Average Price to Cut Down a 40 Ft Tree Might Shock You

Let’s get to the point. You’re looking at a $500 to $1,000 average price to cut down a 40 ft tree. That’s the range. It could be a little less. It could be more. Depends on the tree. Depends on access. Depends on the risk. But if you’re trying to budget, that’s the ballpark.

We’ve been doing this for 30 years in Kansas City. At Omar Tree Services LLC, we cut down trees every day. So we’ve seen all the variations. The quick and easy jobs. The complicated, dangerous ones where we’re rappelling down limbs over rooftops. The ones where there’s no access and we have to drag everything out by hand. That all affects the price.

What Affects the Price?

People think it’s just about height. Nope. There’s more going on. Here’s what affects how much you’ll pay:

• Tree type – A softwood like pine is easier and faster to cut down than an old oak. Hardwoods are tougher and denser, and that affects time and equipment.

• Location – Is it right next to your driveway? Great. That’s cheaper. Is it wedged between your house and a fence with power lines overhead? That’s going to cost more. Sometimes we need to bring in a bucket truck or climb it by hand.

• Condition of the tree – Dead trees are unpredictable. Brittle limbs, hollow trunks. That can make it more dangerous to take down, which adds cost.

• Obstacles and cleanup – If we have to clean up every stick and haul everything off your property, that’s extra labor and disposal. Some customers want us to leave the wood in chunks. That saves money. But not everyone wants a pile of logs sitting in their yard.

Why Cut Down a 40-Foot Tree?

Here’s the thing. A 40-foot tree isn’t small, but it’s also not massive. That’s a medium-sized tree. Still big enough to wreck a roof or take out a fence if it falls the wrong way.

Here’s when it’s time to take it down:

• It’s dead or dying, no leaves, big cracks, fungus at the base. That tree’s on borrowed time.

• It’s leaning especially toward the house or the neighbour’s yard. That’s a problem waiting to happen.

• The roots are messing with your foundation, driveway, or plumbing.

• It’s dropping limbs every time the wind blows.

We don’t tell people to cut down healthy trees just because they don’t like the mess. But when the tree’s a risk, waiting can get expensive fast.

How We Cut It Down (So You Don’t Get Hurt)

Cutting down a 40-foot tree isn’t just grabbing a chainsaw and yelling “Timber!” That’s how people end up in the ER or on YouTube. Here’s how we do it:

1. We inspect the tree to check for rot, lean, nearby structures, wires, fences, etc.

2. We plan the drop in open areas, we may be able to drop it whole. Most of the time, especially in a city like Kansas City, we take it down in pieces.

3. We rig it and use ropes, pulleys, saddles, and sometimes bucket trucks or cranes, depending on the job.

4. We cut it carefully, starting at the top, limb by limb. Then we chunk down the trunk.

5. We clean up depending on what the customer wants. Full haul-off, just stacking wood, stump grinding, whatever.

Common Mistakes People Make

This is important. Here’s what we see over and over:

• Trying to DIY a 40-foot tree. Don’t. It’s not worth it. You can’t predict where it’s gonna fall unless you know how to read the tree and set up a proper notch and back cut. One bad cut and it’s going through your house or your neighbour’s car.

• Hiring uninsured guys with a chainsaw and a pickup. It might be cheaper, but if they drop a limb on your roof and vanish, you’re stuck with the bill. Always check licensing and insurance. We’re fully insured, and that matters.

• Not getting the stump removed. Some people want to save money and skip stump grinding. That’s fine, but remember: it doesn’t go away on its own. It’ll rot slowly, attract bugs, and keep sprouting. Grinding it now usually saves headaches later.

What Happens If You Don’t Cut It?

Short answer: damage, risk, more expense.

We’ve seen customers wait too long. That 40-foot tree that looked “a little off” suddenly splits during a storm. Takes out power lines. Destroys a shed. Cracks a concrete driveway. At that point, it’s no longer a $700 job now it’s $3,000 worth of damage and emergency cleanup.

Also, some cities fine you for dangerous or dead trees. Your insurance company might not cover tree-related damage if it thinks you ignored a known risk. It’s not just about cost. It’s about liability.

Bottom Line

If you’ve got a 40-foot tree that needs to come down in Kansas City, call a pro. Expect to pay somewhere between $500 and $1,000, depending on the situation. At Omar Tree Services LLC, we give free estimates, so there’s no guesswork. We’ve been doing this for 30 years, licensed and insured, and we don’t cut corners.

Call or text me, Jose Maldonado, at (816) 694-6352, and I’ll take a look myself. We’ll give you the truth, not a sales pitch.

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Average cost to remove a 30 ft tree