Tree Planting Cost in 2026: Prices by Size From 20 Nurseries

Most tree planting cost guides give one national average and a city table with no visible source. We took a different route. In October 2026 we compiled the published price lists and planting-fee schedules of 20 nurseries, tree farms and tree movers in 17 states. All of them post their own dollar figures online. We then checked those prices against what public agencies pay per tree: a 2026 municipal bid, a county bond schedule, a city heat-mitigation program and a nonprofit planter’s own cost.

Sizes follow the national nursery stock standard (ANSI Z60.2-2025, which replaced Z60.1-2014). Planting and aftercare specs come from land-grant extension services. The arithmetic is in the method box near the end. For other project prices, see our cost guides and the full landscaping cost breakdown.

Tree planting cost by size

Find the size on your quote or nursery tag. Container trees are sold by container class (#5, #15 and so on). Field-grown shade trees are sold by caliper, the trunk diameter measured 6 inches above the ground. Evergreens are sold by height. The last column adds a nursery’s published tree price to its published planting fee for the middle half of the price lists we found. Delivery is extra unless noted.

Size sold	Typical height	Tree price, published lists	Planting fee, published lists	Tree + planting, typical
1-gallon or bare-root seedling	1–4 ft	$12–$45	$5 where offered (job minimums apply)	$25–$40
#5 container (5-gallon)	3–6 ft	$40–$134	$15–$100	$90–$185
#15 container (15-gallon)	6–10 ft	$141–$350	$50–$145	$275–$415
#25–#30 container or 24-in. box	8–12 ft	$279–$400	$100–$235	$380–$635*
#45 container or 36-in. box	10–14 ft	$538–$600	$200–$350	$740–$950*
2 in. caliper, balled and burlapped	12–14 ft	$299–$500	$175–$299	$600–$685
3 in. caliper, balled and burlapped	14–16 ft	$449–$680	$225–$449	$790–$965
4 in. caliper, balled and burlapped	16–18 ft	$600–$940	$300–$649	$900–$1,225
Evergreen, balled and burlapped	6–8 ft	$150–$540	$175–$290	$380–$730
Tree-spade installed, 4–5 in. caliper	16–26 ft	Quoted as one installed price		$1,600–$2,200 + mileage
Tree-spade installed, 6–7 in. caliper	18 ft and up	Quoted as one installed price		$2,400–$3,300 + mileage

Number of trees of this size (trees)Tree size (as sold)1-gallon or bare-root seedling (1–4 ft)#5 container, 5-gallon (3–6 ft)#15 container, 15-gallon (6–10 ft)#25–#30 container or 24-in. box (8–12 ft)#45 container or 36-in. box (10–14 ft)2 in. caliper B&B shade tree (12–14 ft)3 in. caliper B&B shade tree (14–16 ft)4 in. caliper B&B shade tree (16–18 ft)Evergreen, B&B, 6–8 ftTree-spade installed, 4–5 in. caliperTree-spade installed, 6–7 in. caliperTrees planted on this visitJust this one2 to 3 trees4 or more treesAccess to the planting spotOpen yard, truck or cart can reachBackyard through a gate 36 in. or widerSlope, steps, tight side yard or rocky or clay digging

Add-ons

Delivery, one local trip (if not included in planting) ($75 to $175) Staking for one tree ($25 to $50) Machine or special-access charge for a large tree ($120 to $500) Grind an old stump in the planting spot ($150 to $220) Guarantee reserve: replace one 2 in. tree at a 50% credit ($150 to $250)

Estimated planted cost$100 to $215

Per-tree ranges are tree plus nursery planting fee, the middle half of published 2026 price lists (see the size table). Multi-tree factors follow Plants of Texas's published planting discounts; access factors are our assumption. Spade prices exclude mileage. See How we built these numbers.

Three things stand out. First, the planting fee is a large share of the bill on small trees and a smaller share on big ones. On a #5 tree, labor can equal the tree price. On a 4-inch tree it is a third to a half. Second, the jump from a #15 container to a 2-inch B&B tree roughly doubles the price, because the root ball goes from something one person can carry to about 400 pounds. Third, the per-tree price falls on multi-tree jobs, since delivery and minimums are spread across more trees.

1. #5 container$90
2. #15 container$275
3. #25–#30 / 24-in. box$380
4. #45 / 36-in. box$740
5. 2 in. B&B$600
6. 3 in. B&B$790
7. 4 in. B&B$900
8. Spade, 4–5 in.$1,600
9. Spade, 6–7 in.$2,400

Source: Green Industry Report calculation from published 2026 nursery tree prices and planting fees, October 2026 Tree plus planting, middle half of published lists (full range for #25–#30 and #45). Delivery and spade mileage extra. See method.

Show the numbers

	Low ($)	High ($)
#5 container	$90	$185
#15 container	$275	$415
#25–#30 / 24-in. box	$380	$635
#45 / 36-in. box	$740	$950
2 in. B&B	$600	$685
3 in. B&B	$790	$965
4 in. B&B	$900	$1,225
Spade, 4–5 in.	$1,600	$2,200
Spade, 6–7 in.	$2,400	$3,300

What nurseries charge for the tree itself

Shade trees in the same size class sell for close to the same price regardless of species at most nurseries. Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm in Colorado Springs prices nearly every maple, oak, linden and honeylocust at $449.99 for 2 inches of caliper. Aspinall’s Tree Nursery near Syracuse, N.Y., publishes one caliper price chart as a general guide for all its trees. Caliper, not species, sets the price.

Nursery (published 2026 list)	Area	#5 container	#15 container	2 in. B&B	3 in. B&B	4 in. B&B
Plants of Texas (live oak, maples)	Tyler, Texas	$39.98	$140.98	n/a (30-gal $278.98–$298.98; 45-gal $538)	n/a (65-gal $769.99)	n/a
Pike Nurseries (Brandywine red maple)	Atlanta area	$79.99	$249.99	n/a (30-gal $399.99; 45-gal $599.99)	n/a	n/a
Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm (shade trees)	Colorado Springs, Colo.	$74.99–$133.99	$287.99–$329.99	$429.99–$449.99	$655.99–$679.99	$939.99
Corliss Brothers (red and sugar maples)	Ipswich, Mass.	n/a (#7 $199.99)	$299.99–$349.99	$499.99 (2–2.5 in.)	$649.99 (2.5–3 in.)	n/a
Aspinall’s Tree Nursery (general caliper chart)	Chittenango, N.Y.	n/a	n/a	$299	$449	$649
Rum River Tree Farm (Autumn Blaze maple)	Oak Grove, Minn.	n/a	n/a	$399.95 (2–2.5 in.)	$529.95 (3–3.5 in.)	$599.95 (3.5–4 in.)
Blueville Nursery (shade trees)	Manhattan, Kan.	n/a	n/a	$400 (2–2.5 in.)	$600 (3–4 in.)	$600 (3–4 in.)
Arbor Day Foundation (eastern redbud, mail order)	Ships nationally	$124.99	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

The spread is regional and structural, not random. Plants of Texas, a container grower, sells a 15-gallon live oak for $140.98, less than half of the New England and Colorado prices for the same container class. The cheapest 2-inch B&B tree in the set, Aspinall’s $299, comes with a catch: Aspinall’s planting fee equals the tree price, so the planted cost is about $598 plus delivery. Compare planted totals, not tag prices.

• Heidrich's Colorado Tree Farm, CO (maples)
• Rum River Tree Farm, MN (Autumn Blaze maple)
• Blueville Nursery, KS (shade trees)
• Aspinall's Tree Nursery, NY (caliper guide)

Source: Each nursery's 2026 price list, tree only, rounded to the dollar Rum River and Blueville price bands (e.g., 2–2.5 in.) are shown at the lower caliper; Blueville prices 3 to 4 in. as one band.

Show the numbers

	Heidrich's Colorado Tree Farm, CO (maples)	Rum River Tree Farm, MN (Autumn Blaze maple)	Blueville Nursery, KS (shade trees)	Aspinall's Tree Nursery, NY (caliper guide)
1.5 in.	$366	$300	$350	$199
2 in.	$450	$400	$400	$299
2.5 in.	$558	$470	$500	$349
3 in.	$680	$530	$600	$449
3.5 in.	$790	$600	$600	$549

How much should you pay someone to plant a tree?

Labor alone, from nurseries that publish it: $15 to $100 for a #5 tree, $50 to $145 for a #15 tree, $175 to $299 for a 2-inch B&B tree and $300 to $649 for a 4-inch tree. Expect a job minimum of $100 to $325 on a single small tree. Nurseries use three pricing methods, and the method matters more than the rate.

• A flat fee by size (7 of 10 schedules). Heidrich’s planting contractors charge $215 for a B&B tree up to 2.25 inches, $310 for 3 inches and $455 for 4 inches, with delivery, staking and an 811 locate included. Rum River Tree Farm charges $175 for 1.5 to 2.5 inches and $300 for 3.5 to 4 inches.
• A share of the tree price (2 of 10). Blueville Nursery charges half the tree’s price, with a $190 minimum. Aspinall’s charges the full retail price of the plant again, plus a prorated delivery rate.
• A minimum with a quote above it (1 of 10). Pike Nurseries sets a $300 minimum installation fee that “varies according to size and quantity of material.”

Nursery (published schedule)	Area	#5	#15	#25–#30 / 24-in. box	#45 / 36-in. box	2 in. B&B	4 in. B&B	Minimum / delivery
Treeland Nurseries	Mesa, Ariz.	$15	$50	$100	$300	n/a	n/a	$100 minimum; delivery extra
Lukas Nursery (standard)	Oviedo, Fla.	$15	$50	$100	$200	n/a	n/a	Delivery extra, by zip code
GDNC Cactus & Desert Plant Nursery	Desert Hot Springs, Calif.	$25	$50	$125	$350	n/a	n/a	Delivery $50–$800 by area
Rum River Tree Farm	Oak Grove, Minn.	$40	$60	n/a	n/a	$175	$300 (3.5–4 in.)	Delivery $75–$175 first tree, $25 each added
Full Features	Smithville, Mo.	$100	$100	n/a	n/a	$235 (1–2.5 in.)	n/a	Delivery $75–$135; 10% off 2–3 trees, 20% off 4+
Plants of Texas	Tyler, Texas	$60 (7-gal)	$120	$195 (30-gal)	$270	n/a	n/a	Delivery within 15 miles included; $3.50/mile beyond
Heidrich’s planting contractors	Colorado Springs, Colo.	$75	$145	$205–$235	$260	$215	$455	$325 minimum with any B&B; delivery included
Blueville Nursery	Manhattan, Kan.	Half the tree price, $190 minimum				$200	$300 (3–4 in.)	Stake and mulch $25; delivery $110–$380 outside local towns
Aspinall’s Tree Nursery	Chittenango, N.Y.	Equal to the plant’s retail price				$299	$649	Prorated delivery by zip code
Pike Nurseries	Atlanta area	Quoted by size and quantity						$300 minimum installation fee

Container-tree labor is cheapest in the Sun Belt nurseries that sell mostly boxed and potted stock: $50 to plant a 15-gallon tree in Mesa, Oviedo and Desert Hot Springs, against $120 in Tyler and $145 in Colorado Springs. Part of the gap is what the fee covers. The Texas and Colorado fees include delivery; the Arizona, Florida and California fees do not. Price the two together before comparing.

1. Treeland (Mesa, AZ)$50
2. Lukas (Oviedo, FL)$50
3. GDNC (Desert Hot Springs, CA)$50
4. Rum River (Oak Grove, MN)$60
5. Full Features (Smithville, MO)$100
6. Plants of Texas (Tyler, TX)*$120
7. Heidrich's (Colorado Springs, CO)*$145

Source: Each nursery's published 2026 planting fee schedule, checked October 2026 Median $60. *Fee includes delivery within the nursery's set radius; the others charge delivery separately. Full Features' fee covers #5 to #15 trees.

Show the numbers

	Published planting fee, one #15 tree ($)
Treeland (Mesa, AZ)	$50
Lukas (Oviedo, FL)	$50
GDNC (Desert Hot Springs, CA)	$50
Rum River (Oak Grove, MN)	$60
Full Features (Smithville, MO)	$100
Plants of Texas (Tyler, TX)*	$120
Heidrich's (Colorado Springs, CO)*	$145

For context, the people doing the digging earn far less than these per-tree fees suggest. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earned a median $18.82 an hour nationally in May 2025, from $15.21 in Mississippi to $23.40 in Massachusetts (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Blueville Nursery bills its crews at $110 an hour per person. The difference pays for the truck, the trailer, the skid steer, insurance, the replacement guarantee and the trip itself. Our landscaper salary data breaks pay down by state.

What each size actually gets you

The American Standard for Nursery Stock sets minimum root balls for each caliper. It was revised as ANSI Z60.2, approved April 17, 2025, and published free by AmericanHort. The table below combines its Type 1 shade tree specs with one grower’s published root ball weights, which is what decides whether a tree can be carried, wheeled or must be set with a machine.

Caliper	Average height	Minimum root ball diameter	Minimum ball depth	Acceptable container classes	Approx. B&B ball weight
1 in.	8–10 ft	16 in.	10 3/8 in.	#7, #10, #15	n/a
1.5 in.	10–12 ft	20 in.	12 in.	#15, #20, #25	n/a
2 in.	12–14 ft	24 in.	14 3/8 in.	#20, #25, #45	400 lb (2–2.5 in.)
2.5 in.	12–14 ft	28 in.	17 in.	#25, #45, #65	650 lb (2.5–3 in.)
3 in.	14–16 ft	32 in.	19 in.	#45, #65, #95/100	850 lb (3–3.5 in.)
3.5 in.	14–16 ft	38 in.	23 in.	#65, #95/100	1,200 lb (3.5–4 in.)
4 in.	16–18 ft	42 in.	25 in.	#95/100	1,500 lb (4–4.5 in.)
5 in.	18 ft and up	54 in.	32 in.	n/a	3,000 lb (5–5.5 in.)
6 in.	n/a	60 in.	36 in.	n/a	5,000–6,000 lb (6–7 in.)

Two details from the standard save money. First, a container class is a volume range, not a promise of gallons. A #15 container must hold 2,768 to 3,696 cubic inches, which works out to 12.0 to 16.0 gallons at the standard’s own 231 cubic inches per gallon. A #5 holds 3.4 to 5.4 gallons. If you are comparing a “15-gallon” quote with a “#15” quote, they are the same class. Second, a #25 container equals a 24-inch box and a #45 equals a 36-inch box under the same table, which is why western nurseries quote boxes and eastern ones quote numbers.

Line items that appear on a planting quote

• Delivery: $40 to $380 per trip, typically $75 to $175 locally. Pike starts at $40 within 10 miles and rises with order size. Full Features charges $75 to $135 by distance. Siebenthaler’s in Dayton, Ohio, charges $99 per truckload. Rum River adds only $25 for each extra tree on the same trip. Heidrich’s and Plants of Texas fold delivery into the planting fee.
• Equipment for big trees: $120 to $500 more. Siebenthaler’s charges $219 instead of $99 when a machine must come along, and requires its own crew for deciduous trees over 2.5 inches and evergreens over 7 feet for the warranty to apply. Heidrich’s adds $500 per day for “special access” trees that need large equipment and an 8-foot opening.
• Staking: $25 to $50 per tree. Treeland charges $25 to $40 for double staking and $30 to $50 for triple staking, by stake length. Blueville charges $25 for stakes and mulch together. Many schedules include staking “if required.”
• Mulch and soil amendment. Usually included for the planting ring. Lukas Nursery adds $3 per bag of mulch and offers an organic planting mix tier that raises the 15-gallon fee from $50 to $70.
• Removing what is already there. Almost every schedule excludes stumps, roots and old plants. Heidrich’s crews will not plant until a stump in the spot is ground to 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep. A single stump typically costs $150 to $220 to grind; see our stump grinding cost guide.
• Utility locates: free, but they take days. 811 is the free national before-you-dig service, and it asks homeowners to contact it a few business days before planting trees. Full Features tells customers to allow 3 to 5 days for its state’s center to mark lines. Most nurseries are not liable for private lines such as irrigation, low-voltage lighting or septic, which 811 does not mark.

Big trees: 4-inch B&B or a tree spade

Past about 4 inches of caliper, the job changes. Balled-and-burlapped trees get heavy enough to need a skid steer, and growers start moving trees with a truck-mounted tree spade that digs, carries and plants a cone of soil in one piece. The published numbers:

Grower or mover (published)	Area	What it prices	Price	Extras and terms
Arbor Hill Tree Farm	Cottage Grove, Minn.	Large shade trees, 90-in. spade, installed	About $400 per caliper inch ($1,600 for 4 in., $2,400 for 6 in.); evergreens 13–20 ft $1,795	Includes tree, delivery, planting, first watering, mulch and a 1-year warranty
Trees on Wheels	Madison, Wis.	Spaded trees, installed	4–5 in. (65-in. ball, 4,000 lb): about $2,200; 6–7 in. (90-in. ball, 11,000 lb): about $3,300	Plus $12 or $15 per mile; discount for a second tree with the same spade
Trees on Wheels	Madison, Wis.	Moving your own tree	$375 per hour (65-in. spade); $475 per hour (90-in.)	Charged portal to portal; moves are not guaranteed
Bear Butte Trees	Sturgis, S.D.	Custom spade moving	$150 per hour (44-in. spade); $250 per hour (90-in.)	Farm trees include planting, mulch and a one-time 1-year replacement; mileage $5–$10 per mile
Colorado Tree Spade	Colorado Front Range	Relocating an existing tree	“Plan for $1000 per tree” in most cases; trees over 30 ft from $10,000	Includes relocation, hole filling and mileage

Access decides whether a spade is even possible. Trees on Wheels notes that truck-mounted spades handle small slopes but not steep ones. Heidrich’s needs 43 inches of clear access for a mini skid loader, 48 inches for trees 10 feet and taller or 4 inches and up, and 8 feet for its largest trees. Treeland in Gunter, Texas, says a 36-inch gate fits trees up to the 95-gallon size. If a fence, septic field or tight side yard blocks the route, the realistic choice drops to what can be carried or dollied in.

Is a bigger tree worth it?

Often not, for a yard you plan to keep. In a University of Florida study of live oaks, trunk diameter and height increased faster on small nursery trees than on large ones during the first 27 months after transplanting (Gilman, Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 1998). UF/IFAS establishment tables show why: in north Florida a tree under 2 inches establishes in 4 to 8 months, while a 2 to 4-inch tree takes 8 to 15, and each inch beyond 4 adds about 4 more months (UF/IFAS ENH857). The evidence is not one-sided. A study of transplanted red oaks found surviving 3.3-inch trees established as fast as 1.4-inch trees, but 58 percent of the large trees died while none of the small ones did (Struve, Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 2000).

Our read: a #15 tree at $275 to $415 or a 2-inch tree at $600 to $685 gives the best value for most yards. Pay for a 4-inch tree or a spade when you need shade or screening now, the site has machine access, and the price includes a written warranty.

Guarantees: what you get, and what voids them

The guarantee is the most underrated line on a planting quote. Most nurseries guarantee a tree longer, or at all, only if their own crew plants it. Most replace the plant, not the labor, and most cover a tree once.

Nursery	If you plant it	If the nursery plants it	Key conditions
Pike Nurseries	Lifetime: replacement or credit, once	Same, plus the replacement is installed free within 1 year	Original receipt; one replacement; not transferable to a new owner
Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm	1 year, 50% of list price, any cause	2 years at 50% if its approved planters plant it with its mycorrhizal product; planters cover 50% of their fee for 6 months	Delivery and special-access charges not covered
Aspinall’s	1 year	2 years	Full-price hardy trees; store credit of the original price, once
Treeland (Gunter, Texas)	n/a	1 year, credit of two-thirds of the invoice price	One replacement; must be ordered within 12 months
Plants of Texas	n/a	1 year, replaced at no cost with the same size and type	Excludes fire, frost, storms, drought, hail; void if soil or plants are piled on the root ball
Blueville Nursery	n/a	1 year, one-time replacement of the plant	Labor not covered; excludes neglect and acts of God
Treeland Nurseries (Mesa)	n/a	6 months from purchase	Only with irrigation on a working timer; stone fruit not covered
Corliss Brothers	6 months, one-time purchase-price credit	n/a	Customer responsible for proper planting and care
GDNC	n/a	90 days, one replacement	Void for under- or overwatering; excludes extreme heat and frost

Ask three questions before you sign: does the guarantee cover labor or only the plant, does it require proof of watering, and is it a cash replacement or store credit. A 50 percent credit on a $450 tree is worth $225 toward another tree, not a free replacement.

What cities and agencies pay per tree

Public numbers are a useful check on residential quotes, as long as you know what each one includes.

• Delafield, Wis., April 2026 bid: $300 to $350 per tree. For 76 trees of 1.5 to 2 inches (or 4 to 6-foot evergreens) in a park, the low bidder priced each tree at $300 to $350, an average of $341. The other bidder, a nursery, averaged $546 (City of Delafield bid tabulation and recommendation, April 2026). That is what volume does to the per-tree price.
• Casey Trees, Washington, D.C.: “just over $400.” The nonprofit says that is its cost to grow one tree on its Virginia farm, transport it and plant it (Casey Trees, December 2024).
• Phoenix: about $1,088 per home tree. The city’s planting program for single-family homes covers the tree, planting labor and a supply kit with a hose and irrigation timer. The tree alone is about $180 (City of Phoenix, 2024 Shade Phoenix Plan).
• Fairfax County, Va.: $1,144 for a 2-inch tree. That is the 2026 unit price the county uses to set land-development bonds, not a market price, and it runs high by design: $573 for 1 inch, $1,522 for 3 inches and $2,263 for 4 inches and up (Fairfax County 2026 Unit Price Schedule, effective March 1, 2026).
• New York City: $3,110 per street tree. The Parks commissioner gave that as the citywide average cost to plant a street tree in fiscal 2025 at a City Council hearing (Council Parks Committee hearing, March 20, 2025, transcript). Most street trees go into sidewalk pits, a different job from planting in a lawn.

1. Delafield, WI: 2026 low bid (avg)$341
2. Casey Trees, DC: own cost$400
3. Delafield, WI: 2026 second bid (avg)$546
4. Phoenix home tree program$1,088
5. Fairfax County, VA: 2-in. bond value$1,144
6. New York City street tree, FY2025$3,110

Source: City of Delafield bid tabulation (April 2026); Casey Trees (2024); City of Phoenix Shade Phoenix Plan (2024); Fairfax County 2026 Unit Price Schedule; NYC Council hearing (March 2025) Not like-for-like: Delafield is a 76-tree park contract; Casey Trees says 'just over $400'; Phoenix includes a supply kit; Fairfax is a bond value; NYC street trees go into sidewalk pits.

Show the numbers

	Cost per tree ($)
Delafield, WI: 2026 low bid (avg)	$341
Casey Trees, DC: own cost	$400
Delafield, WI: 2026 second bid (avg)	$546
Phoenix home tree program	$1,088
Fairfax County, VA: 2-in. bond value	$1,144
New York City street tree, FY2025	$3,110

Free and low-cost trees

Before paying retail, check your city and your electric utility. Many give away small trees, usually 5-gallon or smaller, which you plant yourself.

Program	Who qualifies	What you get	Cost to you
SMUD Sacramento Shade	SMUD electric customers	Up to 10 shade trees, 30+ varieties	Free
City Plants, Los Angeles	City of L.A. residents	Up to 7 trees, 5-gallon, 3–5 ft, delivered with stakes and ties	Free
Trees for Neighborhoods, Seattle	Seattle property owners, by lottery	Up to 3 trees a year, 6 per property lifetime, delivered	Free
TreePhilly, Philadelphia	Philadelphia residents	Yard trees at spring and fall giveaways	Free
Casey Trees, D.C.	D.C. property owners	Yard tree professionally planted; or a rebate of up to $100 on a tree you buy and plant (rebate terms)	Free, or $50–$100 back
Denver Digs Trees	Denver residents	A tree the program says costs it over $200 to provide	$50 standard; $15 in low-canopy areas; $0 with a Treeship (hardship) application
Oncor Energy-Saving Trees	Oncor customers (Texas)	Up to 2 trees per household via the Arbor Day Foundation	Free

For reforestation or windbreaks, state nurseries sell seedlings by the hundred. Washington DNR’s Webster Nursery lists 2026-27 seedlings at $0.80 to $1.40 each for orders under 600, and $0.60 to $0.90 each for 600 or more of one stock type, so 1,000 seedlings cost about $600 to $900 before planting labor (Washington DNR, 2026-27 price list).

Regional differences

• Sun Belt container markets (Arizona, Florida, Southern California, Texas). Trees are grown and sold in containers and boxes, and planting fees are the lowest in our set: $50 for a 15-gallon tree in three of four markets. Watch for irrigation conditions in the guarantee; Treeland in Mesa covers trees only on a working timer.
• Upper Midwest and Mountain West (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, South Dakota). Field-grown B&B and spade-dug trees dominate, and this is where published spade pricing is easiest to find. Heidrich’s in Colorado has the highest 15-gallon planting fee in our set, $145, but it includes delivery and an 811 call.
• Northeast (Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire). Tree prices run high at the retail end (Corliss Brothers, $499.99 for 2 to 2.5 inches), and labor costs more: Massachusetts has the highest state median wage for landscaping workers, $23.40 an hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Our landscaping industry by state page compares labor markets.
• Southeast (Georgia). Pike’s 15-gallon maple at $249.99 sits in the middle of the national range, and its $300 minimum installation fee means a single tree costs more to plant there than at most flat-fee nurseries.

Can you plant a tree yourself?

Yes, up to about the 15-gallon size or a 1.5-inch B&B tree, and you will save the planting fee: roughly $50 to $145 on a #15 tree, or $175 to $299 on a 2-inch tree, before delivery. What you give up is the installation guarantee. At Aspinall’s, planting it yourself halves the warranty from two years to one. At Treeland, Plants of Texas and Blueville, the published guarantee applies only to trees their crews install.

Weight sets the limit. A 2 to 2.5-inch B&B tree carries a root ball of about 400 pounds, and a 3 to 3.5-inch tree about 850 pounds (Millican Nurseries). Siebenthaler’s requires its own crew and equipment for any deciduous tree over 2.5 inches for the warranty to be valid. Above that size, hire it out.

Criterion	You plant a #15 tree	Nursery plants a #15 tree	Nursery plants a 2 in. B&B tree
Typical cost	$141–$350 tree + mulch	$275–$415 + delivery	$600–$685 + delivery
Root ball you handle	12 to 16 gallons of soil	None	About 400 lb
Guarantee	Purchase guarantee only, if any	Installation guarantee at most nurseries	Installation guarantee at most nurseries
Main risk	Planting too deep; skipped watering	Contractor skips root-flare check	Access damage to lawn and irrigation

The planting spec to hold any installer to

Whoever plants the tree, these are the extension-service standards. Put them in the contract if you hire it out.

1. A wide, shallow hole. Two to three times the width of the root ball, and only as deep as the ball once the trunk flare is exposed (Iowa State University Extension; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions). For containers of 30 gallons and up, Treeland in Texas digs only 6 to 8 inches wider than the container to avoid standing water in heavy soil.
2. Trunk flare at or slightly above grade. Iowa State warns that planting too deep can kill a tree within months or cause girdling roots that shorten its life.
3. Strip the top of the ball. For B&B trees, remove the twine around the trunk, the burlap on top of the ball and the top third of the wire basket once the tree is in the hole (Iowa State).
4. Mulch wide, not deep. Two to 4 inches of wood chips or bark (Iowa State); UF/IFAS specifies a circle at least 8 feet across, 3 inches deep, kept 12 inches from the trunk.
5. Stake only if needed, and take stakes off. Iowa State calls staking unnecessary for most new trees; UF/IFAS says stakes should come off within one year.
6. Water by trunk size. 1.5 to 3 gallons per inch of trunk diameter at each watering, so 3 to 6 gallons for a 2-inch tree; for trees under 2 inches, daily for two weeks, every other day for two months, then weekly until established (UF/IFAS ENH857).
7. Do not plant on a fresh stump. Lukas Nursery advises planting at least 10 feet from an old stump-ground area.

Red flags in a tree planting quote

• One lump sum with no size. A quote should state caliper or container class, B&B or container, and species. “One maple, installed” can mean a $40 tree or a $940 tree.
• No guarantee terms in writing. Ask how long, whether it covers labor, and what voids it.
• No mention of 811. Heidrich’s planters and Treeland in Texas file locate requests as part of the job. A crew that will not is pushing the risk onto you.
• A 4-inch tree with no equipment or access plan. A 1,500-pound ball needs a machine and a route. If the quote does not say how the tree gets to the hole, expect a change order.
• Burlap and basket left on, or soil piled against the trunk. Both contradict the extension spec, and Plants of Texas voids its own guarantee if soil or plants are placed on the root ball.

If you are hiring a landscape contractor rather than the nursery, check whether your state licenses that work; see how to check a landscaper’s license. Replacing a tree lost in a storm? Our emergency tree removal guide covers the removal side.

This page is general information, not professional advice. Prices are published list prices and our estimates; confirm current prices, guarantee terms and utility locations with your nursery, contractor and state 811 center before you dig.