Tree Removal & Stump Grinding
Tree Removal and Stump Grinding in Las Cruces, NM
Dead, storm-damaged and problem trees taken down safely, sections lowered where space is tight, and stumps ground below grade so you can replant, lay rock or pour a patio. Siberian elm sprouts treated so they don’t come back.
Updated October 2026. Most tree removals run $400 to $1,200; stump grinding $100 to $500. Free estimate.
Quick answer
How much does tree removal cost in Las Cruces?
Most tree removal in Las Cruces costs $400 to $1,200 per tree. Small trees under 30 feet usually run $200 to $500, medium trees of 30 to 60 feet $500 to $1,500, and stump grinding adds about $100 to $500 per stump.
What moves the price: height and trunk size, how close the tree is to the house, walls or lines, whether it can be dropped whole or must come down in sections, and how much wood you want hauled. Emergency storm work usually costs two to three times the normal rate. You get a written, itemized price before we start.
What’s included
What we do
When does a tree need to be removed instead of trimmed?
Remove a tree when it is dead or dying, split by storm damage, leaning suddenly, rotting at the base, lifting slabs or walls, or an invasive species like Siberian elm. If careful pruning can make it safe, trimming is usually the better first step.
Removal is the last option, not the first. If a tree can be saved with trimming, we’ll tell you. When it can’t, we take it out cleanly. Not sure? Read signs a tree is dying.
Dead and dying trees
Trees killed by drought, freeze, borers or root damage, removed before they drop limbs or fall.
Storm damage
Split trunks and hanging limbs after monsoon wind, cleared as soon as it’s safe.
Problem and invasive trees
Siberian elm, volunteer trees in walls and foundations, and trees outgrowing their space.
Stump grinding
Stumps ground below the surface so you can plant, lay rock, add turf or pour concrete.
Brush and root sprout control
Suckers and seedlings cut back and treated so they don’t become the next problem tree.
Replacement planting
A better tree in a better spot: desert willow, chitalpa, palo verde or a native oak.
2026 price guide
What does tree removal cost by tree size?
Small trees under 30 feet run $200 to $500, medium trees of 30 to 60 feet $500 to $1,500, large trees $850 to $2,000, palms $200 to $1,200 and stump grinding $100 to $500 or more per stump. Emergency storm work costs two to three times more.
|
Job |
Typical cost |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Small tree (under 30 ft) |
$200 to $500 |
Most yard trees, palo verde, desert willow |
|
Medium tree (30 to 60 ft) |
$500 to $1,500 |
Elms, ash, mulberry, pines |
|
Large tree (60 to 80 ft) |
$850 to $2,000 |
Big cottonwoods and pecans |
|
Palm removal |
$200 to $1,200 |
Height drives the price |
|
Stump grinding |
$100 to $500+ per stump |
Size and root spread |
|
Emergency / storm work |
2 to 3 times normal |
After hours or hazardous |
|
Wood chipping or log splitting |
$50 to $100 |
If not included |
Ranges from HomeGuide’s 2026 tree removal cost guide (average $400–$1,200; national average $850). Your price is written before we start.
What raises the price
What keeps it lower
Stumps
Should I grind a stump or remove it completely?
Grinding is the right choice for most yards: it cuts the stump 6 to 12 inches below grade so you can add rock, turf or plants at a lower cost. Full removal digs out the stump and main roots, and it makes sense under slabs, pools or foundations.
|
Stump grinding |
Full stump removal |
|
|---|---|---|
|
How it works |
Grinds the stump 6 to 12 inches below grade |
Digs out the stump and main roots |
|
Cost |
Lower |
Higher |
|
Mess |
Wood chips (can be used as mulch) |
Large hole to fill |
|
Best for |
Most yards, rock beds, turf, planting |
Foundations, pools, slabs over the spot |
|
Regrowth |
Some species can sprout from roots |
Less likely |
Siberian elm, and some other trees, can sprout from roots after cutting. For those, we pair grinding with a cut-stump treatment so you’re not pulling sprouts for years.
How it works
How is a tree removed safely in a tight yard?
We assess the tree and its surroundings, write a plan and price, then drop it whole where there’s room or lower it in sections near houses, walls and fences. The stump is ground if you choose, chips are raked or hauled, and the yard is cleaned.
You see the plan and the price before any cutting starts.
1
Assessment
We check the tree’s health, lean, what’s around it and whether it can be saved.
2
Plan and price
How it comes down, what gets hauled and whether the stump is ground, with a written estimate.
3
Removal
Dropped in one piece where there’s room, or lowered in sections near the house, walls and fences.
4
Stump and cleanup
Stump ground below grade if chosen, chips raked or hauled, yard cleaned.
5
What’s next
Ideas for replanting, rock or turf over the spot, if you want them.
Local trees
Which trees are removed most often in Las Cruces?
The most common removals here are Siberian elm, a listed noxious tree that spreads by seed and root sprouts, plus declining Arizona ash, fruitless mulberry with lifting roots, brittle cottonwood, stressed Aleppo and Afghan pines, tall palms and volunteer trees in walls.
|
Tree |
Why it comes out |
|---|---|
|
Siberian elm |
Listed as a noxious tree in New Mexico; spreads by seed and root sprouts |
|
Arizona ash |
Decline and dieback in older trees, heavy limbs |
|
Fruitless mulberry |
Outgrows yards, surface roots lift walks and slabs |
|
Cottonwood |
Very large, brittle limbs, thirsty roots |
|
Aleppo and Afghan pine |
Dieback, drought stress, beetles in weak trees |
|
Palms |
Height, dead fronds, access for trimming |
|
Volunteer trees |
Seedlings growing in walls, foundations and fences |
Siberian elm status from the USDA Forest Service Field Guide for Managing Siberian Elm in the Southwest.
More on elms: Siberian elm problems in Las Cruces.
Signs a tree may need to come out
Not sure? Call for an assessment. Many trees can be saved with the right pruning.
Local know-how
What should Las Cruces homeowners know before removing a tree?
Plan removals before monsoon season, leave trees touching power lines to El Paso Electric, expect sectional lowering beside block walls, protect drip lines around stumps, and remember roots often spread wide over caliche. Then replant with a tree suited to desert heat.
Monsoon and spring wind
Weak, dead or top-heavy trees fail in storms. Removing hazard trees before June is cheaper than an emergency call.
Power lines
Trees touching or near power lines need the utility. We don’t work near energized lines and will point you to El Paso Electric for those.
Block walls and slabs
Many removals are in narrow side yards next to block walls. Sectional lowering keeps walls and roofs safe.
Caliche under stumps
Roots often spread wide over caliche instead of deep. We grind the root flare and major surface roots where they cause problems.
Irrigation lines
Stumps are often wrapped in drip and sprinkler lines. We locate and protect them, or reroute them after.
Replant smarter
Replace thirsty or weak trees with desert willow, chitalpa, palo verde or other trees suited to our heat and soil.
Service area
Where do you remove trees and grind stumps?
We remove trees and grind stumps in Las Cruces, Mesilla, Sonoma Ranch, the East Mesa, Picacho Hills, University Park, Talavera, Doña Ana, Fairacres and Organ. Every job gets a written, itemized price, and we tell you first if a tree can be saved.
See all service areas.
Why homeowners call us
Related services
Tree removal FAQs
Get a free tree removal estimate
Tell us about the tree. We’ll look at whether it can be saved, and if not, give you a written, itemized price to take it out.
Las Cruces Landscaping Group
1921 Santa Ines Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 270-0676. Mon to Sat, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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