Tree Removal Chicago: $207 to $2,072 + Forestry Permits

The first row is Angi's Chicago figure; the other rows are national and labeled. Ask for the total with haul-away and stump grinding.

Do this now: a tree on the house or a power line

1. Stay away from any wire the tree touches or has pulled down. Treat it as live, and keep kids and pets inside.
2. Call 911 for a wire down in the street or across the yard, and call ComEd to report it. ISA says never to remove branches from or near power lines.
3. Call 911 too if anyone is hurt or the tree has broken into the house and it may not be safe to stay. Get everyone out of the rooms under it.
4. Photograph the tree and every bit of damage before anything is moved, then call your insurer before you hire a tree service.
5. A parkway tree (between the sidewalk and the curb) that fell or split is the City's: call 311. The Bureau of Forestry responds to tree emergencies at all hours.

Is it an emergency? Signs a Chicago tree needs to come down now

A tree that is leaning harder than it was yesterday, has a fresh crack in the trunk, or has soil heaving up on one side is an emergency, especially if it can reach the house, the garage or the alley. HomeGuide lists a lean that suddenly changed or exceeds 15 degrees, deep trunk cracks, and dead branches over more than half the canopy as signs a tree needs removal. ISA adds that soil cracking or lifting at the base can mean the roots are moving, and that mushrooms at the base point to decay. After a summer storm, a big limb hung up in the canopy can drop without warning: ISA says broken limbs under tension can move unexpectedly when cut, so leave the cutting to a crew. A tree that is dead but standing still, away from the house, can usually wait for a weekday price. The full list of warning signs is on tree removal.

Parkway trees in Chicago: call 311, not a tree service

Chicago's Bureau of Forestry manages all the shade and ornamental trees along city streets, about 520,000 of the city's estimated 4.1 million trees. The parkway tree in front of your house is one of them. Forestry coordinates the removal of parkway or public-way trees that are dead or damaged, and you request that, or a pickup of a pile of branches, through 311 or the CHI311 app. Do not pay a private company to take down a parkway tree on its own say-so.

If you want work done on a parkway tree sooner, the company doing it needs a Forestry permit. The Bureau says it "issues permits for any work involving trees," and the contractor has to file a certificate of liability insurance for at least $1,000,000 per occurrence naming the City of Chicago, carry a copy of the permit in the truck, and give Forestry 10 working days' notice for a removal request. Ask any company that offers to cut a parkway tree to show you that permit.

Do you need a permit to remove a tree on private property in Chicago?

Usually not: Angi's August 2026 Chicago guide says tree removal on private property in Chicago typically does not require a permit, while trees and plants in the public way cannot be removed without City approval. The line matters on a typical Chicago lot. A tree whose trunk sits in the parkway is a public-way tree. When in doubt, call 311 before anyone cuts.

What makes Chicago tree removal cost more

Access is the big one in Chicago. Angi says the city's small lots, alley access and tightly spaced homes often call for careful, piece-by-piece removal, which raises labor, and that Chicago prices otherwise sit close to the national average. Nationally, HomeGuide says trunks over 24 inches wide cost significantly more, dead or damaged trees often cost more, and prices run 10% to 20% higher in summer and fall. Removing several trees at once can bring a 10% to 25% discount per tree.

Tree trimming in Chicago: cost and when to do it

Tree trimming costs $400 to $900 per tree in HomeGuide's 2026 national guide, and Fixr's national range is $175 to $750; we found no Chicago-specific trimming price. HomeGuide recommends trimming mature trees every 3 to 5 years, ideally in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant, and says dead or hazardous branches should come off in any season. Ask the crew not to top the tree: ISA says topping removes 50% to 100% of the leaf-bearing crown and the regrowth breaks easily. Parkway trees are trimmed by Forestry crews, not by you. More on tree trimming.

Insurance after a storm tree in Chicago

Many homeowners policies cover damage when a tree falls on the house, a fence or a detached garage, even a neighbor's tree, up to the policy limits, according to the Maryland Insurance Administration. If the tree hits nothing, many policies pay only a limited amount for removal, usually $500 to $1,000. The same regulator says to photograph the damage, call the insurer right away, and not to remove damaged property until the adjuster has seen it, beyond what you need to do to stop more damage.

Questions to ask a Chicago tree service

1. Is the price for the whole job: cutting, hauling, and the stump?
2. Who is the ISA certified arborist on your crew? (ISA's Verify a Credential tool confirms it.)
3. Can I see your certificate of liability insurance? Forestry requires $1,000,000 per occurrence for public-way work.
4. Is this tree on my property or in the parkway, and will you pull the Forestry permit if it is a parkway tree?
5. How will you get the debris out: through the alley, or over the house?

Tree rules, programs and contacts for Chicago, from official city, utility and state pages unless marked.

More Chicago repair guides

Tree through the roof: roof repair in Chicago. Water coming in after the hit: water damage restoration in Chicago. Other cities: tree removal in Indianapolis and tree removal in Minneapolis. National prices: tree removal cost, stump grinding and home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).