Tree Trimming Calculator

Trim frequency starts from a baseline set purely by species growth habit — deciduous trees every 3 years, evergreens every 4, fruit trees annually since they need yearly pruning for fruit production and disease control, and palms every 2 years. That baseline shrinks sharply the closer a tree grows to a structure: within 10 feet it drops to 60% of baseline, within 20 feet to 80%, with a 6-month floor so the calculator never recommends trimming more than twice a year no matter how tight the clearance. Cost per tree is a tiered estimate by average height (small trees under 25 ft run around $200, up through very large trees over 75 ft at roughly $1,400), reflecting that taller trees typically require bucket trucks, climbing gear, or crane work rather than a simple ladder job.

Proximity adds a further cost surcharge on top of the height tier — up to 30% more within 10 feet — since arborists charge a premium for careful work near roofs, siding, or power lines. Annual cost multiplies the per-visit cost across all trees by how many trims the frequency implies in a year. The "best season" output and urgency score are simple lookups, not calculated from live growth data: deciduous and fruit trees get an automatic urgency bump because they grow faster and need more frequent attention, and urgency otherwise tracks proximity to structures alone, from 5 (within 5 ft — treat as high priority) down to 1 (40+ ft away).