It will vary from one area to another and between one company and another. $400 doesn't sound very outrageous to me based on my experiences, but it depends. The best thing to do is to make multiple inquiries from different companies and it wouldn't hurt if they're run by certified arborists.

Our neighbors behind us had two 90' trees removed from their backyard and it cost them $900. The same guy told me he could remove a 40' silver maple and do some corrective pruning in our large oak for $200. Sounded great but they were the cowboy type, a little too reckless for my liking. They almost took out the power lines behind our house. I could see it coming before he even cut and tried to warn him. I still marvel that the line held up after being slammed by a 10" thick limb falling from around 80'. It hit it hard enough to sway/vibrate 3 power poles over a 160' distance. 95% of the work they did was great but it was that 5% that turned me off. You get what you pay for.

Again, get multiple bids from different companies and get them in writing. I doubt you'll get it done for $75 unless you find some guy on the street with a chainsaw holding a sign that says "Will kut tres cheep." ;-)

I agree that $75 seems quite low.

To be honest, if you live in WP and are looking to remove only one tree then you aren't looking closely enough. Unless you only have one pine tree on your property, it is more than likely that most if not all of your mature pines have been damaged by the pine beetles -- in which case you should be looking for a "group discount" on removal.

I live in Grand County about 18 miles from WP, but not in a heavily pined area. After hearing the beetle-kill horror stories from friends in the area, I will never complain about invasive aspens again!

Check with the WP City Engineer's office to see who they are using and what they are paying for pine tree removal. The Grand County Extension Office (in Kremmling) might be another place to look for information. And unless you are planning to turn it into firewood, don't forget to factor in the cost of actually removing the downed tree from your property.

Hi my name is Bill Quinn and I am a tree removal expert in the Winter Park, Grand County area of Colorado.

I offer free estimates and very affordable rates. I am also licensed and insured.

Please feel free to contact me at 970-726-2028 with any questions.