Crane tree removal in Murfreesboro — big trees lifted out, not dragged out
When the tree is bigger than the yard, a crane picks it up in a few heavy sections and sets each one down in the street where the chipper is waiting. Half a day instead of three, and nothing touches the roof.
Plenty of Murfreesboro trees are too big for the lot they're on. An 80-foot silver maple planted in a 1960s back yard near MTSU now spreads over three houses; a hackberry that volunteered on a Blackman fence line in 1995 is now sixty feet tall and leaning over a pool. Rigging a tree like that down piece by piece means days of a climber working over the roof with heavy sections on ropes. A crane changes the math: a climber sets a sling on a section, the crane takes the weight, the cut is made, and the section swings out over the house to the street in one move.
We use cranes for the big ones — trees over houses, garages and pools, trees on lots a truck can't reach, and dead ash and hackberry that aren't safe to climb — and we tell you when a crane isn't worth it. Most jobs wrap in a morning. Traffic control, the crane's outrigger mats on your driveway and any street-use notice the city wants are all part of the price.
What's included
Certified operator
A licensed crane operator and a climber who rigs for the crane every week, not once a year.
Site plan
Where the crane sets up, where the outriggers land, what gets plated, where the sections go — decided before the truck rolls.
Roof protection
Sections are lifted clear, not swung low; nothing drags across the shingles or the gutters.
Brittle-tree removals
Dead ash and hollow hackberry taken out by crane and bucket without putting a climber in a tree that can't hold one.
Traffic control
Cones, flaggers and any city street-use notice when the crane has to sit in the road.
Same-day cleanup
Chipper and log truck on site so the street and yard are clear when the crane leaves.
Crane tree removal cost in Murfreesboro, TN
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crane removal, medium tree over a structure | $2,500 – $4,200 | Half-day crane |
| Crane removal, large maple, oak or hackberry | $4,000 – $7,500 | Full-day crane, two picks or more |
| Dead ash or hollow hackberry (unclimbable) | $2,800 – $6,500 | Crane plus bucket truck |
| Multiple trees, one crane setup | $6,000 – $14,000 | Priced per tree with a shared setup |
| Street closure / traffic control | $250 – $700 | When the crane sits in the road |
These are 2026 Rutherford County ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — removal, rigging or crane, hauling, stump grinding, any paperwork — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about crane tree removal
When does a tree need a crane?
When it's over a house, garage or pool with no room to lower sections; when the lot is too tight for a bucket truck; when the tree is dead or hollow and can't safely hold a climber; or when the tree is simply so big that rigging would take days. If a crane isn't the cheaper or safer answer, we'll say so.
Will the crane damage my driveway?
The outriggers go down on timber mats or steel plates that spread the load. A standard concrete driveway handles a crane on mats; we look at the driveway on the estimate visit and set up in the street if it's questionable.
How long does a crane removal take?
Most single-tree crane jobs in Murfreesboro are done in three to five hours, including cleanup. A very large tree over multiple structures can run a full day.
Does the city need to know?
If the crane has to sit in a public street we handle the notice and traffic control. Setting up in your driveway needs nothing from the city.
Is crane removal more expensive?
Per hour, yes. Per job, often not — a crane finishes in a morning what rigging takes three days to do, and it takes the roof out of the equation entirely.