Why there is no price list on this page
We could publish a table of dollar figures. Every one of them would be wrong for somebody, and a number invented to look reassuring is worse than no number at all. What we can do honestly is tell you exactly what a competent crew is calculating when they walk your block, so you can look at three quotes and tell which one has been thought about.
The factors that actually move a tree quote
| Factor | Why it changes the price | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Whether a chipper and tipper reach the tree, or everything is barrowed out through a 900mm gate | Measure your narrowest gate; say whether the verge can be parked on |
| Drop zone | Room to fell it whole is cheap; rigging sections down over a patio is slow and skilled | Clear what you can move; tell them what must not be touched |
| Height and spread | Drives climb time, rigging complexity and whether an elevated work platform is needed | Compare against a known height — "twice the single-storey roof" |
| Species | Jarrah is dense and hard on gear; marri is brittle under rigging; karri is simply tall | Say what it is if you know; a photo of the bark settles it |
| Debris volume | A full canopy is a lot of chipping and several truck loads | Decide in advance whether chip stays on site |
| Stump treatment | Grinding is a separate machine; full excavation is a separate job again | Decide before quoting, not after |
| Ground conditions | Sand grinds fast, limestone and gravel do not; wet clay stops machines entirely | Mention soil type and whether the ground is soft |
| Services underground | Retic, power, sewer and irrigation near a stump slow everything down | Mark your retic; order a Dial Before You Dig plan if unsure |
| Travel | A single small job well outside the regular run carries real travel time | Combine jobs, or ask when a crew is next in the area |
| Timing | Spring firebreak season is the busiest period in the South West | Book hazard reduction in late winter |
| Urgency | After-hours storm work costs more, for legitimate reasons | Split "make safe" from "finish the job" where you can |
| Permits | A protected or conditioned tree adds process before anyone starts | Ring your shire first; it is free and it is quick |
Where South West jobs differ from Perth
Three things push local prices around in ways a metropolitan quote would not.
Travel is real. The region is spread out. A crew working Bunbury one day and Margaret River the next is absorbing an hour and a half each way. That is why combining jobs, or booking when a crew is already down that end, genuinely saves money.
Soil varies over short distances. Coastal sand at Dunsborough or Dalyellup grinds in minutes. Limestone 300mm down turns the same job into an hour. Gravel inland at Margaret River or Donnybrook is slow and hard on teeth. A quote that does not mention ground conditions has not considered them.
Spring is a seasonal peak. Every shire's firebreak notice lands at once and every rural block in the region wants work in the same eight weeks. Demand sets price like it does anywhere else. Book hazard reduction in late winter and you are not bidding against your neighbours.
What a quote should say in writing
- Which trees, identified clearly enough that there is no argument.
- The method — felled, dismantled, climbed, or from a machine.
- What happens to the debris, and whether chip stays.
- Whether the stump is included, and ground or excavated.
- Whether making good lawn or paving damage is included.
- Public liability insurance, with a certificate of currency you can actually read.
If the quote is a number on the back of a card, it is not a quote.
Next steps
Read the service pages to be sure what you are asking for, check the FAQ on shire approvals, then ring (08) 9785 0207 or send the details and get someone out to look at it. Crews run across the whole South West.
Frequently asked questions
Why will nobody give me a price over the phone?
Because the two things that set the price — access and drop zone — cannot be seen down a phone line. A crew that quotes a fixed number sight-unseen is either padding heavily to cover the unknown, or intends to revise it on the day. A rough range over the phone is reasonable; a firm price without a look usually is not.
Why are three quotes for the same tree so different?
Usually because they are quoting different work. One includes the stump, one does not. One carts the debris, one leaves it. One plans a sectional dismantle over your patio, one plans to drop it whole and hope. Put the three quotes side by side on scope before you compare them on price.
Is the cheapest quote a bad idea?
Not always, but find out why it is cheapest. Sometimes a crew is already working in your street and the travel is free. Sometimes it is cheap because there is no insurance behind it, or because the debris is staying on your lawn. Ask for a certificate of currency and a written scope, then the cheap quote is either genuinely good or obviously not.
Does getting several jobs done at once save money?
Substantially. Getting a chipper, a tipper and a grinder to your property is a large fixed cost on a small job. Two trees and three stumps done in one visit cost far less than the same work spread over three bookings, which is why it is worth walking the whole block with the crew at quote time.