A tree work estimate is what a tree care company leaves behind after walking the property with the customer: which trees, what will be done to each, what it takes to get there, and what it will cost. A good one prevents the two arguments every tree company knows — "I thought you were taking the stump too" and "nobody said you would drive on the lawn". This form records the visit tree by tree, with a price on each item so the customer can pick and choose, then the access, nearby power lines, permits, timing and terms, and ends with the customer's signature. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
One line per tree, one price per line
Customers rarely accept everything on the first pass. Pricing each tree or task separately lets them say yes to the dead oak over the garage and leave the hedge for next spring, and it lets the crew see exactly what was sold. Each entry carries a tag or location the crew can find without a phone call, the species, the trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) in inches and a rough height.
Write the work in words the crew and the customer both understand. Many companies phrase pruning in ANSI A300 terms — clean, thin, raise, reduce — and add the amount, for example "reduce the crown on the house side by about 8 ft". A photo of each tree, ideally with the customer pointing at the limb in question, settles most later disagreements.
Access, targets and equipment decide the price
Two identical maples can be very different jobs. One stands beside the driveway where a bucket truck and chipper park at its base; the other is in a fenced backyard over a pool, reachable only through a 4 ft gate. The estimate records how hard each tree is to reach, what sits below it, and which equipment the job needs — a climber, a lift, a crane, the chipper, the stump grinder — so the person scheduling the crew sends the right truck.
Note the ground as well: slopes, soft lawns, septic fields, irrigation heads and buried lines. If the crew will need ground mats or plywood to protect the turf, say so and price it.
Power lines and permits
Any tree within reach of an overhead line needs a decision before anyone climbs it. Work inside the minimum approach distance belongs to a line-clearance qualified arborist, as the crew's qualification, the utility and the applicable rules require; many utilities will also drop or cover a service line on request. The estimate records which lines are near which trees and what the plan is, and an undecided plan is flagged.
Many cities, counties and homeowners associations protect certain trees, street trees or trees in historic districts. Rules differ from place to place, so the form asks whether a permit is needed and who is getting it, rather than guessing at the rule.
Terms and acceptance
Write down what is not included as clearly as what is: stump grinding unless listed, removing grindings, root removal below grade, lawn repair beyond raking, damage to unmarked private underground lines. Add the deposit, how long the price holds and how the customer can accept. A signature on site, or a later reply that refers to this estimate, turns it into the work order.
Common questions
Should a tree estimate list a price for each tree?
It helps. A per-item price lets the customer accept some work and defer the rest, and it tells the crew exactly what was sold. This form has a price on every entry and a typed total at the end.
What should a tree removal estimate say about cleanup?
Say what happens to the brush, the logs and the stump: hauled away, chipped and left, cut to firewood length, or left in large rounds. Most disputes after a removal are about the wood and the stump, not the tree.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
Sometimes. Many municipalities protect trees above a certain size, street trees or trees in historic districts, and homeowners associations may have their own rules. Check with your city or county before the work is scheduled; this form records whether a permit is needed and who is applying.
Can this estimate be used near power lines?
It records which trees are near which lines and what the plan is. It does not decide whether work can be done safely; that depends on the crew's line-clearance qualification and the utility's and regulators' requirements.
Is this estimate a contract?
It becomes the record of what the customer agreed to once they sign or accept it in writing. Your own terms and conditions, and your local law, decide what makes a binding contract.