Quick answer
Hauling logs and debris is usually priced by crew time and volume rather than per tree. HomeBlue data puts a Philadelphia three-person tree crew at $240 to $310 per hour, which is a fair yardstick. A curbside brush pile may take under an hour; trunk rounds carried out of a rowhome yard can take most of a day.
Why a pile of wood is harder to move than it looks
A green oak round 20 inches across and 18 inches long can weigh well over a hundred pounds, and a trunk makes dozens. Logs need cutting smaller, rolling or carrying, and a truck that takes the weight. Brush is the opposite, light but bulky, filling a pickup bed in minutes unless it goes through a chipper.
That is why we bring both a saw and a chipper. Brush gets chipped on site, which shrinks a heap the size of a car into a few cubic yards. Logs are bucked to a size two people can carry, then loaded. If the debris came from a tree that is still partly standing, storm damage cleanup handles the cutting and the haul together.
What log and debris removal costs
Most haul-away jobs come down to how much wood there is and how far it travels to the truck.
- 01
Volume and weight. A few logs and a brush pile fill one load; a whole felled maple can take several.
- 02
Size of the pieces. Trunk rounds too heavy to lift have to be cut again or split before loading.
- 03
The carry. Curbside piles load fast; wood stacked in a rowhome yard with no alley leaves by hand.
- 04
Chipping versus hauling. Brush that can be chipped takes less truck space than whole branches.
- 05
Firewood kept back. Every log you keep for the fireplace is one less we cut, carry and haul.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tree crew, Philadelphia hourly | $240 to $310 per hour | HomeBlue, 2025 |
Planning numbers from published surveys, not our prices. We price after seeing the tree.
Log removal after a takedown
Sometimes the tree comes down and the wood stays: an owner who cut it themselves, a contractor whose price did not include hauling, or a utility crew that only cleared the line. Those trunk sections are often too heavy to move by hand. We cut them into rounds, roll or carry them out, and load them. If a stump was left behind too, grinding it out can be done on the same trip.
Brush pile removal
Brush piles grow from every pruning session and storm until they smother the lawn underneath and shelter mice. We feed the pile through the chipper, rake the matted layer at the bottom, and haul the chips or spread them on beds if you want mulch. A pile mixed with leaves, vines and old fencing takes longer to sort before chipping.
Storm debris pickup
After high winds, yards fill with limbs, split tops and twigs scattered across roofs and gutters. Once nothing is still hanging or resting on a wire, debris pickup is a cut-and-load job. We work from the street side back so the truck fills in order, and blow off walks at the end. Wood still caught in the crown is a different job, covered under hanging limb removal.
What a haul-away visit includes
- A look at the pile and the route to the truck
- Logs bucked to a size that can be carried or rolled
- Firewood lengths set aside if you want to keep some
- Brush fed through the chipper on site
- Chips hauled or spread on beds at your choice
- Matted debris under old piles raked up
- Plywood laid over soft lawn on the carry route
- Loaded wood taken off the property
- Walks, driveway and street blown clean
After a Philadelphia storm, the debris is yours
Philadelphia's storm rules leave the cleanup to owners. A tree that falls on private property is the owner's to resolve; 911 is for emergencies like a tree on a house or car or a blocked road, trees on power lines go to PECO, and residents are left to clear the debris. PECO does not touch cable or telecom lines. After the July 2026 microburst storms damaged trees in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, the City worked under a disaster emergency declaration, with tree recovery support mobilized in West and South Philadelphia, but yard debris still fell to the people who owned it.
How a haul-away job runs
Tell us what is there
Logs, brush or both, rough volume, and whether you want firewood kept.
Check the route
Gates, steps, soft lawn and where the truck can park.
Protect the path
Plywood down where heavy rounds will cross the grass.
Cut to size
Large rounds bucked smaller, firewood set aside.
Chip the brush
Branches fed through the chipper, chips kept or loaded.
Carry and load
Logs rolled or carried to the truck and stacked.
Clean up
Rake, blow off walks and leave the spot clear.
How long a haul-away takes
A curbside brush pile or a few logs is usually an hour or two from arrival to clean pavement. A whole felled tree, or debris spread across a big lot, can run most of a day because of the cutting and the number of loads.
The carry matters most. Wood we can drive up to loads several times faster than wood leaving a rowhome yard by hand or through a narrow gate. After a big storm, tell us early how much there is and how we reach it.
Questions about hauling away wood
Yes. We often pick up wood left by homeowners, other contractors or utility crews who only cleared their lines. Tell us roughly how big the trunk was.
Of course. Tell us how much and what length suits your fireplace or stove. We set those pieces aside and haul only the rest.
On private property the debris is generally the owner's to clear. Trees on power lines go to PECO, and blocked roads or trees on houses go to 911.
Yes, by cutting it small and carrying it through the gate or house with protection on floors and steps. It takes longer than a driveway job.
Leaves and clippings mixed into a brush pile go with it. A yard of loose leaves alone is better suited to a landscaper.
Other cleanup and property work
Brush & Overgrowth Clearing
Overgrown yards, fence lines and alleys cut back and hauled out.
Storm Damage Cleanup
Limbs and trunks scattered after a microburst or nor'easter, cut up and hauled away.
Fallen Tree Removal
Rigging a trunk off a roof, car or garage without making the damage worse.
Lot & Land Clearing
Wooded lots and overgrown ground cleared, with the trees you want kept left standing.
Wood piling up in the yard?
Call and tell us what is there. We will cut it down to size, haul it off and leave the ground clear. Not sure who owns the cleanup after a storm? Read who handles a fallen tree in Philadelphia.