How Much Does Wood Chipping Cost?

Breaking down purchasing price, rental quotes and professional tree removal costs

So you have tree debris on your property and you need to get rid of it.

Or maybe you have multiple trees and need a tool for long-term cleanup? You could also be considering doing a professional tree trimming service and need to know the cost of chipping the yard waste you produce.

Regardless there are many options for turning small trees, branches and tree waste into a pile of wood chips. Let's go over the options and see what's right for you.

What's the cheapest way to chip wood?

Wood chipping is the process of taking a whole tree, individual branches or any other wood debris and putting it into a chipper to convert it into a pile of wood chips. The tree type can influence the difficulty and cost of chipping, as some species are harder or larger than others.

For most people the most popular ways to do wood chipping is to hire a professional wood chipping service or purchase or rent a wood chipper.

These options have a variety of price tags associated with them, so depending on your budget and plans for your property you may want to consider purchasing a wood chipper over using one temporarily.

Should I buy a wood chipper?

Wood chippers are heavy duty tools that can be used for thousands of hours. Whether you're running a tree service, doing routine tree pruning or just cleaning up fallen branches on your rural acreage, wood chippers are a useful piece of equipment to own.

Starting as low as $2,400, depending on the model, you can own your own wood chipper and have it for many years to come. That means avoiding paying for expensive tree service costs or rentals. Models like the TFG55 GAS are great for those who don't own tractors while larger models like the TF810 PRO are better for those with tractors who are chipping larger materials more frequently.

Should I hire a tree service to do wood chipping services?

Tree removal services are made up of trained professionals who take down trees and handle branch chipping and removal for a living. Their specialized equipment means they can often get through material quickly and do additional services like tree stump removal.

The downside with these services is that you’re paying a premium for them and oftentimes it’s not worth it just to do wood chipping. Emergency or complex jobs, such as urgent branch removal or using advanced equipment, may come at a higher price due to the expertise and specialized machinery required. For the cost of a visit for them to chip your wood you could make a significant dent in the cost of a small wood chipper like the TFG55 PTO.

Should I rent a wood chipper?

Renting equipment can be great for short-term projects but costs can add up if you rent too frequently. You also risk damaging the equipment or returning it late and paying expensive fees.

Many land owners say they do annual maintenance and prefer owning a wood chipper as opposed to renting.

What's it cost to buy a wood chipper?

That depends on the model of wood chipper but smaller, more affordable models like the TFG55 PTO can cost as little as $2,400.

Larger, more heavy duty models which features like Twin Flywheel can cost upwards of $5,000 like the TF810 PRO, but are able to chip larger branches. There are plenty of models between those two price points so look into what's available and compare that to your budget.

What's it cost to rent a wood chipper?

This will depend on your location and local pricing but chippers can cost anywhere from $100 to $800 to rent per day, depending on the model.

What's it cost to pay a tree service to chip wood?

Your local tree care companies can charge upwards of $200 an hour to chip material. Professional services are especially useful for handling large branches that are difficult to process with smaller equipment. This may be worth it if you have other tasks for them to do but if you need routine wood chipping then this can quickly add up. Some tree services also offer tree transplanting in addition to chipping and removal.

What's the best way to save money doing wood chipping?

Want to chip wood on a budget while doing all your annual property maintenance? Maintaining the health of your trees can help you avoid expensive removal or chipping costs in the future. Also, consider the location of your trees relative to your house, as trees close to the house may require more careful and potentially costly chipping or removal. But if you want to know the basics of affordable wood chipping here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Purchase a Wood Chipper

Perform as many tasks related to tree removal as you can. Use your chainsaw to fell any trees if it's safe to do so and haul away the timber.

Now you need a wood chipper than can do heavy-duty chipping. Models like the TF68 PRO or TF810 PRO are great choices, though more affordable options like the TF46 PRO may fit better in your budget.

Start chipping your tree branches and tree debris but save the wood chips. This will be important later.

Step 2: Repurpose Your Wood Chips

Don't throw out your wood chips and waste a valuable resource. Wood chips can be used to make garden mulch, protect young small trees and be used for pathways throughout your property.

By reusing your wood chips you avoid having to pay for mulch or bags of chips later. You can even bag up your chips and sell them to friends, neighbors or on the side of the road.

Optional Step: Recoup Your Investment

Now it's time to make back your initial investment. Offer your wood chipper to friends and family for a great rate. Help them clean up their properties and make back a little bit of your costs each time.

Post on Facebook Marketplace letting people know you have a wood chipper and can help them out for a good price. This is especially useful after big storms when lots of people are struggling to clean up with messy tree branches all over their property.

By doing this you can easily make back the money you spent on your wood chipper, and then some.

Benefits of Wood Chipping

Wood chipping offers a range of benefits for both your property and the environment. By turning tree debris into wood chips, you help reduce landfill waste and avoid the need for burning, which can release harmful carbon into the atmosphere. Using wood chips as garden mulch helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature, making your garden healthier and more resilient.

Chipping also helps prevent falling limbs and reduces the risk of damaging property by removing dead or hazardous branches. Whether you hire a professional tree removal service or rent a wood chipper for DIY projects, wood chipping is a cost-effective and sustainable way to manage tree debris, protect your property, and enhance your landscaping.

Consider adding a stump grinder to your arsenal

Tree stumps are another obstacle that many property owners struggle to deal with. Oftentimes removing them requires specialized equipment, and many people don't have the right tools to do stump grinding.

Many DIY stump removal options take too long or are dangerous, like using fire to burn old stumps. Instead you should consider getting a stump grinder to not only help clean up your property but also offer your services to others.

By having a wood chipper and a stump grinder you can not only prune and chip falling limbs from trees but also do small-scale tree removal and stump grinding, allowing you to do more of the tree removal process on your own and reduce costs.

While you may still need to call an arborist from time to time, such as when trees are too close to power lines or could damage property, this can help bring down your total costs and even recoup your investments over time.

You can even offer to do small landscaping projects and, if you have the training to do so, tackle large trees and make even more money.