The Economics of Moving a Single Tree
Custom moving a single tree is rarely cost effective when you consider the following:
- Your tree should be hydrated the day before you move it to a depth of 4-5 feet (50 -100 gallons) with a water wand. BE CAREFUL that the water does not run off where the truck will need to drive. Things can get messy fast with water in the wrong spot!
- The intended new destination should also be hydrated to a depth of 4-5 feet to facilitate or speed up the move. This minimizes digging time and checks the soil condition. If we drive across town to find the customer is on a terminal moraine, limestone outcropping, or other soil conditions make digging imposible, they are reluctant to pay for our travel time.
- As clients do not have access to high pressure water, and must use garden hoses, this can take 15-20 minutes.
- Both the tree and the move site must be level so the tree will sit straight once moved.
- Often time must be spent trimming branches so the tree will fit within the confines of the tree-spade and to minimize broken limbs.
- Digging a receiving hole results in a spade full of dirt, which cannot be simply set down on the ground. It will crumble and make a mess of the lawn. Some elect to have us take the “plug” to our nearest farm, where it can be put in an existing hole for later recovery, but. the expense of all this driving is usually cost prohibitive.
- Some elect to have the spoil put on a tarp, near the tree to be moved, so it can be shoveled back into the hole created by the moved tree. Replacing 4,000 or 12,000 lbs of dirt is no simple task.
- Next consider the efforts of aftercare: rototilling a five foot donut outside the root-ball, soil amendments and root stimulators, staking, and mulching, frequent watering for three years.
- Next consider that charges are made “portal to portal” at the rate of $375 per hour for a 65 inch spade, and $475 per hour for a 90 inch spade. Hence the expense of moving is usually more than half the cost of purchasing a new tree.
- Because the custom of the industry is that moves are not guaranteed, but sales can have a two year guarantee, (sales there is usually identical stock to back up a warranty; with moves may not be the case)
For these reasons most people, upon consideration, do not choose to move a single tree.
After all these considerations here (again) are the prices for 2026:
| Hourly move prices (portal to portal) | |
| 65 inch spade | $375 per hour |
| 90 inch spade | $475 per hour |
Sales tax is added on after the bill is calculated
How big is too big??? (These photos are NOT Trees on Wheels - they are pictures from the internet)
Nearly any tree can be moved successfully (these pictures are illustrative. This is not Trees on Wheels)
