tree-service

How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Los Angeles, CA? (2026): Palms, Protected Oaks, and Hillside Jobs

Tree removal cost in Los Angeles, CA for 2026: prices by tree size and palm type, hillside and crane jobs, the protected oak permit, and fire zone clearance.

How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Los Angeles, CA? (2026): Palms, Protected Oaks, and Hillside Jobs

Removing a tree in Los Angeles, CA costs $500 to $1,500 for a small tree under 30 feet, $1,200 to $3,500 for a medium tree of 30 to 60 feet, and $3,000 to $8,000 or more for a large tree over 60 feet in 2026. A mature Mexican fan palm, the tall skinny palm that lines so many LA streets, runs $800 to $2,500 depending on height and access. Stump grinding adds $150 to $500.

Los Angeles has three things that push tree removal prices above the national average. Hillside lots in the Hollywood Hills, Silver Lake, Mount Washington, and the Palisades often have no crane access and no place to drop wood, so everything comes down in small pieces by rope. The city's protected tree ordinance requires a permit before touching native oaks, sycamores, bays, and black walnuts above a certain size, and labor and insurance costs in Southern California are among the highest in the country.

That said, the most common LA tree job is not a giant oak on a hillside. It is a ficus lifting the sidewalk in Mid-City, a diseased palm in a Valley backyard, a eucalyptus dropping branches in Pasadena, or a dead pine in Altadena that needs to go before the next Santa Ana wind event.

What Drives the Price of an LA Tree Job

Height and trunk diameter set the base price. A 20-foot citrus tree in a Van Nuys backyard is a two-hour job for a small crew. A 70-foot eucalyptus in Eagle Rock is a full day with a climber, a ground crew, and a chipper, and the wood alone weighs several tons.

Access is the LA multiplier. A tree in a front yard with a driveway for the chipper truck costs what the tree costs. The same tree behind a house on a hillside street with no parking, a narrow side yard, and a slope that prevents dropping large sections can cost double because every piece has to be lowered by rope and carried out by hand.

Cranes change the equation on big trees near structures. A crane removal costs $1,500 to $4,000 more than a climb-and-rig job but is faster and safer when a large tree is over a house, a pool, or a neighbor's roof. In neighborhoods like Hancock Park and Toluca Lake with mature trees close to homes, crane jobs are routine.

Disposal is included in most quotes, but confirm it. Hauling and chipping a large tree adds $200 to $600 if quoted separately, and leaving the wood on site for firewood or chips can reduce the bill.

Palms

Los Angeles has more palms than any other city in the country, and palm removal is its own specialty. Mexican fan palms and Canary Island date palms grow tall, and a 60- to 80-foot fan palm runs $1,200 to $2,500 to remove. Canary Island date palms are heavier and thornier, and a large one costs $1,500 to $4,000.

Palm trimming, which is what most homeowners need, costs $75 to $400 per tree depending on height. The South American palm weevil has killed thousands of Canary Island date palms across the region in recent years, and a palm that has lost its crown to the weevil should come down before it falls.

Protected Trees and the City Permit

The City of Los Angeles protects native oaks, western sycamores, California bay laurels, and Southern California black walnuts with trunks of 4 inches or more in diameter, along with two native shrub species. Removing one requires a Protected Tree Removal Permit through the Bureau of Street Services, and the process involves an arborist report, a review, and often a requirement to plant replacement trees.

The permit process takes weeks to months and costs several hundred dollars in fees plus the arborist report at $300 to $800. Removing a protected tree without a permit brings fines and replacement requirements that far exceed the cost of doing it right. Unincorporated LA County and cities like Pasadena, Glendale, and Santa Monica have their own ordinances, and some go further than the city's.

Street trees, the ones in the parkway between the sidewalk and the curb, belong to the city even if you maintain them. Removing or hard pruning one without a permit is a violation regardless of species.

Fire Zones and Emergency Work

Homes in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which covers most of the hillside neighborhoods from the Palisades through the Santa Monica Mountains to the Verdugo Hills and the foothills above Sunland and Tujunga, have brush clearance requirements enforced by the fire department. Dead trees and branches within the defensible space have to go, and clearance inspections drive a wave of tree work every spring.

Fire zone jobs are often priced as a package: removing dead trees, limbing up live ones to a set height above the ground, and clearing brush. A typical hillside clearance runs $1,500 to $6,000 depending on the lot. After the fires in early 2025, demand for this work in the Palisades and Altadena has stayed high, and lead times in spring can stretch to several weeks.

Emergency removal after a Santa Ana wind event costs 50 to 100 percent more than scheduled work. A tree on a house in the middle of the night in Northridge is going to cost $2,500 to $6,000 to get off the roof, and the cleanup and the roof repair come after. Homeowners insurance typically covers removal when the tree has damaged a structure, and does not when it simply fell in the yard.

Prices Around the Region

The Westside, the Hollywood Hills, and the beach cities pay the most because of access, parking, and the size of mature trees on older lots. A medium tree removal in Santa Monica or Brentwood that would cost $1,800 in the Valley often runs $2,500 or more.

The San Fernando Valley is the most competitive market with the most companies, and prices for straightforward backyard trees are lowest there. The San Gabriel Valley and the foothill cities have large old trees, particularly oaks and deodar cedars, and the protected tree rules in Pasadena and Sierra Madre add permit costs.

The Valley also has the most eucalyptus and pine, both of which drop limbs in Santa Ana winds and are the trees most often removed as a precaution. A 50-foot eucalyptus with good access runs $1,500 to $3,500.

South Bay and Long Beach have their own mix of palms and ficus, and ficus removal is common because the roots destroy hardscape and sewer lines. A large ficus with root work runs $2,000 to $5,000 because of the excavation.

Hiring a Tree Company in Los Angeles

Any tree removal over $500 in California requires a contractor licensed by the Contractors State License Board, with either a C-61/D-49 tree service classification or a C-27 landscaping license. Ask for the license number and check it, and ask for a certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation. Tree work is dangerous, and an uninsured crew on your property is your liability.

Certified arborists are a step above. An ISA Certified Arborist on staff means the company can assess whether a tree needs to come down at all, write the report a protected tree permit requires, and prune the trees that stay. For anything involving an oak or a sycamore, hire a company with one.

Three quotes is the rule for any job over $1,500, and in Los Angeles the spread is often $2,000 or more on the same tree. Ask whether the quote includes disposal, stump grinding, the permit, and cleanup, and whether the price changes if the crane cannot get where they planned. You can compare licensed companies in our California tree service directory, and our home and property blog has more on fire clearance, palm care, and dealing with a neighbor's tree.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Los Angeles?

Only for protected species with trunks of 4 inches or more, and for any street tree in the parkway. A backyard palm, ficus, pine, or fruit tree on private property does not require a city permit, though some neighboring cities have broader rules.

How much does it cost to remove a palm tree in Los Angeles?

A tall Mexican fan palm runs $800 to $2,500 and a large Canary Island date palm $1,500 to $4,000. Height, access, and whether the crew can drop sections or has to lower them by rope determine where in the range a job lands.

Who pays to remove a tree on the property line?

The owner of the land where the trunk stands, and a tree straddling the line is jointly owned under California law. Branches overhanging your side can be trimmed back to the line at your expense, but not in a way that damages the tree.

How long does tree removal take?

A small tree takes two to three hours and a large one a full day or two. Protected tree permits add weeks to months before the crew can start.