Quick answer
A Bradford pear in Philadelphia usually costs what any small or medium tree does: HomeAdvisor publishes $150 to $450 for trees up to 30 feet and $450 to $1,200 for 30 to 60 feet. Most pears fall in the lower band. Grinding the stump is worth adding, since cut Callery pears tend to resprout.
Why Bradford pears split, and why they are now unwelcome
The tree was bred for a neat, egg-shaped crown, and it gets there by sending many limbs up from nearly the same point. Bark gets trapped inside those narrow forks instead of wood, so the joints stay weak. Somewhere around 15 to 20 years, the crown gets heavy enough that a storm pulls it apart.
The other problem is seed. Planted varieties cross-pollinate, birds carry off the fruit, and wild Callery pears with long thorns come up in fields and overgrown yards. If the tree is still whole and you are not ready to lose it, taking weight off the crown can buy a few years, but it does not fix the forks.
What Bradford pear removal costs
Pears are rarely huge, so most land in the lower published bands. Five things move the number.
- 01
Size and age. A young pear is quick; an old one with a wide crown takes longer to take apart.
- 02
Whether it has split. A split tree under tension needs planned cuts before the rest comes down.
- 03
What is underneath. Pears often stand by driveways and walks, so pieces get lowered.
- 04
Stump grinding. Grinding curbs resprouting and readies the spot for a new tree.
- 05
Seedlings nearby. Clearing wild pears around the yard is priced by area and density.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal, up to 30 ft | $150 to $450 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Medium tree removal, 30 to 60 ft | $450 to $1,200 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
| Stump grinding | $120 to $500 | HomeAdvisor, 2026 |
Planning numbers from published surveys, not our prices. We price after seeing the tree.
Remove the pear, or try to keep it?
| Option | What it does | Where it stops working |
|---|---|---|
| Remove and grind | Ends the splitting and the seed source | Leaves a gap until a new tree grows |
| Reduce the crown | Takes weight off the forks for a few years | The weak unions remain and the weight grows back |
| Cable the forks | Holds the main leaders together with steel cable support | Rarely worth it on a short-lived tree |
For most pears past the 15-year mark, removal and a sturdier tree in the same spot is the plan that holds up.
Split Bradford pears
Half the crown on the lawn and a pale, torn seam down the trunk is the classic Bradford pear failure. The half still standing hangs on the same kind of weak fork, so keeping it rarely makes sense. We take the hanging side down first, lowering pieces off fences and cars, then the rest. A split pear across a driveway or against the house is worth an after-hours call.
Callery pear thickets
Wild Callery pears seed into field edges, fence lines and the back of neglected lots, and they come up thorny and dense. Once trunks pass finger thickness, a mower will not touch them. We cut and chip the stems, grind the larger stumps so they are less likely to resprout, and leave the ground open for lawn or planting. Bigger stands overlap with our overgrowth clearing work.
Replacing a Bradford pear
If you want a flowering tree in the same spot, choose one that keeps its shape. Serviceberry and eastern redbud give spring flowers, blackgum gives deep red fall color, and none of them split like a pear or spread into nearby lots. We grind the old stump deep enough for a fresh planting hole and can plan the new tree's planting when the removal is booked.
Callery pear rules in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Pennsylvania added Callery, or Bradford, pear to its noxious weed list as a Class B weed in late 2021. Sellers were warned in February 2023, and stop-sale and destruction orders followed from February 2024. Cross-pollination had made the once-sterile tree fertile, and birds now carry its seed into fields, roadsides and disturbed ground. New Jersey followed in January 2026 with its Invasive Species Management Act, which names Callery pear and bars selling, distributing or propagating listed plants without a state permit, with penalties up to $5,000 for repeat violations.
How a Bradford pear comes out
Describe the tree
Height, any splits, and what it stands over.
Check the forks
Cracks are found first so tension cuts can be planned.
Protect the area
Cars move; walks and beds get covered.
Release any split
A hanging half comes down first, under control.
Crown, then trunk
Limbs lowered, trunk cut in short rounds.
Grind the stump
Ground below grade to discourage sprouts.
Clear seedlings
Wild pears nearby cut out if they are on the job.
Signs a Bradford pear is getting ready to split
- Many limbs from one point
Several upright leaders rise from the same spot on the trunk.
- Dark seams in the forks
Bark pinched into a fork marks a weak union, not solid wood.
- Cracks below a union
A crack running down from a fork means it is already opening.
- Wet staining
Streaks below a fork can point to a hidden crack.
- A crown wider than tall
Outer weight on an older pear pries the forks apart.
- A limb already lost
One split usually means the rest of the crown is on the same path.
Bradford pear questions
Many begin failing around 15 to 20 years, once the crown gets heavy. Ice, wet snow and summer storms usually decide the exact year.
Left alone, it often sends up sprouts. Grinding below grade and cutting any shoots that appear in the first season usually finishes it.
The white flowers give off a strong, unpleasant odor for a couple of weeks in April. It is the tree itself, not something dead in the yard.
Small ones, yes, with loppers and thick gloves for the thorns. Larger stems resprout from the base, so they need grinding or repeated cutting.
It can stand a while, especially if young and away from the house. Crown reduction buys time, but the weak forks remain and the seed keeps spreading.
More removal and replacement work
Tree of Heaven Removal
Cut, stump-treated and followed up so the root sprouts do not come back.
Tree Removal
Sectional takedowns sized to the yard, with the wood, brush and cleanup handled.
Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below grade, the chips raked out or left as mulch.
Tree Planting
Planting replacement trees, including the replacements some towns require.
Bradford pear on borrowed time?
Call and tell us about it. We will look at the forks, talk through removing or keeping it, and give you a price first.