How much does tree removal cost in Townsville?
In Townsville the timing of a tree job matters almost as much as the tree. Taking down a tree from the smallest height band costs $270–$865, and the price rises through $865–$2,700 for medium trees and $2,150–$5,400 for large ones to as much as $4,850–$16,200 for the tallest. Palm removal is priced separately at $270–$1,300. A tree left to fail in a wet-season storm turns into an emergency callout at $540–$5,400, so the dry months are the time to deal with any tree you are unsure about. Whether your tree needs council approval is set by Townsville City Council, so ask before work starts. Every price here is GST-inclusive.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Tree removal cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Tree Removal Cost in Townsville 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal (under 5 m) | $270per tree | $540 | $865 |
| Medium tree removal (5–10 m) | $865per tree | $1,625 | $2,700 |
| Large tree removal (10–20 m) | $2,150per tree | $3,775 | $5,400 |
| Extra-large tree (20 m+) | $4,850per tree | $7,000 | $16,200 |
| Palm tree removal | $270per tree | $430 | $1,300 |
| Stump grinding (small <30 cm) | $160per stump | $215 | $325 |
| Stump grinding (medium 30–60 cm) | $270per stump | $380 | $540 |
| Stump grinding (large 60 cm+) | $430per stump | $650 | $970 |
| Tree pruning / trimming | $215per tree | $485 | $1,300 |
| Hedge trimming, maintained hedge up to 2.5 m (per m) | $5/m | $13 | $27 |
| Arborist report | $325per report | $485 | $755 |
| Emergency / storm damage | $540per job | $1,625 | $5,400 |
| Arborist hourly rate | $76/hr | $130 | $195 |
| Large palm (10 m+) or Canary Island date palm removal | $1,300per tree | $1,950 | $3,250 |
| Tree on house / structure, crane-assisted emergency removal | $3,250per job | $7,550 | $12,950 |
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Get Townsville quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Townsville metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
What to Know About Tree Removal Work and Cost in Townsville
Townsville is in cyclonic wind region C, where buildings should be designed for a Category 4 cyclone with gusts of about 250 km/h.
A storm-damage job is $540–$5,400 in the Townsville table, and removing a large tree of 10–20 m $2,150–$5,400.
Townsville's storm calendar is the reverse of the southern states'. The tropical cyclone season officially runs from November to April, the same months that bring about 90% of Townsville's rain (Bureau of Meteorology; rainfall averages for Townsville Aero). Trees and limbs that could come down on a house are best dealt with in the dry season, before the first storms. After a cyclone or severe storm, emergency call-outs tend to come first and non-urgent removals wait.
Whether a tree in Townsville needs a permit depends on local rules, which can turn on its size, species, location and any heritage listing. 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 Townsville (2026): hourly rates, reports and clearing trees
An arborist in Townsville charges $76–$195 an hour, with $130 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 | $76/hr | $130 | $195 |
| Arborist report | $325 | $485 | $755 |
| Small tree removal (under 5 m) | $270 | $540 | $865 |
| Medium tree removal (5–10 m) | $865 | $1,625 | $2,700 |
| Large tree removal (10–20 m) | $2,150 | $3,775 | $5,400 |
| Extra-large tree (20 m+) | $4,850 | $7,000 | $16,200 |
| Stump grinding (medium 30–60 cm) | $270 | $380 | $540 |
Arborist report cost in Townsville: $325–$755, with $485 typical. Councils across Townsville 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 $270 for a small tree to $16,200 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 Townsville:
- 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 Townsville is covered in the questions below; the arborist will tell you before quoting.
Palm tree removal in Townsville
What removing a palm costs in Townsville
Removing a palm is $270–$1,300 a tree in our Townsville table, typically $430, against $270–$865 for a small tree under 5 m. The palm line is a wide one, so if you have more than one palm, ask for the price of each.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Tree Removal Costs in Townsville
Cyclone season and the wet
BOM's official cyclone season runs from November to April, and Townsville's heavy rain falls in the same months: February averages 312.4 mm at the airport station, against 9.9 mm in September (BOM averages). A tree with a split fork, a lean or dead wood over the roof is best dealt with in the dry months, on your timetable, before a storm makes it an emergency job at $540–$5,400.
Council approval
Townsville City Council's planning rules decide whether a particular tree needs approval, and what an application costs, so ask the council about your lot before the arborist starts. Under Queensland's Planning Act, a person must not carry out assessable development unless all necessary development permits are in effect, so if your tree is covered, cutting first and asking later is an offence.
Palm removal
Palms are priced on their own at $270–$1,300: one straight trunk and no limbs to rig, but a heavy head of fronds and seed stalks to lower safely. Ask whether the quote has the whole trunk cut and carted away, or only the crown taken off with the trunk left in lengths for you to deal with.
House blocks and access
Separate houses make up 80.1% of Townsville dwellings, above the Queensland figure of 74.8% (ABS 2021 Census), so most homes have a yard of their own. The price then turns on reach: a truck and chipper parked near the trunk keeps the job moving, while a tree boxed in by a shed, carport and fence has to come apart in pieces, billed at $76–$195 an hour.
Renters and body corporates
Townsville has a high share of renters, 38.3% of households against 30.6% nationally (ABS 2021 Census). A tree on a rental belongs to the owner, so ask the agent to arrange the arborist rather than booking work yourself. In a unit or townhouse complex, trees on common property are a matter for the body corporate committee.
Growth that hardly stops
Townsville sits in NCC climate zone 1, and even July, the coolest month, averages 25.2 °C by day (BOM averages), so garden trees keep growing for most of the year. Pruning is $215–$1,300 a visit and hedge work $5–$27 a metre, so a regular trim usually costs less than letting a tree grow into a medium-sized removal.
When a report is worth it
An arborist report is $325–$755. It earns its cost when you are unsure whether a big tree is actually unsound, when the council wants evidence with an application, or when a neighbour disputes the risk. A useful report names the species, measures the trunk and canopy, and says plainly whether the tree should be pruned, watched or removed.
How to Save Money on Tree Removal Cost in Townsville
- Book non-urgent removals between May and October, when Townsville's rainfall is at its lowest and crews are not tied up with storm calls.
- Before November, walk the yard for dead limbs over the roof, cracked forks and palms dropping fronds on the driveway, and have one visit deal with all of them.
- On a big shade tree, ask for two prices, one to remove it and one to thin it and lift it clear of the house; in a city where December averages 31.6 °C (BOM averages), shade on a west wall is worth something.
- Ask the council whether your tree needs approval before the arborist quotes, and keep its answer in writing.
- Keep the chipped mulch for your garden beds; it helps the soil hold moisture through the long dry season.
- Ask what arboriculture qualification the climber holds and for a current certificate of insurance before anyone goes up the tree.
Tree Removal Cost in Townsville by Tree Size
Say a large tree comes down and its medium stump is ground out: $2,150–$5,400 for the tree and $270–$540 for the stump comes to $2,420–$5,940. Say a medium tree comes down and the stump stays: $865–$2,700. The sizes are the example's own assumptions.
A tree hemmed in by a shed, a carport and a fence comes apart in pieces, billed at $76–$195 an hour; one a truck and chipper can park near keeps the job moving. Heavy rain in the cyclone months, with February the wettest, softens the ground, and the dry months from May to October suit planned work.
Tree Removal Cost in Townsville: What the Quote Should Include
Townsville stays warm in July, so garden trees keep growing, and storm call-outs crowd the cyclone months from November to April; the date and the scope both belong on a written quote.
- Height band and species if known on every tree, read against $270–$865 a tree for small, $865–$2,700 a tree for medium or $2,150–$5,400 a tree for large.
- Palms: whether the trunk is cut up and removed or the crown alone is taken and the trunk left in lengths, priced against $270–$1,300 a tree.
- A big shade tree priced both ways: removed, or thinned back from the house, with the thinning read against $215–$1,300 a tree.
- Regular upkeep as its own line: pruning at $215–$1,300 a tree and hedge work at $5–$27 a metre.
- A block boxed in by a shed, carport or fence: whether the tree comes apart in pieces, billed at $76–$195 an hour.
- Mulch kept for garden beds, and the stump at $270–$540 a stump for medium or $430–$970 a stump for large, or left in the ground.
- An arborist report as its own line if the job has one, against $325–$755 a report, naming the species and measuring the trunk and canopy.
- Storm damage read against $540–$5,400 a job; in a unit or townhouse complex, the body corporate committee named as the contact for trees on common property.
- For a rental, the owner or agent arranges the arborist; the climber's qualification and a current certificate of insurance are asked for, then GST and the start date.
Frequently Asked Questions — Tree Removal Cost in Townsville
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 →