Tree Removal in Lennox, SD | Local Tree Specialists
Lennox has been a railroad town since 1879. Many of its yards hold trees that have grown for decades beside the homes. When one of those trees starts to drop limbs, thin at the top, or sprout mushrooms at its base, the first job is to learn why. Sioux Falls Elite Tree Care looks at the species first. We look at the symptoms. We look at the tree's structure. Only then do we advise a next step. That way, the choice to take a tree out rests on what is truly going on.
That matters more than ever now. Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in town. We help homeowners across Lennox sort out their trees. We sort out which ones need to come down. We sort out which ones can wait. We sort out how the wood should be handled once it is cut. Request a quote. We will walk your property. We will look at each tree that worries you. We will give you a clear, written plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does tree removal cost?
Most single removals land between $250 and $2,000. A typical mid-size tree, about 45 feet, runs about $495 to $788 with standard access. Small trees cost less. Large trees near a house or power lines cost more. We give you a firm price in writing before we start.
Do you grind the stump too?
Yes. We can grind the stump on the same visit or on a later day. Grinding cuts the stump about 12 inches below the ground. Most single stumps cost $120 to $400 based on size.
How long does a tree job take?
A small removal takes a few hours. A mid-size removal takes half a day to one full day. Trimming most homes takes half a day. We clean up and haul debris the same day.
Will you try to save my tree first?
Yes. If a tree can be trimmed, pruned, or braced and stay safe, we will tell you. We only push removal when the tree is dead, split, or a real risk to your home.
What should I do after a storm?
Stay clear of hung limbs and downed lines. Take photos from a safe spot. Then send us the estimate form. We handle storm cleanup and can take down split or leaning trees fast.
Do you clean up when you finish?
Yes. We haul limbs, wood, and brush. We rake the work area. Your yard should look clean when we leave.
What Does My Tree Project Cost?
Tree work is priced per tree, by size — removal and trimming by height, stump grinding by the inch of stump width. Here are the ranges we see on real jobs around Sioux Falls, and a calculator built on the same numbers.
Tree Removal
A typical mid-size tree — about 45 feet — runs about $495–$788 around Sioux Falls with standard access; most single removals land between $250 and $2,000. A tree that has to be roped down in pieces over a roof runs higher, and a crane day adds $500 to $2,500 that no online range can fold in sight unseen — crane jobs are priced in person from this range as the base. Stump grinding is priced separately — see Stump Grinding.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
A typical 45-foot shade tree runs about $405–$720 to trim around Sioux Falls; most trimming visits land between $150 and $1,200. Shrubs and small ornamental trees are priced with the visit at the in-person estimate — they ride along on trimming jobs rather than pricing as their own service.
Stump Grinding
Most single stumps run $120–$400 around Sioux Falls — there's a minimum charge to bring the grinder out, and past about 30 inches the price follows the diameter. Below that size the minimum, not the inches, is most of the price; that's how published stump pricing works, not a calculator error. Extra stumps on one visit are usually discounted per stump in person. Grindings are left in the hole unless haul-off is arranged at the estimate.
Emergency & Storm-Damage Removal
A storm-damaged mid-size tree that can't wait runs about $765–$1,260 around Sioux Falls on a priority daytime response; a tree on the house is priced on site. Two cases route differently. A tree already down in an open yard that hit nothing is not an emergency job. It prices at or below the Tree Removal range. A tree on a house that needs a crane is quoted on its own. This range is the starting point for that quote, not the quote itself.
Lot Clearing & Brush Removal
Clearing a typical half-acre building lot with moderate growth runs about $1,150–$1,950 around Sioux Falls; per acre, figure $1,100–$7,000 depending on what's growing. The base price figures trees and brush cut and mulched or chipped on site, stumps cut flush — not ground out — and no grading, excavation, or permits.
What Moves the Price
- Height. Removal and trimming price by the foot of height — a 70-foot oak is more wood, more rigging, and more crew hours per foot than a 25-foot ornamental, and the per-foot rate rises with the tree.
- What's under the tree. A tree in the open drops in big pieces. The same tree over a roof, fence, or dock comes down roped, one piece at a time — published estimating practice puts rigged work at 1.3 to 2 times the ground labor.
- Dead or storm-damaged wood. A dead, leaning, or split tree can't always be climbed safely and cuts unpredictably — hazard work runs 20 to 50 percent over a healthy tree of the same size.
- The stump is its own job. Grinding prices per inch of diameter with a minimum charge to bring the grinder out, which is why a small stump costs close to a medium one — and why grinding is quoted separately from removal.
- Season. Summer and fall storm season is peak demand; the same removal can run 10 to 20 percent higher then than in winter.
Where these numbers come from. Published national cost guides — Angi, HomeGuide, and Lawn Love project data — guide these numbers. We adjusted them to Sioux Falls with Bureau of Economic Analysis price levels. The Sioux Falls metro runs about 7% under the Charlotte metro. We also used BLS wage data for South Dakota tree trimmers. We checked the results against Sioux Falls marketplace averages. They're planning ranges, not a quote.
A note on how the work gets done. These ranges figure a tree taken down by a climber or a bucket truck — whichever can reach it — with the brush chipped and hauled away and the stump left cut flush at the ground. Two things can move you within the range, or a little past it. The first is the tree itself: a thick hardwood like oak or hickory is heavier, harder on saws and grinders, and slower to haul than a pine the same height, and a trunk much over two feet across prices like a bigger tree than its height suggests. The second is the method. A tree may be dead, split, or boxed in over a roof. It can't be climbed or reached by a bucket. A tree like that may need a crane. A crane day adds $500 to $2,500. No online range can fold that in sight unseen. Leaving the trunk wood for firewood instead of hauling it can bring the price down. Tell us what's standing and what's under it, and we'll confirm the method and the exact price at the in-person estimate, before any work starts.
Estimate Your Project
Best guess is fine — measure the shadow on a sunny day or compare to the house (about 10 ft per story).
Several trees in one visit usually price lower per tree in person — this estimate doesn't take that discount.
Stump grinding is priced separately — see Stump Grinding.
Shrubs and small ornamentals price with the visit at the in-person estimate.
Measure across the widest point at ground level, including the root flare where the trunk spreads into the ground.
Grindings are left in the hole unless haul-off is arranged at the estimate.
If the tree is already down in an open yard and hit nothing, price it under Tree Removal instead — down trees cost less, not more.
A typical building lot is a quarter to a half acre.
Stumps are cut flush, not ground out; grading and permits are separate.
Free — no obligation. Your calculator numbers ride along with the request.
Send Your Project to Sioux Falls Elite Tree Care
Your estimate is attached automatically. Add your info and — if you can — a few photos of the tree or lot. Photos help us price the job before we ever set foot in the yard.
Safe, Efficient, and Precise Tree Extraction
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Why Lennox Homeowners Rely on Our Specialists
Sioux Falls Elite Tree Care is based in Sioux Falls, about 20 miles northeast of Lennox. Each visit starts with one task. We work out what is truly wrong with your tree. We name the species. We check for signs of insects, disease, and decay. We explain what we find in plain words before we advise anything. The goal is to give you a true read on the tree. Then you can choose with confidence. Your choice may be removal now. It may be a watchful wait. It may be a different kind of care.
A Railroad Town Named for Ben Lennox
The Milwaukee Railroad came through in 1879. The town that grew up along it was named for B. G. Lennox. He was private secretary to S. S. Merrill, the railroad's general manager. At first the settlement went by Ben Lennox. The name was later shortened. The town grew fast from just 89 residents in the 1880 census. By 1885 the main street had four general stores, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, a lumberyard, a harness shop, and three churches. The city formally incorporated on May 19, 1889. It passed 1,000 residents by 1920.
Some traditions here run almost as deep as the town itself. The Lennox Municipal Band was organized in 1883. It is known as the longest-running municipal band in the state. It gives summer concerts in the park. The Lennox Area Historical Society keeps local history in a three-story brick building at 305 South Main Street. Practical nurse Elizabeth Harney built it in 1914 as the Harney Hospital. Dr. Samuel Young backed the project. It has run as a museum since 1984. The city counted 2,423 residents in the 2020 census. It still hosts an Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration. It also has an active Garden Club.
Ash Trees and the Emerald Ash Borer in Lennox
Emerald ash borer was confirmed in Lennox in 2024. An arborist flagged a suspected infestation. State foresters then found the insect in the wood of an ash tree. The beetle feeds on all North American ash species. Its larvae tunnel under the bark. They cut off the tree's flow of water and nutrients. Early signs include leaves that thin at the top of the canopy. They include small D-shaped exit holes in the bark. They include vertical bark splits and sprouts near the base of the trunk. They include pale patches where woodpeckers have fed on larvae. Ash trees that are still mostly healthy may be candidates for treatment by a commercial applicator. Heavily infested trees most often need to come out.
Timing matters with infested ash. Once a tree dies, the wood dries out. It turns brittle faster than many other species. That makes dead ash harder to climb safely. It also makes it more likely to drop limbs with no warning. Taking it out while some strength is left in the wood is most often the safer and simpler job. The wood needs care too. Lincoln County is inside the state's emerald ash borer quarantine. The quarantine bans moving firewood and ash materials out of the quarantined counties. So ash logs, chips, and brush from your removal stay local. If you plan to keep some for your fire pit, burn it on your own property.
What a Tree Specialist Looks For
Not every problem tree has a pest. Mushrooms at the base of a trunk often mean decay fungi are at work inside. The same holds for shelf-like growths called conks on the root flare. The fungi may be in the roots, where no one can see the damage. Other signs point the same way. The wood at the root flare may feel soft or crumble. The trunk may sound hollow when tapped. A new lean may come with soil heaving up on the far side. All are signs that a tree's support system is failing. Trees like these can come down in one piece with no warning. Spotting them early gives you time. You can plan a removal on your schedule, not the tree's.
Other symptoms look worse than they are. A spruce may shed needles from the bottom branches up. That often points to a fungal needle cast disease. It is common across the region. It can thin a tree for years without making it unsafe in structure. Leaves that brown early in a dry summer may point to stress, not death. A quick scratch test on a twig will show green, living tissue under the bark if the branch is still alive. Part of our job is to sort these cases out. We sort which problems are skin-deep and which ones are structural. Then you take out only the trees that truly need to go.
Our Tree Specialist Process
Step 1: Describe the Symptoms
Tell us what you've noticed, such as thinning leaves, bark damage, mushrooms, or falling limbs.
Step 2: Tree Identification
We confirm the species and check for the insect, disease, and decay signs specific to it.
Step 3: Diagnosis Explained
You hear what's wrong, how serious it is, and whether removal is the right call.
Step 4: Written Plan
Your quote covers the removal method, wood handling, and any quarantine considerations.
Step 5: Scheduled Removal
We set a date, giving priority to brittle or dead trees that shouldn't wait.
Step 6: Careful Takedown
The crew removes the tree using methods suited to its species and condition.
Step 7: Wood and Site Cleanup
Wood is handled within quarantine rules, and the yard is cleaned before we leave.
Request a Quote From Sioux Falls Elite Tree Care
A leaning tree near the house, a dead limb hanging over the fence, or a fast-growing tree that has outgrown its spot is easier to handle before it turns into a bigger problem. We'll come out, look at the tree in person, and explain your options before anything goes on the schedule.
Request a quote and we'll set a time to walk the property with you. If a tree has already come down or looks ready to, check availability and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.