2026 Cost Guide
A plain look at what goes into a tree removal price in Great Falls, Montana and across Cascade County, so you know what to expect before a truck pulls up to the curb.
What Affects Price
By the Numbers
Our service pages and the calculator use these exact figures, so a Great Falls price never shifts from page to page.
| Tree size | Typical cost range |
|---|---|
| Small tree (under 30 ft) | $300–$700 |
| Medium (30–60 ft) | $700–$1,500 |
| Large (60 ft+) | $1,500–$3,500 |
| Storm / emergency removal | Priced on-site after the hazard is assessed |
| Job | Typical cost range |
|---|---|
| Single stump (by diameter) | $100–$400 |
| Each additional stump | $50–$150 |
| Surface-root chasing / deep grind | $75–$200 extra |
| Job | Typical cost range |
|---|---|
| Small tree | $250–$450 |
| Medium tree | $450–$800 |
| Large tree | $800–$1,500 |
| Hazard-limb removal (single limb) | $150–$400 |
| Job size | Typical cost range |
|---|---|
| Light brush (per acre) | $1,500–$3,500 |
| Wooded (per acre) | $3,500–$8,000+ |
| Single lot under ½ acre | $1,200–$4,000 |
Ranges are typical for central Montana based on published industry cost guides; your written estimate reflects your specific tree and site.
General ranges, not a quote. Every job gets a free written estimate first.
Storm and emergency jobs, with a tree already down or resting on a roof or a line, do not follow the size ranges above. Great Falls is one of the windiest cities in the country: chinooks in winter, straight-line winds with summer storms, no quiet month. The February 2020 windstorm put an 82 mph gust on Great Falls International Airport and left thousands without power.
Heavy wet snow in May or October on leafed-out trees snaps cottonwood, boxelder, Siberian elm and boulevard ash by the block. Then every crew from Fort Benton to Fairfield is booked for weeks, and routine work gets emergency pricing because a loaded tree rigs differently.
If a dead elm or heavy cottonwood limb is on your list, book it for late fall or deep winter, when the ground is frozen and the calendar open. Limbs over a sidewalk or street are your duty now (12.14.010), and the City can abate a dead one at your cost (8.52). If a tree is on your house, call first.
No Surprises
Every estimate from Electric City Tree Co. is written, free, and covers the whole job:
If the tree proves different from what the ground showed, you hear the new number before the saw starts, not on the invoice.
Before You Start
Permits are the easy part in Great Falls, MT when the tree is on your own lot; the city code says nothing about private trees. Boulevard trees are the City's, and removing one takes a Park and Recreation application, City Manager approval, City Forester supervision at your expense and a 2-inch replacement you tend for two years (12.15.010, 12.15.030). The full rundown is on our Great Falls tree permits guide.
Insurance is the part worth a call. A homeowners policy is likelier to help after a tree lands on a covered structure than to pay for a pre-season removal. Great Falls does not license tree crews, so ask for the certificate of insurance before anyone climbs; ours comes along to the estimate.
Should You DIY?
A volunteer Siberian elm along the fence or a young juniper you can cut from the ground is a fair Saturday job if you own the saw and know it. Anything taller, near a house, fence, drive or line, or already leaning, dead or storm-damaged, is a different risk.
Dead elm is the trap here. Dutch elm disease is in Great Falls, and a dead elm goes brittle within a couple of seasons, so limbs snap under a climber and the top can come apart. Dead ash acts the same. The wood is a legal problem too: bark-on elm must be debarked or destroyed (8.52.060) and hauled only under permit (8.52.090).
Run the calculator for an instant ballpark, or call for a free written estimate anywhere in Cascade County and the neighboring stretches of Chouteau and Teton counties.
Type your town or ZIP, say Belt or 59405, and see whether the Electric City truck runs there.