Tree Service FAQ for Wilmington, NC

You fill in the quote form with your address, the trees or stumps involved and your timing. We pass your request to independent local tree companies that serve your area, and the company you choose quotes, contracts and does the work directly with you. Using this site costs you nothing, there is no obligation to hire anyone, and we usually reply the same day.

No. Wilmington NC Tree Removal does not perform tree work and holds no contractor, arborist or pesticide license. It is a free quote service that connects Wilmington-area homeowners with independent local tree companies. Each company sets its own prices, schedule and terms and is solely responsible for its work, so ask about insurance and credentials before you sign anything.

Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, whether an ISA Certified Arborist is on staff (a private credential, not a state license; verify at treesaregood.org), and whether the company is TCIA Accredited. If it will spray or inject, ask for its NC commercial pesticide applicator license. Get a written quote covering cleanup, haul-away, grinding depth and permits.

Published cost guides (2025–2026) put the Wilmington average at about $695. By height, typical ranges run about $230–$430 for a 20-foot tree, $450–$860 at 40 feet, $680–$1,290 at 60 feet and $900–$1,730 at 80 feet. These are estimates, not quotes. Your price depends on size, access, nearby structures and cleanup.

Published cost guides put the Wilmington average at about $298. Nationally, jobs run about $131–$438, or roughly $2–$5 per inch of stump diameter, and many companies charge a minimum around $100. Each extra stump on the same visit typically adds about $37–$70. Full stump extraction averages about $331 locally. These are estimates, not quotes.

Usually, yes. There is no reliable published figure for storm, emergency or crane work in Wilmington, but it costs more than a planned removal because of the risk, equipment and timing involved. Some companies offer after-hours or storm response; availability depends on the company and the storm. Get written quotes and ask exactly what is included.

Often not on a typical single-family lot of an acre or less, but you do for any tree in the public right-of-way, and for trees 4 inches or larger on residential lots over one acre, in conservation buffers or in local historic districts. Specimen trees need Board of Adjustment approval, so email City Zoning before removing a large live oak or cypress.

Yes. In Wrightsville Beach, even trimming a live oak or eastern red cedar requires a Tree Alteration Permit, and removing a protected tree needs a Tree Removal Permit. Per the town's FAQ, the fee is $50 and the penalty can reach $2,500. Ask the company you hire whether it will apply for the permit or whether you should.

Rules differ by town and county, so check with the town or county before removing large trees. New Hanover County adopted protections for large live oaks in 2019; confirm current rules with the county. If your neighborhood has an HOA, many require architectural approval before tree removal, so check your covenants as well before you schedule work.

Grinding chews the stump down below the soil line and leaves the roots to decay in place. It is the more common choice and costs less. Removal, also called extraction, pulls out the stump and major roots, costs more and leaves a bigger hole to fill. Tell the company what you plan for that spot so it can quote the right method.

There is no extension-service standard. Ask for the grinding depth in writing; 4–6 inches is common for grass, deeper if you'll plant or build. Also ask whether the quote covers surface roots, hauling or spreading the chips, and filling the hole with soil, because those items vary from company to company and change the final price.

Before stump grinding, the company should submit an NC 811 locate request at least three full working days ahead (G.S. 87-122). Ask them to confirm they have. A locate request is free and gets buried utility lines marked so the grinder can work around them. This is general information, not legal advice, so ask the company how it handles locates.

City yard waste collection takes limbs no more than 4 feet long and 6 inches in diameter, up to 7 cubic yards per collection. The City does not pick up palm trunks, stumps or root balls, or debris created by commercial contractors, so make sure your quote includes haul-away. Outside city limits the rules differ, so check with your town or county.

NC State Extension in Pender County, citing hurricane studies, lists live oak, southern magnolia and bald cypress as the most wind-resistant large trees, with dogwood, American holly, yaupon, crape myrtle and sabal palm faring well among smaller ones. Pines, laurel and water oaks, Bradford pear, Leyland cypress and red or silver maple are more storm-prone near houses.

If a tree is touching or near a power line, stay away and call your electric utility (Duke Energy, or your co-op). Only utility-qualified crews should work near energized lines. Keep people and pets well clear of the area. Once the utility has dealt with the line, a tree company can quote the rest of the removal and cleanup.