Unlike pruning, the price of felling does not follow height but the space available for the fall. Here is what sets the price, where removal and stump grinding fit in a quote, and how to read it.
For a single tree in South Finistère, removal and travel included, quote after a site visit. The technique shown is the one the surroundings impose, and it is what determines the amount.
No amount is shown here: felling is priced in front of the tree. Only a written quote, drawn up after a site visit, commits Arb'Ouest.
| Height | Technique required |
|---|---|
| Under 10 m | Direct felling, the tree can come down in one piece |
| 10 to 15 m | Partial dismantling, open space |
| 15 to 20 m | Dismantling with rigging, close to buildings |
| Over 20 m | Sectional dismantling on ropes, full-day job |
Below 10 metres and with space around it, Arb'Ouest fells the tree in one piece: a directional notch, a felling cut, a controlled fall. It is the quickest method, and so the least expensive. Removal and travel included, in South Finistère. A fence or a terrace in the felling zone means dismantling instead.
At 15 metres, felling in one piece is rarely possible in a garden: the climber reduces the crown from the top, then the trunk is brought down in sections. Removal and travel included, quote after a site visit.
Between 15 and 20 metres, close to a house, Arb'Ouest dismantles the tree with rigging: each section is lowered on a rope rather than dropped. It is twice as slow as felling in one piece, and that time is what makes the price. Removal and travel included. It is the only technique that truly protects a roof.
Above 20 metres, felling takes a full day and substantial rigging equipment: tall maritime pines, beeches, informal cypress hedges. Arb'Ouest prices the job after coming to see the tree, in South Finistère, removal and travel included. On trees like these, a prior assessment often avoids an unnecessary felling.
It is the question asked most often, and the one that explains most of the gap between two quotes. A felled tree is a considerable volume of wood: what is done with it changes the bill.
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| Green waste removal | Included by default in every quote |
| Travel | Always built into the quote |
| Stump grinding | A separate job; the price follows the diameter at the root collar |
| Full day | Long job or several trees |
At Arb'Ouest, the wood is chipped on site and reused as mulch whenever the job allows. It is the cheapest option for you, and the one that travels least. More about wood recovery.
At Arb'Ouest, the price depends on the job, not on who the customer is. A 15 m oak behind a house is charged the same way whether it belongs to a private owner, a property manager or a local council: the way the tree is brought down sets the price.
The only difference is grouping. A business job often covers several trees on the same site, which spreads the set-up time and the transport of equipment across all of them, and lowers the cost per tree.
Two trees of the same height can be priced threefold apart. Six factors explain most of the gap.
It is the first factor, ahead even of height. A 20 m tree in an open field comes down in an hour; the same tree wedged between a house and a fence takes half a day of dismantling on ropes.
If Arb'Ouest's trailer and chipper can get close, removal is quick. At the end of an enclosed garden, every wheelbarrow load of branches counts, and removal can end up costing more than the felling itself.
An oak puts up far more resistance than a pine of the same height. The diameter at the root collar also sets the cost of stump grinding, if you ask for it.
A hollow, cracked or declining tree is more dangerous to fell than a sound one: the wood does not react to the cut as expected. That calls for extra precautions, sometimes full dismantling where direct felling would have been enough.
Chipped on site and left as mulch, it costs almost nothing. Cut into logs and stacked, it takes time. Taken to the tip, it adds transport and disposal fees.
Storm damage puts a tree ahead of every other job, 7 days a week at Arb'Ouest. Here neither height nor method is enough to price the job: the state of the tree and the risk it poses decide, and the price is set on site.
On private land, felling is allowed in principle. It requires a prior declaration to the town hall (mairie) in five main cases: a protected wooded area, protection under the local urban plan (PLU), a listed site or the surroundings of a historic monument, a recorded remarkable tree, or housing estate rules.
This check is part of the quote, not of the job. As the owner, you remain responsible for any breach: a tree surgeon who fells without asking the question exposes you. For your own case, the mairie gives the answer.
Read the full guide to felling permission (in French)Arb'Ouest does not publish a felling price list. What makes the price is the method the tree imposes: felling in one piece in an open field and dismantling in sections above a roof are worlds apart in working time. Removal and travel included. Stump grinding is charged separately, the price following the diameter at the root collar.
Yes. Green waste removal is part of every Arb'Ouest quote unless you ask otherwise, and so is travel. On request, it can be shown as its own line. Whenever the site allows, the wood is chipped where it falls and goes back into the garden as mulch.
The price depends on the job, not on the type of customer: height, access, surroundings and what happens to the wood. A tree felled for a private owner and the same tree felled for a local authority are charged the same way. Business jobs are simply grouped more often, which lowers the cost per tree.
No. Arb'Ouest charges stump grinding separately, the price following the diameter at the root collar. It is a distinct job that needs a stump grinder. You can also leave the stump in place if the spot is not going to be replanted or turfed.
On private land, felling is allowed in principle. It requires a prior declaration to the town hall (mairie) in five main cases: a protected wooded area, protection under the local urban plan (PLU), a listed site or the surroundings of a historic monument, a recorded remarkable tree, or housing estate rules. Maxime checks the status of the plot before drawing up the quote; the mairie has the final word on each case.
Because they do not describe the same job. Check three points: the technique used, direct felling or dismantling with rigging; what happens to the wood, chipped on site or taken away; and whether professional liability insurance is mentioned. Direct felling near a house is not cheaper, it is riskier.
No. The French home-help scheme covers routine garden upkeep, not tree work: felling a tree, dismantling it with rigging or grinding its stump are excluded. No tax reduction or tax credit applies to this work. Arb'Ouest says so before you sign rather than after.
Describe the tree: species, rough height, distance from the house, access. The firm amount comes with the written quote, after the visit.
After a site visit. Maxime replies in writing, by WhatsApp or email.
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