Tree Service in Montana: Vetted Pros & 2026 Costs
Tree service in Montana runs from around $380 for a small standing tree to well over $2,400 an acre for land clearing, and the state’s pine beetle legacy shapes a lot of that work: standing dead pine from the last epidemic still needs to come down. There’s also no state license to check on the crew doing it. The numbers below come from a statewide Montana cost report, not a single city’s pricing stretched over the whole state.
## Tree Service Costs Across Montana A two-man trim crew runs $124.44 to $154.12 an hour statewide, and a standing tree under 30 feet averages $379.81 to $469.77 as a fixed fee before size, access, or crane add-ons push it higher. Land and lot clearing, common on rural and ranch properties, runs $1,199.40 to $2,448.78 per acre. Stump removal prices out at $3.25 to $3.50 per linear inch of stump diameter almost everywhere in the state.
No General Contractor License, Just Registration
Montana doesn’t have a general contractor license at all, for tree work or any other trade. Businesses with employees doing construction work register under Montana Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 9, through the Department of Labor and Industry, and that registration is built around workers’ compensation compliance, not a trade exam or skills test. Since there’s no license to verify competency, insurance and a real credential like an ISA Certified Arborist on staff carry more weight in Montana than they would in a state with a licensing board.
The Mountain Pine Beetle’s Lasting Mark on Montana’s Trees
Montana’s mountain pine beetle epidemic peaked in 2009 at nearly 3.7 million infested acres statewide, fueled by warm winters, drought stress, and dense single-species stands of lodgepole and ponderosa pine. The outbreak has since slowed, but it left behind large stands of standing dead pine that raise wildfire risk and pose a real hazard-tree problem near homes and property lines. A crew that understands beetle-kill removal, and the fire-risk reasoning behind taking a dead pine down before it falls, is worth more in Montana than one that only knows healthy-tree pruning.
Getting Quotes from Vetted Pros in Montana
With no state license to check, ask directly about insurance, ISA certification, and experience with beetle-kill or hazard-tree removal. Every pro in our directory is checked against our vetting standards first.
Tree Service Coverage by Montana City
Every metro below has its own tracked-company page, and the full map lives on our city index. Pricing tools for any of them are on the calculators page.
## Frequently Asked Questions About Tree Service in Montana ### How much does tree removal cost in Montana?
Statewide Montana cost data puts a standing tree under 30 feet at $379.81 to $469.77 as a fixed fee, with a two-man trim crew billing $124.44 to $154.12 an hour. Stump removal runs $3.25 to $3.50 per linear inch of stump diameter, and full-acre land clearing runs $1,199.40 to $2,448.78.
Does Montana require a license for tree service companies?
No, not in the traditional sense. Montana has no general contractor license for any trade. Tree service businesses with employees register under Title 39, Chapter 9 of Montana Code Annotated for workers’ compensation compliance, which isn’t a trade-specific skills exam.
Does the mountain pine beetle affect tree service costs in Montana?
Yes, particularly for hazard-tree removal. Montana’s beetle epidemic peaked in 2009 at nearly 3.7 million infested acres, and the standing dead pine it left behind keeps hazard-tree removal and wildfire-risk reduction in demand statewide.
How do I find a vetted tree service in Montana?
Since there’s no state license, lean on registration verification, insurance, and ISA certification. Our directory only lists pros checked against our published vetting standards.
About CompareTreeServices: CompareTreeServices is an American directory that tracks tree service companies nationwide, so you can compare vetted providers in your area before you call. See our tree removal and tree cutting guides, or find a pro in your city.