Tree Removal Denver: $400 to $1,200 + Free Permits (2026)

We found no Denver-only price. National and Colorado rows are labeled; the permit fee is Denver's own.

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

1. Stay well away from the tree and any wire it touches, and treat every wire as live. Call 911 for a wire that is down or sparking, and report it to Xcel Energy.
2. If anyone is hurt, or the house is no longer safe (a crushed roof, a gas smell, sparking), get everyone out and call 911.
3. Call your insurer before you hire anyone, because a tree on the house may be a claim. Photograph the tree, the roof and the yard before anything is moved, and make only the repairs needed to stop more damage (Maryland Insurance Administration).
4. Do not climb onto the roof or cut a bent limb yourself. ISA warns that broken limbs and uprooted trees under tension can move unexpectedly when cut.

Is it an emergency? Signs a Denver tree needs help today

A tree needs attention the same day when its lean passes 15 degrees or suddenly changes, the trunk has deep cracks, soil is cracking or lifting at the roots, or a broken limb hangs over the house, a driveway or a wire (HomeGuide and ISA warning signs). Denver's wind is the usual trigger: on April 5, 2022, hours of hurricane-force gusts left about 6,000 Xcel Energy customers in the metro without power, CBS Colorado reported.

Same-day or next-day service often costs 2 to 3 times the standard rate, HomeGuide says, and Angi puts emergency removal as high as $5,000. A dead branch over open lawn, or a healthy tree you simply want gone, can wait for a normal booking at the lower price. Insurance and claim tips are on tree removal.

Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Denver?

Yes, if the tree is public or protected: Denver requires a permit before anyone removes, plants or injects a public or protected tree, and the permit is free. The Office of the City Forester issues it, and when you hire a licensed tree contractor, the contractor is responsible for getting it. Review can take up to 5 business days, incomplete requests are denied, and the office takes questions at [email protected].

If the tree that worries you stands along the street, ask the company to show you the approved permit before work starts. The Forester's permit page does not list a permit for an ordinary backyard tree, so ask the office if you are unsure which side of the line yours is on.

Denver tree service license: check it before you hire

Anyone paid to cut, trim, prune or remove trees in Denver must hold a tree service license from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. The license belongs to an individual who owns or works for the company, and if that person leaves, the company has 30 days to name a new licensee or it is no longer licensed in Denver. Ask for the licensee's name and confirm it with the city before you sign.

ISA suggests also checking for an ISA arborist credential with its Verify a Credential tool, asking for proof of insurance and calling the insurer, getting more than one estimate in writing, and being wary of door-to-door crews offering bargains.

Ash trees and emerald ash borer around Denver

The Denver metro area has an estimated 1.45 million ash trees, the Colorado Department of Agriculture says, and about 15% of Colorado's urban forest is ash. Emerald ash borer was found in Boulder in September 2013 and has since been detected in Larimer County, Broomfield and Superior. The department's page does not report a find inside Denver itself.

The beetle can infest an ash for 3 or 4 years before the tree visibly declines. Watch for a thinning upper canopy, vertical bark splits, S-shaped tunnels under the bark, D-shaped exit holes and new sprouts low on the trunk, and do not move firewood. A certified arborist can tell you whether a high-value ash is worth treating or should come down; HomeGuide puts ash removal at $650 to $2,000 nationally. Suspected infestations go to the department at 888-248-5535.

Tree trimming in Denver: cost and timing

Tree trimming costs $400 to $900 per tree on average nationally, with a $650 average, HomeGuide reported in January 2026, and Fixr's range is $175 to $750. ISA says dead, weak or diseased limbs can come off any time, growth recovers best when pruning happens before the spring flush, and no more than 25% of the crown should come off at once. Skip topping: ISA says it can remove 50% to 100% of the leaf-bearing crown and starve the tree. Prices by height are on tree trimming.

Local tree rules and contacts for Denver, from official city, state and utility pages unless marked.

More Denver repair guides

Roof punctured by a limb: emergency roof repair in Denver and roof repair in Denver. Roots in the sewer line: sewer line repair in Denver. Service mast pulled off the house: electrician in Denver. Compare tree removal in Seattle and tree removal in Portland. Stumps: stump removal. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).