Tree Fox removes trees of every size across Greater Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, from small garden trees to big gums beside the house. We check whether the tree is regulated or significant before we quote. Small trees typically cost $250–$600, medium trees $600–$1,200 and large trees $1,200–$4,000+. Request a free written quote online or call 0468 016 492.
If you’re staring up at a leaning sugar gum, a dead jacaranda, or a 25-metre eucalyptus that’s gone too close to the house, you don’t need a sales pitch — you need an arborist with the right gear and the right answer about whether council will let it come down. That’s the job.
How we approach a tree removal in Adelaide
Tree removal in Adelaide isn’t just “show up with a chainsaw.” Every job runs through three filters before a single rope goes up:
- Is removal actually the right call? Sometimes a heavy reduction prune, a structural cable, or a deadwood clean-out solves the problem and saves the tree. We’ll tell you if that’s the case — even if it’s a smaller invoice.
- Does it need council approval? Under the SA Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act and the 2024 regulated/significant tree reforms, any tree with a trunk circumference of 1m or more (measured 1m above ground) is a regulated tree. 2m or more is significant. Removing or damaging one without approval can attract heavy penalties. We assess this on the quote, not after the cut.
- What’s the safe method? Climber-and-rope on tight blocks, EWP (cherry-picker) where access allows, crane removal for the big eucalypts hard up against a tile roof. We pick the method that keeps the crew, your gutters, and the neighbour’s pergola in one piece.
The chipper, the tipper, and the climbing kit all turn up together, so the job runs in one visit where possible.
When you actually need a tree removed
Most tree removal jobs come from one of these scenarios. If yours sounds like any of them, get a quote — at minimum, get an arborist’s eyes on it.
- Structural failure signs — visible trunk cracks, fungal brackets at the base, included bark in major unions, or large dead limbs in the crown. The classic Adelaide red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) shedding pattern is well-documented and doesn’t get safer with time.
- The tree is dead or dying. Dead eucalypts are unpredictable. Branches don’t drop on a schedule.
- Storm damage that’s compromised the tree’s structure even if it’s still standing — see our storm damage and emergency removal page for after-hours work.
- Construction, reno, or pool installation clearing the building footprint.
- Pre-sale tidy-up where a real-estate agent has flagged a tree as a buyer concern.
- Roots lifting paving, slabs, or pool shells — though check our tree pruning and stump grinding services first; a removal isn’t always the answer to a root problem.
- Powerline encroachment — see our powerline clearance sub-service.
If the tree is regulated or significant and isn’t within 3m of the house (or within 20m of a dwelling in a Medium or High Bushfire Risk area), and isn’t an exempt species, an exemption probably doesn’t apply. We’ll walk you through that on-site, in plain English.
Our process
- Free on-site quote. We come to the property, measure the tree (DBH and height), check access, photograph it, and write up a fixed-price quote. No “from $X” — a real number.
- Council application, if needed. For regulated or significant trees, we prepare the development application paperwork, attach the arborist justification, and lodge through PlanSA. That’s a separate scope; we cover it on the arborist reports page.
- Schedule and notify. We confirm a date, give you 24-48 hours’ heads-up, and let your immediate neighbours know if access or noise will affect them.
- The work day. Usually a 3-person crew: climber, ground crew, and chipper operator. PPE, exclusion zones, drop zones, the lot.
- Cleanup and grind. Limbs through the chipper, log rounds removed (or stacked for firewood if you want them), site raked. If you’ve added stump grinding, we grind in the same visit.
- Final walk-through. You sign off on the site, we leave it tidier than we found it, and the invoice comes through.
Tree removal cost in Adelaide
Honest answer: the price depends on size, access, complexity, and what the tree is sitting next to. Here’s the realistic Adelaide range:
- Small tree (under 5m, easy access): $250–$600
- Medium tree (5–10m, normal block): $600–$1,200
- Large tree (10–20m+, established gum or similar): $1,200–$4,000+
- Crane-assisted or powerline-adjacent: priced individually — generally upper end of large
What pushes the price up:
- Tight access (no truck or chipper to the tree)
- Proximity to structures, sheds, pools, or fences
- Powerlines within 6m
- Disposal volume (a 1.5m-trunk red gum is a lot of biomass)
- Council application complexity
- After-hours or emergency callout
What we don’t do: a cheap quote that turns into a “found extras” invoice on the day. The number on the quote is the number on the invoice.
Tree removal across Greater Adelaide
We service Adelaide CBD and out across the eastern, western, northern, and southern suburbs, plus the Adelaide Hills foothills. That includes Burnside, Unley, Norwood, Mitcham, Glenelg, Henley Beach, Prospect, Walkerville, Salisbury, Modbury, Marion, Stirling, and Mount Barker. See the full service area on the locations hub for the suburbs we cover and notes on each council’s regulated-tree rules.
Burnside, Unley, NPSP and Mitcham have large numbers of mature regulated trees and pay close attention to the regime. If you’re in one of those LGAs and the tree’s a sizeable specimen, assume an application is needed until we confirm otherwise.
Specialised tree removals
Different trees, different methods. These sub-pages cover what changes when the tree isn’t a standard removal:
- Gum tree removal — eucalypts, sugar gums, lemon-scented gums, river red gums
- Large tree removal — 15m+ specimens needing crane or sectional dismantling
- Fallen tree removal — already on the ground, fence, roof, or driveway
- Powerline clearance — work near or under SA Power Networks lines