Removal is the job most Long Island tree searches end in, and it is the one where quotes for the same tree can be thousands of dollars apart. Most of that gap comes from what is and is not included: the stump, the logs, the permit, the crane. The tree removal cost guide has the prices by height from four Long Island companies. This page is about deciding, permits, and what to ask.
Does the tree really have to come down?
Miguel’s Tree Service in Port Jefferson Station gives Suffolk homeowners a short list of signs that point toward removal (September 2026):
- a lean that is new since a storm, or more than about 15 degrees from straight up
- a third or more of the trunk hollow or rotten inside
- more than half of the canopy dead or dying
- fungus at the base, with soft or discolored wood
- soil heaving or cracking on the side away from the lean
- damaged bark that wraps more than about a quarter of the way around the trunk
They add that oaks, the main tree across much of Suffolk, often rot inside where you cannot see it. If the trunk is solid, the bark is whole and nobody has dug around the roots, a trim may be enough. When two companies disagree, get an arborist to look at the tree before anyone prices the cut.
Permits come from your town or village
There is no Long Island tree permit. Long Island Tree Pros in Huntington notes that Suffolk has no countywide rule, so each town sets its own, and that many incorporated villages in Nassau require a permit for any tree 6 inches or more across, measured 4.5 feet off the ground (May 2026). Garden City, Westbury, Mineola, Rockville Centre and Lynbrook are among the villages they name.
The Town of Huntington’s application shows what a town can ask for:
- a nonrefundable fee of $25 for every 5 trees
- the company’s Suffolk County home improvement license number
- the arborist’s ISA number, if an arborist is involved
- whether the tree is a landmark tree
- a NYSDEC letter if the property is within 100 feet of a wetland
The same form says that making sure the company is insured is the owner’s responsibility, and the town does not check it. Miguel’s Tree Service and Long Island Best Tree Service both warn that taking down a tree without a required permit can bring fines of up to $10,000. Put who files the permit in writing.
When the tree is close to the wires
For a healthy tree within 10 feet of the primary or secondary wires, call PSEG Long Island at 800-490-0025 before you book a crew. PSEG takes out the part in the danger zone, your company does the rest, and the wait is typically four to six weeks. Trees near power lines has the full process and who hauls what.
What the quote should spell out
- whether the stump is ground, and how far below the grass
- whether logs and chips leave with the crew or stay in a pile
- how the tree comes down: climbed and lowered in sections, a bucket truck, or a crane
- who files the permit, and who calls PSEG if wires are involved
- the company’s county home improvement license number
- proof of liability and workers’ compensation insurance, sent by the insurer
Check the license before anyone climbs
Nassau and Suffolk both license tree companies the same way they license roofers and siding installers, as home improvement contractors. Ask for the number with the quote and look it up on the county site. How to check a tree company has both lookups, plus how to confirm the insurance with the insurer instead of trusting a certificate.