Fallen tree removal clears a tree that has come down on a lawn, driveway, fence, car or house and takes the debris away. Tree Fox attends fallen trees across Greater Adelaide on a 24/7 line, triaged by risk. A tree down on a lawn or driveway typically costs $600–$1,800 in daytime. Call 0468 016 492 or request a quote online.
If a tree is already on the ground — across the driveway, into a fence, on the roof, or wedged after a storm — you don’t need a quote process, you need a crew on the way. Fallen tree removal in Adelaide is what we run a 24/7 line for. Call first; we’ll walk you through what to do before we arrive, give an honest ETA, and have the right gear on the truck for what’s actually happened.
Why a fallen tree is its own job
A felled tree we’ve cut down is in pieces, on a drop zone we chose. A fallen tree is none of those things. The work changes:
- Stored energy in the trunk and limbs. A trunk pinned across a fence has weight loaded against pivot points that aren’t where they were five seconds before it fell. The first cut releases something — and the wrong first cut releases the wrong thing.
- Structural damage assessment. When a tree’s on a roof, we work assuming there’s a hole under it. Cuts keep the tree’s weight distributed across structural members, not concentrated on a damaged one.
- Unknown defects. Trees fall because something failed — a root plate, a major union, a hidden pocket of decay. The remaining structure is rarely as sound as a healthy specimen.
- Powerline involvement. A surprising share of fallen-tree calls involve a service line down with the tree. That’s a powerline clearance scope and SA Power Networks gets called first on 13 13 66.
- Insurance interaction. Fallen-tree work that touches a building, vehicle, or fence often becomes an insurance claim. We document the scene properly — photos before any cuts — so your claim isn’t compromised.
How Tree Fox handles a fallen tree
The first hour matters more on this job than on any other we do.
- Phone first, don’t email. Our line is staffed 24/7 for emergency callouts. We need to hear the situation in real time.
- What we ask on the call. Where it is, what it landed on, anyone hurt, powerlines involved, anyone trapped, fire risk, is the tree still moving, gas mains or stormwater affected.
- What we tell you. Stay clear of any wires (treat every line as live). Don’t approach a tree on a building roof. If a vehicle is under the tree with someone inside, ring 000 first.
- ETA. Honest answer, not a sales pitch — we give you a realistic arrival estimate on the call. Storm-season peaks and Hills travel extend it.
- On site. Lead arborist assesses before any cuts. Photos for your records. Cut sequence planned for stored-energy release, not for speed. Rigging used to lower sections off a roof or fence rather than drag them.
- Make safe vs full removal. Sometimes the right first call is “make safe” — secure the tree, clear access, leave the bulk for daylight. Working a 25m fallen red gum at 1am in a southerly buster is not what gets the safest outcome. We’re honest about which is which.
- Cleanup. Limbs chipped, trunk rounds removed, site raked, insurance documentation passed back to you.
Pricing context for fallen tree removal
Priced after the situation is assessed, not from a fixed schedule. Realistic Adelaide ranges:
- Fallen tree on a lawn or driveway (no building damage, daytime): $600–$1,800
- Tree on a fence, no roof involvement (daytime): $1,200–$2,800
- Tree on a house roof or vehicle: $2,500–$6,000+ depending on damage assessment, rigging complexity and crane requirement
- After-hours emergency callout premium: typically adds $300–$600 to the daytime rate
- Powerline involvement: priced individually, with SAPN coordination
Insurance note: if the tree was on someone else’s property and fell onto yours, the cost typically sits with your home and contents insurer as a “fallen tree” event. We provide an itemised invoice and photos for your insurer. We don’t process claims — that’s between you and the insurer — but we make the documentation easy.
When to call us vs the parent service
If your tree is still standing — leaning, dead, structurally compromised, but vertical — head to the parent tree removal page or storm damage and emergency tree removal for after-hours work. If a tree is on the ground but it’s a routine “the gum dropped a limb in the back yard, no damage, can someone come Tuesday” call, that’s fine — we do those, but they’re priced as standard removal, not emergency. This page is specifically for trees on the ground where there’s damage, urgency, or stored-energy risk.