Tree Pruning Cost

The tree pruning cost ranges from $75 to $2000 per tree in Albuquerque. Most property owners, however, pay a tree pruning cost of $350 to $650, with the typical medium-sized tree costing $450 to prune.

The amount you pay to prune a tree varies from tree to tree based on a collection of factors. To help you prepare a budget that suits the trees on your landscape, we will take a look at the factors that affect the tree pruning cost.

Factors Affecting the Tree Pruning Cost in Albuquerque

1. Tree Height

The tallest trees have the highest tree pruning cost. These are followed by medium-sized trees, with the small tree category closing the prices on the lower bracket.

Tall trees often carry more branches, they have more complicated tree crowns and the fact that their branches are bigger means they require more time to prune. Small trees are generally less risky, with their branches being much smaller.

Below, we have outlined the prices to expect when pruning trees of varying heights:

• Extremely large trees – These have a height of more than 80 feet. This makes them the most expensive trees to prune, generally costing $1500 to $2000.
• Large trees – On the lower end, these trees grow to a height of 60 feet, with most reaching a maximum height of 80 feet. To prune one of the trees, you will need to have $800 to $1500.
• Medium-sized trees – These trees grow to reach heights of 30 to 60 feet. To prune a medium-sized tree, you will need $150 to $800.
• Small trees – These are the most affordable trees. Generally having a maximum height of 30 feet, these trees cost $75 to $400 to prune.

2. Tree Species

The tree pruning requirements change from one tree species to the other. For example, species that grow to reach heights of 80 feet will require more advanced tree pruning gear compared to trees whose maximum height is just 30 feet. These differences generally cause changes in tree pruning cost.

Below, we have outlined the tree pruning costs to expect for the common tree species in Albuquerque:

Cherry Trees

Among the fruit trees in Albuquerque, cherry happens to be one of the smallest, generally growing to a maximum height of 12 to 15 feet. This makes the tree affordable to prune, with owners paying $100 to $400.

Lemon Trees

Lemon trees are pretty resilient – they can grow fruits even on branches that have no access to sunlight. While pruning is not required to increase productivity, occasional pruning prevents overgrowth. Carrying a height similar to that of cherry trees, lemon trees cost $100 to $400 to prune.

Palm Trees

Palm trees have a wide variation in height, with the shortest palms growing to a height of 20 feet while the tallest reach heights of above 80 feet. Depending on how tall your palm tree has grown, you should expect to spend $100 to $1500 on the tree pruning.

Plum Trees

Compared to pear and apple trees, plum trees do not need as precise pruning. However, plum trees can still benefit from thinning of its old wood to enhance productivity. In Albuquerque, you should expect to spend $200 to $500 on the plum tree pruning.

Pear and Fig Trees

Fig and pear trees grow to a height of approximately 30 feet. They have a similar price range, with professionals charging $250 – $550 to prune the trees.

Apple Trees

One of the most popular tree species in Albuquerque, the apple tree is the most pruned tree species in New Mexico. If you ignore apple tree pruning, the tree may fail to bear fruits – this makes pruning extremely important for both survival and strength. Most apple trees carry large, wide branches – this generally leads to a higher than average tree pruning cost of between $300 and $600.

Peach Trees

Pruning peaches helps boost the tree’s health and also extends the tree’s lifespan. Since the tree is relatively large, it costs $350 to $700 to prune.

3. Accessibility

If a tree is on open ground, the tree pruning procedure is much easier. After cutting, the branches can be allowed to fly off to the ground.

If the tree is surrounded by important structures, the tree pruning procedure will take more time as the branches cannot be allowed to drop down freely. Instead, the tree pruning experts will have to lower them down slowly using ropes. This procedure takes more time, which generally means a higher tree pruning cost.

A tree’s accessibility also influences the use of a bucket truck. Trees with an open space around them allow the professionals to use the bucket truck to get to the tree crown. This makes the procedure much easier compared to climbing the tree manually.

Manual climbing is needed for inaccessible trees. This means that the tree pruners will have to carry safety gear to avoid falling, as well as spend more time pruning one tree. This can increase the total tree pruning cost by 30% to 40%.

If you had been charged $1000 to prune your 60 feet oak tree with a bucket truck, you should expect to pay $1300 to $1400 if the bucket truck cannot be used and someone has to climb the tree manually.

4. Tree Health

It is rare to find a diseased tree that has no stability issues. The fact that trees with health complications are almost always unstable means that more safety gear is needed onsite. Also, pruning an unhealthy tree takes more time since the tree pruners have to ensure that every diseased branch has been removed. All this can increase the amount you pay for the pruning service.

Once the pruning is complete, an arborist will be invited to inspect your tree and determine the health complication affecting it. The arborist may recommend a couple of medications and/or pesticides to help restore the tree health. To pay for the arborist service and also purchase the needed medications, you may need an extra $50 to $500.

5. Additional Services

The tree pruning procedure generally goes hand in hand with several other services, including clean up and treatment services. Since most of these services are not included in the quoted cost, the property owners are forced to pay some extra money for them. Below, we have outlined the extra services to expect and the amount you may need to pay for them:

Treatment Service

This service is not mandatory. However, if your tree is showing signs of being unhealthy, you will probably spend some money on the treatment. In most cases, you will have to pay an arborist to diagnose your tree. Next, you will have to pay some money for the pesticides, the medications, and the application procedure – this can cost you $50 to $500.

Travel Fees

If the tree pruning team you are working with is based a significant distance from your home, you should be prepared to pay a travel fee of about $0.5 per mile. Some tree service providers, however, may charge you a fixed cost of $50 to $200, depending on the distance covered.

It is worth noting that you can avoid the travel fee by working with professionals closest to your home. Working with the professionals nearest your home puts you in their service zone, meaning that you won’t pay the travel fee.

Cleanup and Dumping

Tree pruning can leave your home looking messy. The good news, however, is that you can pay the tree pruners some extra money to help you with getting rid of the branches and leaves. For cleaning and dumping, most professionals charge $25 to $100.

Factors Affecting the Tree Pruning Timing

Professionals encourage tree owners to invest in tree pruning during the dormant stage. This is the period when trees stop growing for a couple of months. Several factors, however, can affect the tree pruning timing. We have outlined the factors below:

Safety

If your tree has risky branches – meaning that they may fall on your home – you should prune the tree as soon as possible. Removing the branches before they fall boosts your overall safety.

Health

Health complications affect branches before getting to the tree trunk. If you catch a disease early, you can remove the affected branches, which should keep the disease from spreading to the rest of the tree.

Property Value Boost

If you are planning to sell your property, tree pruning can help you boost the property’s value. Therefore, you can schedule the tree pruning to coincide with the planned sale dates.

Saving Money on Tree Pruning

To lower the amount of money you use on tree pruning, keep the following tips in mind:

• You can avoid paying tree pruning professionals if your trees are next to powerlines. Power companies will prune the trees for free.
• Trees that are extremely overgrown attract a higher tree pruning cost. To avoid excessive overgrowth, consider investing in regular tree pruning.
• If you do have some small non-risky trees in your home, take advantage of DIY tree pruning.
• Invest in tree pruning in the winter season. Since the tree pruners are usually less busy, they will charge a lower tree pruning cost.