2026 Cost Guide · Cambridge
Tree Removal Costs in Cambridge (2026)
Planning ranges for tree removal, stump grinding and pruning in Cambridge in 2026, with the one cost the rest of the region does not have: the City's permit and replacement requirement for a healthy tree over 20 cm.
Tree work is priced by the day and the equipment, not by the tree. A 20-metre willow on an open rural lot outside Ayr is a few hours with a saw and a chipper. The same willow on a Galt bank above the Grand, over the house, reached only by a crane on a narrow street, with the stump left in the slope for the GRCA's sake, is a full day for a crew and a crane. The tree is identical. The job is not. In Cambridge there is a further line on the quote that Kitchener and Waterloo do not have, and it is worth understanding before anything else.
The City's permit costs for a healthy tree
These are the City of Cambridge's own figures from its forestry page, paid to the City and shown separately on our quote. They apply when a healthy private tree of 20 cm or more is removed under By-law 23-105. Dead trees, imminent hazards and emergencies have no fee and no replacement requirement.
- Permit application fee: $64.98 including HST, non-refundable.
- Replacement planting or cash-in-lieu, by the diameter of the tree removed: 20 to 30 cm, one replacement tree or $607 plus HST; 31 to 40 cm, two trees or $1,214 plus HST; 41 to 70 cm, three trees or $1,821 plus HST; over 70 cm, four trees or $2,428 plus HST. Replacement trees must be at least 20 mm calliper in a 7-gallon or larger pot, and you can plant some and pay for the rest.
- Arborist report: required with the application, and part of our quote rather than a City fee.
For a 75 cm silver maple that is healthy but in the way, the City's side alone can approach $2,500 before the tree is touched, which is why pruning and reduction get a serious look first.
Planning ranges for the work itself, Cambridge 2026
Typical Waterloo Region figures to plan with, not quotes. Every job is quoted in writing after a site visit, and the City's figures above are additional for a healthy tree over 20 cm.
- Small tree removal (under about 9 m / 30 ft, open access, usually under the permit threshold): roughly $300 to $900.
- Medium tree removal (9 to 15 m / 30 to 50 ft, some rigging): roughly $900 to $2,200.
- Large tree removal (15 to 20 m / 50 to 65 ft, over structures, full dismantle): roughly $2,000 to $4,500.
- Very large or crane-assisted removal (river-lot willows and maples, dead ash that cannot be climbed, narrow Preston and Hespeler lots): roughly $3,500 to $8,000 and up, crane as a separate line.
- Stump grinding: roughly $120 to $450 per stump by diameter at grade, more for very large old stumps; often omitted on riverbank lots.
- Pruning and crown reduction on a mature tree: roughly $400 to $1,500, with no City permit for maintenance pruning.
- Hedge and brush removal: commonly $300 to $1,200 for a residential hedge line with chipping.
What moves the price, in rough order
- What is under the tree. Open ground means limbs can be dropped; a roof, a pool, the neighbour's garage or the river means every piece is rigged and lowered.
- Access. Whether a bucket, a crane or a chipper can reach. Preston and Hespeler back yards behind a side passage mean climbing and hand-carrying, or a crane from the street.
- Slope. Valley lots take longer for everything and limit which machines can be used.
- Condition. Dead ash that cannot be climbed needs a crane or bucket regardless of size.
- Lines. GrandBridge Energy's involvement near primary lines adds scheduling and can change the method.
- Size, which matters less than the points above.
- Wood and stump, both separate lines that can be dropped to bring the number down.
How a Cambridge tree quote should read
A quote worth comparing says which by-law route applies (full permit, dead-tree request, hazard or emergency), what the City's fee and replacement figure will be, the method for bringing the tree down, the equipment on site, whether the stump is in the price, where the wood ends up, what gets protected, and the contractor's liability insurance and WSIB coverage. A per-tree number that is silent on the permit is either ignorant of the by-law or planning to ignore it, and the fine for that lands on the owner as well.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to remove a large maple in Cambridge?
As a planning range, a mature maple over a house commonly falls between $2,000 and $4,500 for a full dismantle, above that with a crane or no access, plus the stump if ground. If the tree is healthy and over 20 cm, add the City's $64.98 application fee and the replacement requirement, which for a maple over 70 cm is four trees or $2,428 plus HST. A dead tree carries none of the City's costs.
Is the City's replacement fee really that much?
Yes. The cash-in-lieu is $607 plus HST per replacement tree and the number of trees scales with the diameter removed, from one tree at 20 to 30 cm up to four over 70 cm. You can plant replacement trees yourself instead of paying, or do a mix. It is the City's figure, not ours, and it is one reason to look hard at pruning first.
Is a crane more expensive?
Per hour, yes. Per job, frequently not, because on a narrow Preston or Hespeler lot a crane turns two days of rigging over the house into a morning and removes most of the risk to the roof. For dead ash that cannot be climbed it is often the only option.
How much is stump grinding?
Roughly $120 to $450 per stump for most residential stumps, priced on diameter at ground level including the flare, and more for a metre-wide old maple. On a riverbank inside the GRCA regulated area we will often recommend leaving the stump rather than grinding it.
Is there a charge for the site visit and quote?
None. We do decline to name a price over the phone, because in Cambridge the figure turns on which by-law route applies, how the equipment gets in and what sits under the tree, and none of that can be seen from a phone call.
Is it cheaper in winter?
Often. Frozen ground carries equipment without rutting, the schedule is quieter, and the structure of the tree is visible without leaves. The permit timeline is the same in any season, so a healthy-tree removal wanted for winter should start its paperwork in the fall.
Price ranges above are typical Waterloo Region figures for 2026 and are provided for planning only. Every job is quoted in writing after a site visit. Last updated October 24, 2026.