How much does tree removal cost in Adelaide?
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Adelaide arborists build a quote from two things: the height of the tree and how hard it is to get at. Our table runs $230–$735 for a small tree, $735–$2,300 for a medium one and $1,850–$4,600 for a large one, with the tallest trees reaching $4,150–$13,800. Reducing a canopy instead of felling it is $185–$1,100, and a medium stump ground out afterwards is $230–$460. Before any of that, take a tape measure to the trunk: across metropolitan Adelaide, a thick enough trunk makes a tree regulated or significant, and cutting it becomes development that needs council approval. GST is included throughout.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Tree removal cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Tree Removal Cost in Adelaide 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal (under 5 m) | $230per tree | $460 | $735 |
| Medium tree removal (5–10 m) | $735per tree | $1,375 | $2,300 |
| Large tree removal (10–20 m) | $1,850per tree | $3,225 | $4,600 |
| Extra-large tree (20 m+) | $4,150per tree | $6,000 | $13,800 |
| Palm tree removal | $230per tree | $370 | $1,100 |
| Stump grinding (small <30 cm) | $140per stump | $185 | $275 |
| Stump grinding (medium 30–60 cm) | $230per stump | $320 | $460 |
| Stump grinding (large 60 cm+) | $370per stump | $550 | $830 |
| Tree pruning / trimming | $185per tree | $415 | $1,100 |
| Hedge trimming, maintained hedge up to 2.5 m (per m) | $5/m | $11 | $23 |
| Arborist report | $275per report | $415 | $645 |
| Emergency / storm damage | $460per job | $1,375 | $4,600 |
| Arborist hourly rate | $64/hr | $110 | $165 |
| Large palm (10 m+) or Canary Island date palm removal | $1,100per tree | $1,650 | $2,750 |
| Tree on house / structure, crane-assisted emergency removal | $2,750per job | $6,450 | $11,050 |
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Get Adelaide quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Adelaide metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
What to Know About Tree Removal Work and Cost in Adelaide
Adelaide is the driest capital we price, at 524.5 mm of rain a year, and 75.0% of Greater Adelaide dwellings were separate houses in 2021.
Smaller jobs in the table: a tree under 5 m is $230–$735 to remove and pruning $185–$1,100 a tree, so taking one out and trimming another comes to $875 at the typical prices.
In metropolitan Adelaide a tree with a trunk circumference of 1 metre or more, measured 1 metre above the ground, is a regulated tree, and removing or damaging one is development that needs approval. A reputable arborist quotes you knowing this, and either sorts the permit themselves or refuses to remove until you have one. If a quote seems suspiciously cheap, ask explicitly whether the permit is included.
Arborist cost in Adelaide (2026): hourly rates, reports and clearing trees
An arborist in Adelaide charges $64–$165 an hour, with $110 typical for a qualified climber and a ground crew. Most tree work is quoted per job rather than by the hour, so the per-tree bands below are what you are actually asked to pay; the hourly rate is what sits behind them.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arborist hourly rate | $64/hr | $110 | $165 |
| Arborist report | $275 | $415 | $645 |
| Small tree removal (under 5 m) | $230 | $460 | $735 |
| Medium tree removal (5–10 m) | $735 | $1,375 | $2,300 |
| Large tree removal (10–20 m) | $1,850 | $3,225 | $4,600 |
| Extra-large tree (20 m+) | $4,150 | $6,000 | $13,800 |
| Stump grinding (medium 30–60 cm) | $230 | $320 | $460 |
Arborist report cost in Adelaide: $275–$645, with $415 typical. Councils across Adelaide ask for a report from a qualified arborist before they will issue a permit to remove a protected tree, and it is also what a builder needs when trees on a block are in the way of a new house. The report is a separate fee from the removal itself.
Cost of clearing trees for a house or a block: clearing is priced tree by tree using the same size bands, from $230 for a small tree to $13,800 for a very large one, plus stump grinding if the stumps have to go. A block with several trees is quoted as one job, and the arborist report and any permits come first.
What moves an arborist quote in Adelaide:
- Size and species: height, trunk diameter and how the timber behaves when cut set the band.
- Access: a tree that can be felled in one piece is far cheaper than one that has to be dismantled over a roof, a pool or power lines.
- Disposal: chipping on site is usually included; carting logs away or leaving them for firewood changes the price.
- Stumps: grinding is a separate line and depends on the stump diameter.
- "Cheap tree removal": the lowest quotes are often uninsured or skip the permit. Ask for insurance and whether the permit is included before comparing prices.
Whether a tree needs council approval in Adelaide is covered in the questions below; the arborist will tell you before quoting.
What Affects Tree Removal Costs in Adelaide
Trunk size decides the rules
South Australian law protects trees by girth, not height. Inside the Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay, which covers metropolitan Adelaide, a tree is regulated once its trunk measures 1 metre or more around at 1 metre above the ground, and significant at 2 metres or more. Removing, lopping, topping or ring barking either kind is development, so the council has to approve it before the chainsaw starts.
Trees outside the rules
No approval is needed for a dead tree, for one of the 24 exotic species the Minister has designated (London Plane, Silver Maple, Box Elder and Weeping Willow among them), or for a tree within 3 metres of your house or in-ground pool on the same allotment. That 3-metre exemption does not reach Willow Myrtle, Angophora, Corymbia or Eucalyptus, so a gum beside the house still needs approval.
Fees, conditions and fines
Owners pay the normal development application fee, while a neighbour applying to lop branches on their own side of the boundary pays none. Councils can approve a removal on condition that replacement trees are planted or money is paid into an urban tree fund, so ask how that would be costed. Undertaking development without approval can bring a fine of up to $120,000.
Reducing rather than removing
Plenty of Adelaide owners want a tree made smaller, not gone. Pruning is $185–$1,100 in our table, but the law counts excessive pruning as tree-damaging activity. The exclusion only covers pruning that takes no more than 30% of the crown to remove dead or diseased wood or branches posing a risk, and on a private tree only once every 5 years.
Height bands and palms
Once the approval question is settled, height sets the base price: $735–$2,300 for a medium tree and $1,850–$4,600 for a large one, rising to $4,150–$13,800 where the crew needs rigging, a crane or extra climbers. A palm, typically $370, comes in well below the typical medium-tree job of $1,375.
Getting gear to the tree
Separate houses make up 75% of Greater Adelaide dwellings (ABS 2021 Census), so the typical tree stands in a backyard reached down a driveway or side path. If a truck and chipper can park close by, branches go straight into the chute; if every limb has to be dragged past the house, the extra time is billed at $64–$165 an hour.
Urgent and storm work
When a regulated tree threatens a person or building, the urgent work can go ahead with as little damage to the tree as possible, but the council must be told by phone or email within 28 days and an application lodged afterwards. Emergency jobs are $460–$4,600 in our table, so photograph the danger before the crew starts.
How to Save Money on Tree Removal Cost in Adelaide
- Measure the trunk 1 metre above the ground before you ring for quotes: under 1 metre around, the tree is not regulated unless the Planning and Design Code lists it by name.
- January and February are Adelaide's driest months, at about 20 mm of rain each (BOM averages), so lawns and verges are firm enough for a stump grinder and a loaded trailer.
- If a neighbour's regulated tree hangs over your yard, you can apply to lop the branches on your side, and that application carries no fee.
- Ask the council early whether replanting or an urban tree fund payment will be a condition, so you know the full cost of losing the tree before you commit.
- Planning to replant in the same spot? Have the stump ground deep and the grindings taken away, since fresh chip makes a poor bed for new roots.
- Renting? Put any tree request to the owner or agent in writing rather than booking the work yourself; 28.4% of Greater Adelaide households rent (ABS 2021 Census).
Adelaide's Significant Tree provisions
Adelaide has SA's Significant Tree provisions that protect trees with 2m+ trunk circumference at 1m height — common for mature peppermints, redgums, and oaks in heritage suburbs (Norwood, Unley, Hyde Park, Walkerville). Permit-required removal: $1,000–$3,000 including arborist report and council application. Standard non-significant removal: $300–$1,000. Adelaide's lower humidity means fewer disease-related removals but more storm-damage callouts after winter front-systems.
Removing a Significant Tree in Adelaide needs development approval, and the council may approve the application, approve it subject to conditions or refuse it. Worth scoping permit cost into project budget from the outset.
Frequently Asked Questions — Tree Removal Cost in Adelaide
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →