Height and trunk size
Taller trees take longer to take down and produce more wood to haul, so the ranges climb steadily from 20 to 80 feet.
Tree Removal & Stump Grinding Cost in Wilmington, NC
Typical price ranges for tree removal, trimming, stump grinding and other tree work around Wilmington, plus a quick calculator. These are estimates from published cost guides, not quotes; a local company sets the real price after seeing the tree.
Get a Free QuoteWilmington tree service price table
Typical ranges from published cost guides (2025–2026) — estimates, not quotes.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Tree trimming | About $371 average in Wilmington; pruning about $558 average |
| Tree removal | About $695 average in Wilmington |
| Tree removal by height | 20 ft $230–$430 · 30 ft $340–$650 · 40 ft $450–$860 · 50 ft $560–$1,080 · 60 ft $680–$1,290 · 70 ft $790–$1,510 · 80 ft $900–$1,730 |
| Stump grinding | About $298 average in Wilmington; nationally $131–$438 per job, about $2–$5 per inch of diameter, many companies charge a minimum around $100, each extra stump about $37–$70 |
| Stump removal (extraction) | About $331 average in Wilmington; nationally $175–$516 |
| Cabling / bracing | About $382 average |
| Arborist assessment / tree inspection | About $198 average |
| Tree injection / deep-root fertilization | About $71 / $206 average |
| Land clearing (NC regional) | About $318–$3,563 per acre (Raleigh figures; no Wilmington source) |
| Emergency/storm, crane, palm | No reliable published figure — costs more than a planned removal; get written quotes |
Tree service cost calculator
Pick a service and fill in the details. The calculator uses the ranges in the table above. For stump grinding it takes the larger of $100 or $2–$5 per inch of diameter for the first stump, then adds about $37–$70 for each extra stump.
Ready for real numbers? Request free quotes or read how the quote process works.
Estimated range: $450–$860
Rough estimate only — your quote depends on size, access and cleanup.
What drives the price of tree work in Wilmington
What the tree could hit
A pine in an open backyard can often be felled in one piece. The same pine leaning over a roof, pool or fence has to come down in roped sections or with a crane, and that changes the crew size, equipment and time.
Access to the yard
Narrow side yards, fences, septic fields and soft ground limit equipment. If a bucket truck can't get close, more work is done by hand.
Cleanup and haul-away
The City of Wilmington doesn't collect debris created by commercial contractors, palm trunks, or stumps and root balls. Haul-away should be written into your quote, along with whether logs are cut to length or removed.
Storm damage
Trees split, hung up in other trees, or lying on a house carry more risk and take more rigging. Costs more than a planned removal; there is no reliable published figure, so get written quotes. See emergency and storm tree removal.
Permits
Inside city limits, a Wilmington tree removal permit is $25 for lots under one acre, with higher fees for larger lots. Mitigation can run $175 per caliper inch. Ask who pulls the permit and whether the fee is in the quote.
Stump grinding cost and what to ask
Stump grinding in Wilmington averages about $298, and per-inch pricing makes it easy to estimate: measure the stump across at ground level and multiply by about $2–$5. A 30-inch stump works out to about $60–$150, so with a $100 minimum it lands around $100–$150. Each extra stump in the same visit usually adds about $37–$70, so grouping stumps into one visit saves money.
Grinding leaves the roots in the ground to decay. Extraction pulls the stump and major roots, costs more (about $331 on average in Wilmington) and leaves a bigger hole to fill. Ask for the grinding depth in writing; 4–6 inches is common for grass, deeper if you'll plant or build. Before stump grinding, the company should submit an NC 811 locate request at least three full working days ahead (G.S. 87-122). Ask them to confirm they have. The full guide is on our stump grinding page, and stump grinding vs. stump removal compares the two.
Permit costs and penalties in Wilmington
In the City of Wilmington, a permit is required to remove any tree in the public right-of-way, and to remove trees 4 inches or larger on residential lots over one acre, in conservation buffers, or in local historic districts (which also need a Certificate of Appropriateness). Removing a specimen tree needs Board of Adjustment approval. Fines for unpermitted removal start at $1,200 per tree. Rules change, so confirm with City Zoning (zoning@wilmingtonnc.gov, 910-254-0900) before removing a large tree.
The penalty for unpermitted removal on private property is the greater of $150 per inch of trunk diameter or $1,200 per tree, plus mitigation if required. Wrightsville Beach is stricter still: even trimming a live oak or eastern red cedar requires a Tree Alteration Permit, and removing a protected tree needs a Tree Removal Permit, with a $50 fee and up to a $2,500 penalty per the town's FAQ. New Hanover County adopted protections for large live oaks in 2019; confirm current rules with the county. This is general information, not legal advice.
What a good written quote includes
Ask about insurance and credentials, then compare quotes on the same terms. Before you hire, ask the company for:
- A certificate of general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage.
- Whether an ISA Certified Arborist is on staff. This is a private credential from the International Society of Arboriculture, not a state license; you can verify it at treesaregood.org.
- Whether the company is TCIA Accredited, a private Tree Care Industry Association program.
- An NC commercial pesticide applicator license (Ornamental & Turf category) if they will spray or inject.
- A written quote that states cleanup, haul-away, stump grinding depth and whether a permit is included.
Tree service cost questions
How much does it cost to remove a tree in Wilmington, NC?
Published cost guides put the Wilmington average around $695. By height, typical ranges run about $230–$430 for a 20-foot tree, $450–$860 for a 40-foot tree, $680–$1,290 for a 60-foot tree and $900–$1,730 for an 80-foot tree. Access, cranes, storm damage and haul-away change the number, so get written quotes.
How much is stump grinding per stump?
Wilmington jobs average about $298. Nationally, stump grinding runs about $131–$438 per job, or roughly $2–$5 per inch of diameter, and many companies charge a minimum around $100. Each extra stump on the same visit typically adds about $37–$70. Ask for the grinding depth in writing before you agree to a price.
Does emergency or storm tree removal cost more?
Yes, typically. Published cost guides give no reliable figure for storm work, but a tree on a roof or tangled with other trees takes more rigging, time and risk than a planned removal. Some companies offer after-hours or storm response; availability depends on the company and the storm. Get written quotes whenever you can.
Is a permit fee part of the cost?
It can be. In the City of Wilmington, a tree removal permit costs $25 for lots under one acre, with higher fees for larger lots, and mitigation can run $175 per caliper inch. Unpermitted removal carries a penalty of $150 per inch or $1,200 per tree, whichever is greater. Ask whether the quote includes the permit. This is general information, not legal advice.
Why do quotes for the same tree vary so much?
Each company looks at height, trunk diameter, lean, what the tree could hit, equipment access, and how much cleanup and haul-away you want. One may plan to rope sections down while another brings a bucket truck or crane. Compare quotes line by line: cleanup, haul-away, stump grinding depth and permit should all be written in.
Wilmington NC Tree Removal is a free quote service; the company you choose quotes, contracts and does the work directly with you. Prices here are estimates, not bids.
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