Tree Removal Minneapolis: $210 to $2,096 + Ash Orders (2026)

Minneapolis rows are Angi's local figures; national rows are labeled.

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

1. Keep away from any downed line and anything it touches.
2. Leave the area and report the downed line to Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999, as the City of Minneapolis advises. Call 911 if it is in the street.
3. Call 911 too if anyone is hurt or the tree has come through the house.
4. Photograph the damage before anything is moved, and call your insurer before hiring a tree service.
5. A tree on the boulevard or a dead tree in a neighbor's yard: call 311 (612-673-3000).

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

A tree that leans more after a summer storm, a cracked trunk, or a big limb hung up over the house needs a crew now. HomeGuide lists a sudden lean or one over 15 degrees, deep cracks, cavities, and dead branches over more than half the canopy as signs a tree needs removal. In Minneapolis, a painted tree is a different kind of urgent. A yellow mark or an Order to Correct letter means the City has condemned a dead or hazard tree, and green or orange paint means the Park Board has condemned a diseased ash, elm or oak. Either way, you have a deadline. Warning signs: tree removal.

Condemned trees in Minneapolis: paint colors and deadlines

The City of Minneapolis orders the removal of dead, hazard and downfallen trees and branches on private property. Inspectors mark them with yellow paint and mail the owner an "Order to Correct" letter with a deadline. Separately, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board inspects and condemns diseased or infested trees: ash in green paint, elm and oak in orange.

• Miss the deadline and the City sends its own contractor. An unpaid bill becomes a special assessment on your property taxes, payable over 5 or 10 years with interest.
• Homestead owners who are 65 or older, retired due to permanent and total disability, or on active military reserve duty can ask for a deferral.
• The City's Condemned Tree Assistance Program is income-qualified; for accepted applicants, it covers the full cost of removal.
• The City says hiring a certified arborist yourself is likely less expensive than a City contractor.
• Questions: 311 or 612-673-3000, weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Minneapolis requires a tree servicing license

Anyone who cuts, trims or removes trees or branches in Minneapolis, or applies pesticides to trees, needs a City tree servicing license. It covers chipping, cutting, grinding, hauling, removing and trimming of trees, limbs, stumps and roots two inches or more wide. The City publishes a list of licensed tree contractors on its tree servicing page, so check the company's name there before work starts. Ask for proof of insurance too; the license page does not say what insurance the City requires.

Tree trimming in Minneapolis: cost and timing

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 Minneapolis-specific trimming price. HomeGuide calls late winter or early spring, while trees are dormant, the best time. ISA says to avoid pruning oaks during oak wilt transmission periods, and not to remove more than 25% of the crown at once. The trimmer needs the same City tree servicing license as a removal crew. More on tree trimming.

Insurance after a storm tree in Minneapolis

Many homeowners policies cover damage when a tree falls on the house or another insured structure, even a neighbor's tree, up to policy limits, the Maryland Insurance Administration says. A tree that hits nothing usually gets only a limited removal payment, often $500 to $1,000. HomeGuide says insurance rarely covers preventative removal, so for a condemned tree, ask the City about deferral and assistance first.

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

More Minneapolis repair guides

Tree on the roof: roof repair in Minneapolis and roof replacement in Minneapolis. Service mast pulled off: electrician in Minneapolis. Other cities: tree removal in Chicago and tree removal in Indianapolis. National prices: tree removal cost and stump grinding. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).