Tree Removal on the Gold Coast: Costs, Rules and Free Quotes
Tree removal on the Gold Coast typically costs between $245 for a small tree under 5 m and $14,700 for an extra-large tree with difficult access, including GST. Height, access, power lines and stump grinding drive the price. Some trees need City of Gold Coast approval first. Send photos for a free quote.
- Typical range
- $245–$14,700Including GST, as of 26 October 2026What's The Damage
- Council approval
- Over 4 m, or 40 cmHeight, or trunk circumference measured 1.3 m upWhat needs approval
- Cost to enquire
- FreeNo fee, and no obligation to accept the quote
Get a free quote
One licensed local tree business will contact you. It costs you nothing.
What affects the cost of tree removal?
Height and trunk width set the baseline, and access decides how far the price moves from it. A 4 m ornamental in an open front yard is a short job for one crew with a chipper. A 15 m gum behind a 900 mm side gate, leaning over a neighbour’s roof, is a different job entirely: every limb is roped down in sections, carried out by hand, and fed into a chipper parked on the street.
The factors that matter most, in rough order:
- Height and trunk diameter. More wood means more time, more rigging and more green waste.
- Access. Truck and chipper access beside the tree costs least. Hand-carrying everything through a side gate costs most.
- What is underneath. A tree with room to fall can be sectioned quickly. One above a roof, pool, shed or fence has to be dismantled piece by piece.
- Power lines. Work near lines needs clearance and sometimes a planned outage, which adds time.
- Stump grinding. Priced separately, by stump diameter and how many there are.
- Green waste. Chipping branches on site is commonly included; carting trunk sections away usually is not.
See the full Gold Coast tree removal cost guide for the ranges by height, stump diameter and palm size.
How is a tree removed safely near a house or power lines?
Where there is clear space, a tree is usually felled in one or two cuts and processed on the ground. Where there is not, it is dismantled from the top down: a climber or an elevated work platform takes the tree in sections, and each piece is lowered on a rigging line rather than dropped.
Close to power lines the rules tighten. There are minimum approach distances for anyone working near live conductors, and some jobs need the supply isolated first. That is a conversation between the tree business and Energex, not something to negotiate on the day. If a tree is already touching wires, treat it as an emergency: call 000 or Energex on 13 19 62 (Energex fallen powerlines) and stay well clear.
What happens to the stump and green waste?
Felling leaves a stump at or near ground level. Removing it is a separate job with a separate machine. See stump grinding for how that is priced and how deep it goes.
Branches are normally chipped on site, and the chip is either taken away or left for you as mulch if you want it. Trunk sections are heavy and bulky; carting them off generally costs extra, and some people keep them for firewood instead. Say which you would prefer when you send your enquiry, because it changes the quote.
How long does tree removal take?
A small tree with good access is often a morning. A large tree that has to be dismantled over a house can take a full day or more, sometimes with a crane or an elevated work platform booked in. Access, the number of trees and whether stumps are being ground all push the time out.
The arborist can give you a realistic window once they have seen photos, which is a good reason to attach a few.
Who is responsible for a tree on a boundary or footpath?
A tree growing on your land is your responsibility, even where its branches reach over the fence. Under the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011 (Qld), a neighbour can cut back branches that overhang their property, and where a branch extends at least 50 cm over the boundary and sits no more than 2.5 m above the ground, they can give you written notice to remove it within at least 30 days. If you do not, they can arrange it and recover reasonable costs from you up to $300.
Street trees and trees on footpaths are a different matter: they are generally the council’s, and they are not yours to remove or prune. The City of Gold Coast asks you to report a problem with a council tree online or through the City App, and has a separate application for removing a tree from public land (as of 27 October 2026). Do not do the work yourself.
What to send with your enquiry
Photos do most of the work. A shot of the whole tree from a few metres back, one of the base, and one showing the access path tell an arborist more than a paragraph can. Add your suburb and the narrowest point on the way to the tree, and the quote that comes back will be far closer to the final figure.
| Job | Estimated range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree (under 5 m)per tree | $245–$785Typical $490 | What's The Damageas of 26 October 2026 |
| Medium tree (5–10 m)per tree | $785–$2,450Typical $1,475 | What's The Damageas of 26 October 2026 |
| Large tree (10–20 m)per tree | $1,950–$4,900Typical $3,425 | What's The Damageas of 26 October 2026 |
| Extra-large tree (20 m+)per tree | $4,400–$14,700Typical $6,350 | What's The Damageas of 26 October 2026 |
Common questions
How much does it cost to remove a tree on the Gold Coast?
A published price guide puts Gold Coast tree removal at roughly $245–$785 for a small tree under 5 m and $4,400–$14,700 for an extra-large tree over 20 m, including GST (source: What’s The Damage, as of 26 October 2026). Height, access, power lines and stump grinding move the figure most. The cost guide has the full table.
Can I remove a tree on my own property without approval?
Sometimes, but not always. The City of Gold Coast treats vegetation as assessable if it is more than 4 m tall or its trunk is more than 40 cm around measured 1.3 m above the ground, and separately where the property carries a Vegetation Management Overlay. Check the overlay map before any work starts, and see the council rules guide.
Is tree removal covered by home insurance after a storm?
It depends entirely on your policy. Many home policies cover removing a fallen tree where it has damaged an insured structure, and many exclude removing a tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything. Read your product disclosure statement and call your insurer before booking work. The emergency tree service page lists what to photograph first.
Do you remove the stump too?
Usually yes, but it is quoted separately. Felling a tree normally leaves a stump at ground level; grinding it out is a second job with its own machine, priced by stump diameter. Say in your enquiry whether you want the stump gone, and see stump grinding for how it is priced.
Can a dead tree be removed without approval?
Not automatically. The City of Gold Coast lists an exemption for vegetation that is actually or potentially dangerous, but that determination is made by a Council Level 5 Arborist, not by the owner. The City Plan’s Vegetation management code (as of 27 October 2026) lists being dead as one reason that arborist can find a tree dangerous, so a dead tree needs that determination rather than the owner’s judgement. Check with the council on 07 5582 8708 before removing one.
Last reviewed 27 October 2026