How Much Does It Cost to Trim Palm Trees?

Palm trees are great for adding some tropical greenery to your yard and garden. Like anything, they require maintenance though. Their leaves will eventually need trimming back and unless you plan on doing this yourself you will need to pay a professional tree trimmer to get your trees under control. So how much does it cost to trim palm trees?

The cost to get your palm trees trimmed in the US can vary depending on the height of the tree, the region, the type of palm, and the state of the tree. If the tree has been neglected then it may cost more to get it trimmed back. Obviously the more trees you have the more you will end up paying, but the tree trimmer may give you a bulk discount if you have a decent amount of work for them relative to their travel and setup time.

• Small trees in the 10-15ft. range cost around $60 – $80 dollars to get trimmed.
• Medium-sized trees in the 15-25ft. The foot range costs around $100 per tree.
• Large palm trees in the 25-40ft. range cost $190 per tree on average.

If you have five or more trees to be trimmed at once then you can probably expect a discount of around twenty percent on these prices.

Getting 3 quotes from local tree services is advisable before moving forward. You can use free services for this such as Go Tree Quotes or Craigs’ list.

How often should I trim palm trees?

Generally, you might need to trim once or sometimes twice per year. You generally don’t want to pre-trim branches. Only trim them when they actually need trimming, or when they form a hazard of some kind.

Should you just remove the dead leaves/fronds?

Palm tree branches grow out and die off regularly with new branches replacing the old ones. Generally, you will only need to trim off the dead or dying branches. You should leave the green ones alone unless they pose a hazard or nuisance of some type. Trimming off green branches can damage the health of the tree and introduce disease.

Can I DIY palm trimming?

You can do the job yourself for smaller trees, but larger trees are going to require more elaborate equipment and more careful safety measures. Unless you know what you are doing you are probably better off getting a professional to trim a medium or larger tree.

If you do want to tackle the job yourself and are confident that can handle it safely then you can buy or hire everything you will need from your local gardening equipment suppliers.

How much to trim a 50ft. palm?

For extra-large trees around fifty feet or taller the trimmer will probably need a cherry picker to get the required height and stability needed to trim the tree safely. This will drive up the cost considerably. You can expect to pay in the range of three hundred to six hundred dollars per tree. Trees in this height range can vary widely in condition, so don’t be surprised if you are quoted more for a difficult tree. The trimmer will also need to factor in access for their equipment and potential issues with falling palm branches, so the surrounding geometry will factor into the price.

Do date palms cost more to trim?

Date palms have larger trunks and more fronds than the average palm so you can expect to pay more to get them trimmed. Exact prices will vary depending on the work involved. Date palms also have spines that can complicate the job of trimming them and add to the cost.

How much does palm tree removal cost?

For a small palm tree around ten feet tall you are looking at about one to two hundred dollars to get it removed.

• Medium trees around 20 ft. high will cost $200 – $350 for complete removal.
• Larger trees 30 ft. the high will cost in the region of $500 – $750
• Extra-large trees 40ft. and higher will cost at least $850 to get removed.

At this scale, the trimmer will probably need a cherry picker to cut the top off the tree safely without causing property damage. If the tree has nothing in its path to damage when it falls then it may simplify things, but in most cases, it will need to be cut down from the top for safety reasons. A great removal service, you can find at thelocaltreeexpert.com.

Date palms will generally cost more as they have more material to be removed.

Note: In some areas such as Florida you may need a permit to remove a palm tree. Talk to your local council to see what the requirements are. Generally, anywhere where palm trees are native to the region you may need a permit as the trees may be protected.

Another cheaper option to get rid of the tree is to sell your palm tree for transplanting. How practical this is will depend on the demand for palms in your local region and the viability of transplanting the tree.

Getting your palms trimmed back every year can be expensive if you have a lot of trees so you should make sure you budget for the cost to trim palm trees when planting them. Neglecting them isn’t really an option as the palm fronds will eventually get big enough that falling branches will become a safety hazard. They are a great looking tree though, and well worth the price of maintaining them.