Tree service
Tree Planting Cost Calculator
Prices planting, where how deep the tree goes determines whether it survives.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus the stock, soil amendments, mulch, staking and the call-out. Labour is digging the hole, handling and positioning the tree, backfilling, watering in, mulching and staking where needed. Stock size drives both material cost and handling: a small container tree is a straightforward planting, while a large balled and burlapped or boxed specimen needs equipment to move and considerably more hole.
What moves the number
- Stock size, which drives both cost and the handling equipment needed.
- Soil conditions, since compacted or heavy clay ground needs more work.
- Whether irrigation or a watering plan is included.
- Species selection against the site, which determines long-term success.
Where this one goes wrong
Planting too deep is the most common cause of failure and it is invisible once the tree is in. The root flare, where the trunk widens into the roots, belongs at or slightly above finished grade, and a tree planted with the flare buried declines over years from girdling roots and trunk rot. Dig wide rather than deep. Wire baskets and burlap should be removed rather than left to constrain roots, and synthetic twine in particular never breaks down. Mulch goes in a ring that does not touch the trunk, since a mound piled against the bark holds moisture against it and causes the same rot. Staking is temporary and should be removed once the tree establishes.
Before you quote
- Set the root flare at or slightly above finished grade.
- Dig the hole wide rather than deep, and do not amend heavily.
- Remove wire baskets, burlap and synthetic twine.
- Keep mulch off the trunk, and remove stakes once established.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why do newly planted trees die?
Most often planted too deep, which is invisible afterwards. The root flare where the trunk widens belongs at or slightly above grade, and a buried flare leads to girdling roots and trunk rot over several years. Digging wide rather than deep is the correction.
Should the wire basket be removed?
Yes, along with burlap and any synthetic twine. Those were for transport, not for planting, and left in place they constrain root development as the tree grows. Synthetic twine never breaks down at all, and a wire basket girdles roots as they thicken.
How should mulch be applied around a new tree?
In a ring that does not touch the trunk, at a modest depth. A mound piled against the bark holds moisture against it and causes rot at exactly the point that matters, which is why the volcano-shaped mulch pile seen around so many planted trees is actively harmful.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 5 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $145.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $60.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 5 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $145 |
| Parts and materials | $60 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $880 |
| Labour | $725 |
| Before tax | $880 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $880: $725 of labour, $60 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $73 | $520 |
| $109 | $700 |
| $145 example above | $880 |
| $218 | $1,245 |
| $290 | $1,605 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 5 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $145.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $60.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.