Most tree removal calls in Murfreesboro are one of three things: a hackberry that's started dropping limbs or shows a hollow at the base, a dead ash the emerald ash borer finished off, or a tree that's simply in the way of a pool, a garage or an addition. Each one gets the same first step — our arborist looks at it and tells you whether it actually needs to come down, because plenty of "dead" trees are just late leafing out after a cold April and plenty of leaning cedars have leaned that way since the house was built.
When a tree does need to go, how we do it depends on what's underneath. A tree with room to fall gets dropped and bucked. A tree over the house, the deck, the service drop or the neighbor's fence gets climbed and rigged down in pieces, or lifted out whole with a crane when that's faster and safer. A dead ash that's too brittle to climb gets a bucket truck or a crane, never a climber. Either way the yard is raked, the wood is chipped or hauled, and the stump is ground if you want it gone.
What's included
Arborist assessment
Is it dead, dying, structurally unsound, or just ugly? A straight answer before you spend money.
Code check
We confirm whether the tree is yours, in the city right-of-way, a landmark tree, or part of a subdivision landscape plan — and who has to sign off.
Climbing & rigging
Sectional takedowns over roofs, decks, fences, sheds and service drops, with rigging lines and a ground crew.
Crane removals
Large maples, oaks and hackberries lifted out over the house when rigging would take days or risk the roof.
Cleanup
Wood chipped or hauled, lawn raked, driveway blown, firewood left cut if you want it.
Stump grinding
Scheduled with the removal or after, at the per-inch price on your estimate, with 811 called first.
Tree removal cost in Murfreesboro, TN
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree (under 25 ft, open access) | $250 – $700 | Dogwood, crape myrtle, Bradford pear, redbud |
| Medium tree (25–50 ft), open lot | $600 – $1,500 | Dropped and bucked |
| Large hackberry, maple or oak (50–80 ft) near structures | $1,500 – $4,000 | Climbed and rigged in sections |
| Dead ash (EAB), any size near a structure | $900 – $3,800 | Bucket or crane — too brittle to climb |
| Crane-assisted removal | $2,500 – $7,000 | Big trees over the house or garage |
| Emergency / storm removal | $600 – $4,500 | Any hour; insurance documentation provided |
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 tree removal
How much does it cost to remove a tree in Murfreesboro?
Between about $250 for a small ornamental and $7,000 for a crane job over the house, with most hackberry, maple, oak and ash removals landing between $600 and $4,000. Height, what's underneath it, whether a truck can get down the side yard, whether the tree is dead and brittle, and whether the stump is ground all move the number. You get it in writing on site.
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree in my yard in Murfreesboro?
For a tree on your own existing single-family lot, in our experience, no city permit is involved. Chapter 32.5 of the city code regulates trees in public areas — city property and the street right-of-way — and landmark trees; it says outright that a property owner may remove a tree they planted without a permit. The exceptions are real, though: a tree between the sidewalk and the curb belongs to the city, trees planted to satisfy a subdivision's or commercial site's zoning landscape plan are supposed to stay, enrolled landmark trees are protected on private land, and HOAs have their own rules. We check before we cut so you're never the one holding a violation.
Can you remove a tree close to my deck or the power drop?
Yes. A lot of Murfreesboro removals are within twenty feet of a deck, a screened porch or the service drop from the pole. We rig each section down on ropes or lift it with a crane so nothing touches the house. If limbs are within ten feet of the energized line, we have Middle Tennessee Electric drop or sleeve the line first — no one should be cutting inside that distance.
Will you remove a tree the HOA wants gone?
If it's on your property and not a protected tree, yes. Berkshire, Savannah Ridge, Puckett Station, Liberty Valley, Windsor Park and most of the newer subdivisions in Blackman, Salem and Barfield have architectural review rules; we know them and we'll tell you what paperwork they'll want.
What happens to the wood?
Chipped on site and hauled, or left as chips or firewood rounds if you'd rather keep them — oak, hickory and maple rounds are worth keeping; hackberry burns fine but rots fast. Large trunks go on the log truck.
Is your tree service licensed?
Tennessee doesn't license tree services statewide, which is exactly why you should ask for a certificate of insurance. Ours covers general liability and workers' compensation for tree work specifically — not a landscaping policy that excludes climbing — and we'll send it before we start.