Quick answer
To remove a Philadelphia street tree, the contractor needs a tree work permit from Parks and Recreation Street Tree Management first. The city takes down dead or hazardous street trees at no charge but will not remove a living, healthy one. If yours is dead or dangerous and you would rather not wait, you can pay a contractor to do it sooner.
Who owns the tree in front of your house
Philadelphia street trees grow in the sidewalk or planting strip, which is public right-of-way. The city holds jurisdiction there and Parks and Recreation manages planting, pruning and removal, while the owner of the adjoining property owns the tree itself.
That leaves a few paths. A dead or hazardous tree can be left for city removal at no charge, or you can hire the work at your own cost once the permit is issued. A living, healthy tree the department will not take down itself, and whether anyone gets a permit to remove one is its call, not ours. Our walk-through of Philadelphia street tree permits covers the paperwork.
What street tree removal costs
When the city removes a dead or hazardous street tree, it charges nothing. Hiring the work yourself is priced like other removals, with a few costs of its own.
- 01
Height and wires. Many street trees grow up through the wires over the sidewalk, which slows every cut.
- 02
Parked cars and foot traffic. Pieces get lowered between cars and around people walking past.
- 03
The permit step. Preparing the request and waiting on approval are part of the job.
- 04
Stump in the pit. Grinding a stump boxed in by concrete takes care around the slabs.
- 05
Sidewalk repair. Slab work afterward is a separate trade and a separate price.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tree removal, Philadelphia | $500 to $2,200 | HomeBlue, 2025 |
| 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.
Street tree permits
Removing or heavily pruning a Philadelphia street tree starts with a tree work permit from Parks and Recreation Street Tree Management, issued to the contractor doing the work. We describe the tree and its condition in the request and keep equipment off the sidewalk until the permit arrives. The same rule covers pruning, so lifting limbs over the street on a street tree goes through it as well.
Dead or hazardous street trees
A street tree with a bare crown, a big cavity or a split trunk is the kind the city removes at no charge, on its own schedule. If a dead tree is dropping limbs on parked cars and you would rather not wait, you can hire us at your cost; we apply for the permit and take it down in sections. HomeBlue's published range for city removals is $500 to $2,200 per tree.
Street trees lifting the sidewalk
Raised slabs around a tree pit are a common reason people call about a street tree. Usually the answer is not removal: cutting only the roots doing the lifting lets the slabs be reset while the tree keeps its anchor. We look at which roots sit under the worst sections and how thick they are before anyone cuts. A tree already in decline changes that conversation and the permit request.
What a street tree job from us includes
- A look at the tree's health and where it sits in the strip
- Notes and photos of decay, lean or damage for the permit request
- The Parks and Recreation tree work permit, applied for before any cut
- Cones and a clear walking route around the work
- Sectional takedown with pieces lowered beside parked cars
- Brush chipped at the curb and logs hauled away
- Stump ground out of the tree pit when it is on the quote
- Sidewalk swept and the pit raked level
- A straight answer when a healthy tree needs root work, not removal
The two city rules behind every street tree job
Parks and Recreation only prunes mature street trees and removes the dead or hazardous ones. An owner may hire an arborist instead, but that contractor needs a tree work permit from Street Tree Management before working on the tree. The sidewalk is a separate duty: owners must keep it safe, with no exception for damage from street tree roots. A healthy tree stays and the repair must spare its roots; if the department judges the tree unhealthy, the owner can wait for city removal or hire a Parks and Recreation-approved contractor sooner.
How a street tree job runs
Call about the tree
What is wrong with it and what runs overhead.
Judge its health
Dead, hazardous or healthy decides which path applies.
Permit request
We apply to Parks and Recreation and wait for approval.
Set up the sidewalk
Cones out, cars moved, walkers routed around.
Sectional takedown
Limbs and trunk lowered between parked cars.
Grind the pit
Stump ground out if quoted, chips cleared.
Sweep and go
Sidewalk cleared and the pit left level.
How long a street tree removal takes
The cutting is usually the short part. Most street trees come down in a morning or a day, depending on height, wires overhead and how much room the parked cars leave. Grinding the stump out of the pit adds a little more.
The permit sets the calendar. Nothing gets cut until Parks and Recreation issues it, and that timing is the department's, so we do not promise a date until it is in hand.
Street tree questions from Philadelphia owners
Parks and Recreation removes dead or hazardous street trees at no charge. You only pay if you choose to hire a contractor to do it sooner.
No. Parks and Recreation will not remove a living, healthy street tree, and complaints about leaves, fruit or shade do not change that answer.
Any contractor working on a Philadelphia street tree needs a tree work permit from Parks and Recreation first, so pruning goes through the same step as removal.
The property owner does. The city makes no exception for root damage, and a healthy tree has to stay while the slabs are repaired around it.
Planting in the sidewalk strip is managed by Parks and Recreation, so check with the department before putting anything in the empty pit.
Work that often goes with a street tree
Tree Removal
Sectional takedowns sized to the yard, with the wood, brush and cleanup handled.
Dead Tree Removal
Brittle dead wood taken down from a lift or by rope instead of climbing it.
Root Pruning
Cutting problem roots cleanly so a sidewalk can be fixed without killing the tree.
Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below grade, the chips raked out or left as mulch.
Street tree out front giving you trouble?
Call us. We will tell you which path applies to your tree, handle the permit request, and price the work before any cut.