Talk to a Local Tree Pro Now
Free, no-obligation call. We connect you with a vetted, independent local tree contractor across Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Shelton, Centralia, Chehalis, and the rural areas of Thurston, Mason & Lewis County.
Call (360) 464-4727 — Free, No ObligationCalls may be recorded for quality and call-routing purposes.
Thurston Tree Help is a free local referral service — not a tree contractor. See how it works →
- Free, No-Obligation Calls
- Vetted Local Providers
- Serving Thurston, Mason & Lewis County
- Emergency & Routine Requests
How Thurston Tree Help Works
Three steps. It's free, and you don't have to hire anyone.
-
1. You call.
Tap the number, or fill out the short form below. Tell us what's going on — a hazard tree, storm damage, a routine removal or trim.
-
2. We connect you with a vetted local tree contractor.
We route your call to an independent tree service that works in your area. We don't have crews or trucks of our own — our job is putting you on the phone with someone who does.
-
3. They quote the job.
The contractor calls or shows up to look at the tree and gives you a price. You decide whether to hire them. It costs you nothing to ask.
Storm Damage or a Hazard Tree Right Now?
A leaning tree, a tree down across the driveway, a branch hanging over the roof after a windstorm — make that call first. We connect homeowners with local tree contractors across Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, and the rest of Thurston County; Shelton, Belfair, Union, and Hoodsport in Mason County; and Centralia, Chehalis, and the rural stretches of Lewis County.
Call (360) 464-4727 NowTree touching or hanging on a power line?
Don't wait on a callback. Call Puget Sound Energy directly at 1-888-225-5773, or 911 if lines are down, sparking, or anyone is in danger. PSE clears trees within 25 feet of their equipment and trims or removes limbs within 15 feet of power lines at no cost to you. Never trim near a line yourself, and don't wait on a tree contractor — line clearance is PSE's job.
Windstorm season in western Washington runs October through February. The November 2024 windstorm that put Thurston County under a Wind Advisory is a recent example of what one front can do. If a storm just came through and you've got a leaning or fallen tree, you won't be the only one calling. The sooner you call, the sooner a local contractor can get to you.
What Does Tree Work Cost Around Here?
These are researched local ranges, not quotes. As a referral service we never price a job ourselves; the contractor who looks at your tree does that. Use the ranges to know what's reasonable before you hear a real number.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Tree removal | $800–$1,200/tree ($290–$1,900 range) |
| Stump grinding | $85–$160/stump |
| Removal near power lines | $1,000–$3,000+ (25–50% premium) |
| Arborist consultation | $75–$250/hr (or $100–$250 flat) |
| TRAQ hazard assessment | $150–$300 |
| Written risk-assessment report | $150–$450/tree |
| Fallen-tree cleanup only | $85–$300 |
| Trimming & pruning | Varies — get an on-site quote |
Tree removal
Local aggregator data (ProMatcher, HomeBlue, HomeYou, Manta) puts a typical Olympia-area tree removal around $800–$1,200 per tree, with most jobs landing in the $290–$1,900 range and outliers running as low as ~$300 or as high as ~$2,850 depending on size, access, and how much disassembly/hauling the job needs. A large tree (60–80 ft) that has to come down over a house is more often in the $500–$1,000+ range on its own, before removal-near-power-lines or difficult-access premiums are added.
"Cheap" and "free" tree removal
Getting more than one quote is smart. Ask what each one includes — stump, hauling, cleanup — before you compare prices. As for "free tree removal": no tree service removes trees for free. What you'll sometimes find is a firewood trade, where a contractor takes the wood and takes something off the price of that job. Worth asking about if you've got good wood, but a discount is the most you should expect.
Stump grinding
Roughly $85–$160 per stump in this area. Washington state data clusters around $102–$160; some Thurston-specific pricing points run a bit lower, closer to $83–$156. Stump grinding is usually quoted as a follow-on to a removal job, not a standalone visit, so bundling it tends to save a trip charge.
Removal near power lines
Expect a 25–50% premium over a standard removal — commonly $1,000–$3,000+, and up to $10,000+ for a large tree in a difficult spot. The premium buys real work: a certified line-clearance arborist, coordination with the utility, and slower, more careful rigging. Work around energized lines is more dangerous, and crews price it that way.
Arborist consultation and tree risk assessment
A basic arborist consultation typically runs $75–$250/hour (often with a one-hour minimum, and many contractors credit that fee toward the job if you hire them) — some firms instead quote a flat $100–$250 consult fee. A formal TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) hazard assessment runs $150–$300, and a full written risk-assessment report can run $150–$450 per tree. This is the paperwork you'd need if a hazard tree sits in a Thurston County critical area (see the permit guide below).
Fallen-tree cleanup only
If a tree is already down and there's no structure damage, cleanup-only jobs often run $85–$300 out of pocket — well below a full removal, since there's no felling involved, just cutting and hauling.
Trimming and pruning
We don't have a reliable local number to publish here yet. Pricing depends on tree height, canopy density, and how easy the tree is to reach, and it varies more than removal pricing does. Get an on-site quote — it's normal for a contractor to want to see the tree before naming a price.
Do I Need a Permit to Remove a Tree?
It depends on your city or county, and on how many trees and what kind. Washington has no statewide rule; each jurisdiction sets its own. The table below is what we've researched for this area. Rules change, so confirm the current requirement and fee with the office listed before you apply.
| Jurisdiction | What triggers a permit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| City of Olympia | A Tree Permit under Olympia Municipal Code Ch. 16.60 — required for many tree removals (some single-family removals are exempt if minimum tree density is maintained; developing properties must keep at least 30 tree units/acre). Confirm your parcel with the city. | $25 per tree, capped at $250 total per permit. |
| City of Lacey | Lacey Municipal Code Ch. 14.32 (permit table LMC 14T-18) — removing up to 3 trees per parcel qualifies for a land-clearing permit exemption, as long as minimum tree density (4 trees per 5,000 sq ft) is maintained. That's per 60 consecutive months. Lacey is a designated Tree City USA. | Free (exemption) — but the exemption still has to be issued by the city; it's not automatic just because you're under the count. |
| City of Tumwater | Tumwater Municipal Code Ch. 16.08 — a Land Clearing Permit is required to remove more than 6 trees per parcel within any 3-year period. Heritage trees are a separate track: the city's Tree Protection Professional has to evaluate the tree before a removal permit is issued, even for a hazard-tree exemption. | Non-heritage: varies by permit type. Heritage-tree evaluation: the Tree Protection Professional's fee ($175/hr) plus at least one replacement tree (minimum 2" caliper). |
| Unincorporated Thurston County | Governed by the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). If the tree sits in a mapped critical area or buffer, you'll need a Critical Area Review Permit (CARP) plus a certified arborist Tree Risk Assessment. Outside a critical area, no permit is typically needed to remove a tree within one tree-length of a structure. Thurston's CAO is currently being updated, with completion targeted for late 2026 — the buffer rules above are current as of this writing but may change; confirm with the county before relying on them. | Varies — CARP fee plus the arborist's assessment cost (see cost guide above). |
| Mason County / City of Shelton | Mason County runs tree-cutting through its Fire Warden (not a planner), tied to a land-clearing/burn permit with a required site inspection. A single hazardous tree on an ordinary lot outside critical areas is typically exempt from county permitting, and if the tree stands within about 1.5 tree-lengths of an existing structure, DNR forest-practices permitting typically doesn't apply either. Inside the Shelton, Belfair, and Allyn Urban Growth Areas the county doesn't issue the land-clearing/burn permit because burning isn't allowed there — you can still clear trees. Chip the debris or haul it to a transfer station, and expect larger clearings to need standard development permits. Streams, wetlands, and shoreline buffers change everything, so a quick call to the number below about your specific parcel is still worth it. One case is spelled out in the county's own Resource Ordinance (Dec. 2021 edition — confirm it's still current): a danger tree inside a wetland or wetland buffer doesn't need a full Mason Environmental Permit, but it does need the county Administrator's written approval first — and if the county doesn't respond within 10 business days, your request is automatically allowed. Plan for real mitigation: six native replacement trees per felled tree, and the trunk usually stays on-site in large segments for habitat. True emergencies are exempt. | $175, valid 30 days (land-clearing/burn permit). |
Mason County Planning Services: 615 W Alder St,
Shelton, WA — (360) 427-9670 ext. 352.
City of Olympia: report a fallen tree blocking a
roadway at 360-753-8333 (Olympia only maintains street trees Downtown
and on 10 designated arterials — elsewhere, the adjacent property
owner is responsible for the tree).
Lewis County (Centralia, Chehalis, and rural areas): we don't yet have a verified local permit-fee schedule for Lewis County to publish here. The City of Chehalis Building & Planning does specifically flag checking for Oregon white oak (Garry oak) habitat before removing a tree, since those are a locally protected habitat type. Contact Lewis County Community Development directly for current permit requirements before removing a tree in unincorporated Lewis County.
Common Questions
How much does tree removal cost in Olympia, Lacey, or Tumwater?
Local data puts a typical removal around $800–$1,200 per tree, with most jobs between about $290 and $1,900 depending on size and access. See the full cost guide above for stump grinding, power-line premiums, and arborist consultation pricing.
Is "free tree removal" actually a thing?
No tree service removes trees for free. What you'll sometimes see is a firewood trade — a contractor hauls off the wood and discounts that specific job. If someone advertises a "free removal," ask exactly what's included before you agree to anything.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property?
It depends on where you are — Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, unincorporated Thurston County, and Mason County each have their own rules and fees. See the permit guide above for what we've verified for each jurisdiction, and confirm current details with the office listed before you apply.
A tree is leaning over my house after a storm — is that an emergency?
Yes. A new lean, especially after wind or heavy rain, needs an arborist's eyes as soon as you can get them. Call (360) 464-4727 and we'll route you to a local contractor who handles hazard trees.
There's a tree hanging over a power line — who do I call?
Call Puget Sound Energy directly at 1-888-225-5773, or 911 if lines are down or sparking. PSE clears trees within 25 feet of their equipment and trims or removes limbs within 15 feet of power lines at no cost to you. Don't wait on a tree contractor for this one, and never trim anything yourself near an energized line.
My neighbor's tree fell on my house — who pays?
In most cases, your own homeowners insurance pays for the damage and removal, even if the tree was your neighbor's — insurers generally treat a storm-felled healthy tree as an "act of God," not your neighbor's fault. That can shift if your neighbor knew the tree was hazardous and didn't act on it. Talk to your insurance agent about your specific policy and situation — this isn't legal or insurance advice, just the general pattern.
Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal in Washington?
Usually yes for removal tied to storm damage to your home, often with a removal sublimit around $500 per tree. If a tree falls with no structure damage, cleanup is more often an out-of-pocket cost (roughly $85–$300, per the cost guide above) than an insurance claim. Removing a tree preemptively, before it falls, is typically not covered at all. Check your specific policy — coverage details vary by insurer.
How much does stump grinding cost?
Roughly $85–$160 per stump in this area, usually cheaper when bundled with a removal job rather than booked as a separate visit.
What does an arborist consultation or a tree risk assessment cost?
A basic consultation runs about $75–$250/hour (often with a one-hour minimum, sometimes credited toward the job). A formal hazard risk assessment runs $150–$300, and a full written report can run $150–$450 per tree — the kind of paperwork you'd need for a hazard tree in a Thurston County critical area.
What's a "widowmaker" and should I worry about one?
A widowmaker is a dead or broken branch caught in a tree's canopy that can fall without warning — the name is blunt for a reason. If one is hanging over a driveway, a walkway, or anywhere people spend time, make the call.
Request a Call Back
Fastest — Call (360) 464-4727