Cumberland County · Hoke County · the Sandhills
Tree Removal in Fayetteville, NC
Hurricane Florence put 15.27 inches of rain on the KFAY weather station in September 2018, two years after Matthew's winds uprooted hardwoods in soaked North Carolina soil. If a tree on your lot has you uneasy, phone or use the form here; a contractor who takes tree jobs around Cumberland County will follow up with a quote.
Call (910) 900-8937See local prices
- Tell us about the treeBy phone or with the form.
- Hear back from a contractorTo talk through the job and put a price on it.
- Decide with a price in handNo charge for asking.
Tree jobs people ask about
Each page covers what the work involves around Fayetteville, published prices, and the rules that apply.
- 01Tree removalDead, leaning or simply unwanted trees, from a yard pine to a big oak by the house.
- 02Storm and emergency treesTrees on a roof, a car or a fence after a hurricane, a tornado or a thunderstorm.
- 03Stump grindingGrinding the stump below grade after a removal, with NC811 called first.
- 04Trimming and pruningThinning, raising and clearing limbs off roofs, and what PWC does near its wires.
- 05Lot and land clearingOpening wooded lots and acreage, and the state rules that come with it.
Tree removal in Fayetteville, NC: what shapes the job
Most requests for tree removal in Fayetteville, NC start the same way: a tree that worries someone, and no idea what it should cost. The answers depend on the tree, the ground under it, what it would hit on the way down, and what the city and the power company will and won't do. Here is what the public record says about each.
What it costs here
This Old House's Fayetteville page, last updated in February 2024, gives an average of $544 for a removal, with a range of $265 to $1,166, and puts emergency removal around $1,399. LawnStarter's Fayetteville page currently shows a $716 average for removal and $295 for stump grinding. Neither page explains how its averages were worked out, so treat them as a rough local check against Lawn Love's national tree removal range of $385 to $1,070 per tree. The full tables are on the cost page.
Pines, hardwoods and sandy ground
Fayetteville sits in the Sandhills, in the western part of the Coastal Plain, on the Cape Fear River. The NC Forest Service notes that longleaf pine in North Carolina grows mainly on the drier Sandhills soils, and once covered an estimated 90 million acres of the Southeast's coastal plain. When Hurricane Matthew came through, the National Weather Service tied most of the power outages to uprooted hardwood trees, pushed over by wind on soil that was already saturated.
Storm years
Matthew's rain peaked on October 8, 2016; a weather observer near Hope Mills measured a 17.00-inch storm total. Two years later, the automated station at KFAY logged 15.27 inches from Hurricane Florence between September 13 and 17, 2018, and one gauge southeast of Hope Mills reached 20.55. Wikipedia also records an EF3 tornado in the city on April 16, 2011. After a storm, the first calls for storm cleanup are usually about a tree on a roof or across a driveway.
Beetles in the pines
Southern pine beetle prefers loblolly and shortleaf pine. Longleaf is described as tolerant but still able to be attacked. Look for popcorn-sized pitch tubes on the trunk and needles turning yellow, then orange. NC State Extension recommends cutting a beetle-killed patch together with a buffer of green trees, with cut-and-remove as the most effective option. More on the pine bark beetle page.
Wires, permits and the wood pile
Power lines
Fayetteville PWC surveys and clears its lines every 3 to 5 years and keeps corridors of about 30 feet along primary lines. Its tree trimming along service drops covers only limbs that press on or rub the wire, and it does not remove trees along them, so a tree beside your service wire is a job for a private contractor. If the drop has to be disconnected while a tree comes down, PWC asks for 24 hours' notice, arranged on a weekday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (910) 483-1382. Details are on the trimming page.
Permits
The city's development rules are its Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 30 of the City Code, in effect since August 1, 2011. We could not get the tree sections of it in a form we can cite, so call Planning & Zoning at (910) 433-1612 before taking down a large tree on a lot that's being built on, in a historic district, or along the street. See tree rules and permits.
Stumps and buried lines
Because stump grinding goes below the surface, NC811 asks for notice three working days ahead (811 or 1-800-632-4949). Under state law the notice runs out 28 calendar days after the start date. Prices by stump size are on the stump grinding page.
Where the wood goes
The city's large limb crews take limbs up to 5 feet long and 6 inches thick, in piles up to 10 cubic yards, but they leave contractor debris, stumps and root balls. So whether it's one tree or land clearing, ask whether hauling is in your quote. The full set of curbside rules is on the limb pickup page.
A river town named for Lafayette
Fayetteville was formed in 1783 when the settlements of Cross Creek and Campbellton joined, and it was the first city in the United States named for the Marquis de Lafayette. The Market House was finished in 1832 on the site of the old State House, lost in the Great Fire of 1831; as of 2020 it housed a local history museum. Fayetteville is the seat of Cumberland County, with Fort Bragg on its outskirts. The base carried the name Fort Liberty from 2023 until February 2025, when it was renamed Fort Bragg for Private First Class Roland L. Bragg.
Nearby, requests come from Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Raeford and Eastover. See all towns.
Common questions
Is Fayetteville NC Tree Removal a tree service?
No. It's an independent referral service that works like a switchboard: your call or form is handed to one tree contractor near you, who prices the job, does it and stands behind it. Nobody here cuts trees, and we can't vouch for a contractor's work.
What does it cost me to send a request?
Nothing. Homeowners don't pay to ask for a quote; tree contractors pay us for the referrals.
Will the city haul off the wood after a tree comes down?
Not if a contractor cut it. The City of Fayetteville says it won't collect contractor-generated debris, and its large limb crews leave stumps, root balls and dirt. Ask your contractor whether hauling is in the price. See limb pickup.
Who handles branches growing into power lines?
Fayetteville PWC trims along its lines on a 3 to 5 year rotation and takes trimming requests at (910) 483-1382. It does not remove trees along service drops, the wire from the pole to a house. See trimming.
Does the city make me get a permit before cutting a yard tree?
We could not find the City of Fayetteville's tree rules in a form we can quote. Phone Planning & Zoning at (910) 433-1612 first if the lot is under construction, sits in a historic district, or the tree stands by the street. See tree rules.
Where these facts come from
- This Old House: Best 5 Tree Removal Services in Fayetteville, NC (Callie Marsalisi, updated February 5, 2024)
- LawnStarter: 11 Best Tree Care Services in Fayetteville, NC (average prices as shown October 27, 2026)
- Lawn Love (Adrian Nita, updated Oct. 5, 2026): How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in 2026?
- Wikipedia: Fayetteville, North Carolina
- NC Forest Service: Introduction to Longleaf Pine
- National Weather Service Raleigh: Event Summary, Hurricane Matthew, October 2016
- National Weather Service Raleigh: Public Information Statement, storm total rainfall reports from Hurricane Florence (September 22, 2018)
- Southern Group of State Foresters: Southern Pine Beetle (published through the NC Forest Service)
- NC State Extension: Pine Bark Beetles (Kelly Oten, August 4, 2022)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Fayetteville city, North Carolina
- Fayetteville PWC: Tree Trimming
- City of Fayetteville: Planning & Zoning
- NC811 (North Carolina 811)
- N.C. General Statutes 87-122: Excavator responsibilities
- City of Fayetteville: Large Limbs
- City of Fayetteville: City shares best practices for large limbs collection (May 21, 2026)
- City of Fayetteville: Yard Waste
- Wikipedia: Fort Bragg
Each link was opened and read on October 27, 2026. The city, PWC and the state revise these pages without notice, so give the original a look before relying on a figure.
Get the tree priced
Phone the number or send the form. A contractor who takes tree jobs around Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Raeford and Eastover follows up, and the quote costs you nothing.
Got the voicemail? Leave a name, a number we can reach, the house address and a word about the tree.