and we’d rather give it than take money for work you don’t need.

Pruning, treatment, or time may be enough when

Removal is usually the right call when

Rated 5 out of 5

“He was also transparent with me about not spending another dime on one of my trees that appeared stressed and giving it a few years before deciding what to do with it, saving me from doing unnecessary or even harmful work on that tree.”

Courtney Barton, Twin Cities homeowner

Rated 5 out of 5

“He saved me a bundle by suggesting ways to save a tree rather than take it down. He had a true appreciation for the trees, especially my ancient hackberry.”

Renee Rauch, Twin Cities homeowner

Not sure which one you’ve got? That’s exactly what the free estimate is for.

No surprises, in writing

What’s Included, Every Removal, Every Time

Arborist assessment

An ISA-Certified Arborist evaluates the tree's condition, structure, and risk, plus access, nearby structures, and utilities, and builds the removal plan around your property.

A written scope and estimate

Exactly what's included: the removal method, the equipment, cleanup, stump options, timing, and the price. Alex M.: "They stick to their estimates and there are no surprises."

Property protection

Ground protection mats, plywood, and a mapped equipment path before anything moves. Your lawn, driveway, and landscaping are part of the job, not collateral damage.

The right removal method

Climbing and sectional dismantling, aerial lift, crane or boom-truck assist, or a conventional fell, chosen for your site, not for our convenience.

Haul-away and cleanup

Brush, logs, and sawdust gone. We rake the site and blow it clean. One customer put it best: they "even took leaf blowers to fluff up the grass."

Stump and restoration

Stump grinding below grade, grindings removed, plus grading and professional resodding when you want the spot to look like the tree was never there.

The right removal method often means a crane or boom-truck assist, and stump grinding is quoted as its own line item so you can choose.

From your call to the final walk

How a Removal Actually Goes

1

Tell us what you’re seeing

Call, or send the short form and add a photo of the tree. Thirty seconds. A photo tells us more than a paragraph.

2

A certified arborist comes out

Gabe or Adam looks at the tree, the access, and what’s around it, and tells you whether it should come down, what it’ll take, and what it’ll cost. No pressure, no menu of ten options you didn’t ask for.

3

You approve a written plan

Scope, method, equipment, cleanup, stump, schedule, price. In writing. You know exactly what’s happening before anyone starts a saw.

4

Removal day and final walk

We protect the property, take the tree down, haul it out, and clean the site. We walk it with you before we leave. Stump grinding is usually a quick follow-up visit.

Dying ash tree being removed from a wooded Minneapolis MN back yard by the Urban Tree crew

Permits, street closures, and utility coordination: we handle them. When a job needed the street shut down for a large dead oak, we got the city permits ourselves. The homeowner didn’t make a single call.

A REAL PLYMOUTH REMOVAL

A Failed Oak, Seven Dead Ash, and a Backyard the Kids Got Back

Plymouth, Minnesota, July 2026

 BEFORE

DURING

After

The concern

An oak failed into the backyard and left broken limbs hanging in the maple and elm above the work area. Seven dead ash stood around the yard perimeter, emerald ash borer among the reasons.

The constraints

Everything was in the back. Every trunk section and limb had to cross the lawn to reach the street, and the hangers overhead had to come down before anyone could work underneath them.

The plan

Ground protection mats first, to build one equipment route across the lawn. Clear the hangers, take the rest of the failed oak, then remove the seven ash while the crew and the loader were already set up. Haul it all out and rake before leaving.

The result

Eight trees out in one visit, wood and brush hauled off the property, and the lawn raked open again with the soccer goal back in the middle of it.

WHAT THE JOB TOOK

  • 8 trees removed, one failed oak and seven dead ash
  • 1 crew visit, no second mobilization
  • Ground protection mats across the full equipment route
  • All wood, brush and debris hauled off the property

One tree, several ways down

Every Tree Comes Down a Different Way

Urban Tree clearing a tree along a back fence and alley in Brooklyn Center MN

Standard tree removal

Open access, room to work, no structures in the fall path. Climbed or sectioned down, chipped, hauled, done.

You are here

Boom truck crane lifting a large silver maple section over a Maple Grove home

Crane-assisted removal

Big tree, tight spot. A boom truck lifts 2,000-lb sections straight up and over the house instead of dragging them across your lawn. Usually faster, and on hard-access jobs, often cheaper.

emergency tree removal Minneapolis MN, a storm-damaged tree resting on a house roof

Emergency tree removal

Tree on the house, across the driveway, or into the lines. Live answering, same-day response, and we document everything for your insurance claim.

Metallic green adult emerald ash borer beetle on stripped ash wood, roughly half an inch long

Emerald ash borer / dead ash

EAB-killed ash turns brittle within a couple of seasons. We won’t put a climber in a tree that can’t be safely climbed, we pick it with the boom truck instead.

The honest version

What Tree Removal Costs in the Twin Cities

Two trees that look identical can be priced very differently, and it isn’t the salesperson’s mood. It’s size, access, and risk. Here’s the honest version.

What drives the price

FactorWhy it moves the number
Tree size and speciesHeight, trunk diameter, and total tonnage set the baseline. A 25-ft ornamental and a 70-ft oak are not the same job.
AccessA front-yard tree the truck can reach is the cheapest version of any removal. A fenced backyard with no equipment access is the most expensive.
ConditionDead, split, storm-damaged, or leaning trees are more hazardous and take longer to bring down safely.
Proximity to structures and utilitiesOver a house, garage, fence, or power lines means rigging, planning, and time, or a crane.
Crane or boom-truck requirementSometimes it’s the safest option. Often it’s also the cheaper one. (See the crane page for why.)
Stump, cleanup, and restorationGrinding, grindings removal, grading, and resodding are scoped separately so you can choose.
Permits and traffic controlStreet closures and city permits, where the job needs them. We handle these.

Typical ranges by tree size

Tree sizeTypical heightEstimated range
SmallUp to 25 ft, ornamentals, small evergreens$300 to $700
Medium25 to 45 ft, maples, birches$700 to $1,800
Large45 to 65 ft, ash, oak, locust$1,500 to $4,000
Very large65 ft+, mature oak, cottonwood, silver maple$3,500 to $6,000+

Same tree, different conditions: the 45-ft ash

ScenarioWhyCost
Front yard, easy accessTruck and chipper reach the tree$800 to $1,200
Side yard, fences and obstaclesHand-carry, careful rigging$1,500 to $4,000
Backyard, no access, felled by handSlow, high-risk, piece by piece$7,000 to $8,000
Backyard, crane-assistedCrane lifts sections out cleanlyabout $3,500

Read that last row again. On a tight backyard job, the crane is often the cheaper option, not the expensive one. Most of our crane jobs save the customer $2,000 or more versus doing it the hard way.

We’re not the cheapest tree company in the Twin Cities, and we don’t try to be. If one bid comes in at $800 when everyone else says $3,000, ask for the written scope, ask for proof of insurance, and ask who’s paying if a limb goes through the roof. We’ve been called out to clean up after too-good-to-be-true offers more than once.

4.8 stars, 133 Google reviews

What Your Neighbours Say About Removals

Rated 5 out of 5

Big trees

“Gabe (owner) has an awesome crew working for him. These guys were efficient, thorough and professional with my large 70′ ash tree removal project.”

Tom Schibilla

Rated 5 out of 5

Cleanup

“…able to accommodate a tree removal project under very short notice… I was most impressed with their detail in cleaning up the site. They left our yard in better condition than it was before the project started.”

MIKE Anderson

Rated 5 out of 5

Certification

“Having a certified arborist matters; this is not a fly-by-night guy with undeserved self-confidence, ‘sure, we have a chain saw.’ This might not be the cheapest but quality matters.”

Katie Trotzky

Straight answers

Tree Removal Questions We Get Every Week

That’s what the free estimate is for. A certified arborist looks at the tree’s condition, structure, lean, and what’s underneath it. Dead trees, major trunk cracks, EAB-killed ash, and trees leaning at a structure usually need to come down. Dead branches, roof clearance, and treatable disease usually don’t, and we’ll tell you that even though it costs us the job.

Yes. Brush, logs, and debris are hauled away and the site is raked and blown clean, that’s included in the removal, and it’s written into your scope so there’s no argument later. Stump grinding is quoted separately so you can decide.

It’s a separate line item, not an automatic add-on, some people want the stump gone, some want to replant, some are fine leaving it. We grind below grade, clear the grindings, and can grade and resod the spot if you want it to look like the tree was never there.

When the tree is large and the space is tight, close to a house, garage, fence, or power lines, or when it’s too dead to safely climb. A boom truck lifts sections up and over instead of dragging them across your lawn. It’s often faster, and on hard-access jobs it can cost less than felling by hand.

It depends on the city and whether the tree is on your property or in the boulevard. Minneapolis and St. Paul both regulate boulevard trees, and some cities require permits or street closures for large removals. We know the rules where we work and we handle the permits, you don’t make the calls.

Yes. We coordinate directly with the utility for line clearance when a removal is close to service drops or primary lines. Do not attempt this yourself and do not hire anyone who says they’ll “just be careful.”

Planned removals are typically scheduled within days to a couple of weeks depending on the season and the equipment needed. Emergencies are different, call and we respond same-day.

A tree on your house, garage, or car. A tree blocking your driveway or the street. A tree or limb hung up over something you care about. A tree into the power lines. If it’s any of those, don’t fill out a form, call 612-532-9996.

Yes. We document the damage, the work, and the site, and we deal with adjusters directly. Storm removal claims move a lot faster with proper documentation, and we’ve done this a lot.

Get a Straight Answer About Your Tree

A certified arborist will come out, look at it, and tell you honestly whether it needs to come down, and if it does, exactly what it’ll take and what it’ll cost. Written estimate. No pressure. No surprises.

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    We read every one of these. If your tree is a hazard right now, call instead: 612-532-9996.

    Serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Brooklyn Park, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Champlin, Osseo, Rogers, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Roseville and the surrounding Twin Cities metro.
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