Tree Planting Cost by Size Guide
The stock sizes and forms priced apart: sapling, young, mature, and elderly stock and container, boxed, and balled-and-burlapped forms each stand in their own frame, Frame A counting by maturity and Frame B by height.
Orange County, CA · Updated 2026 · Costs shown as ranges — your quote will vary by installer and scope
The sizes, priced apart by frame
| Stock size | Frame A, by-maturity reading | Frame B, by-height reading |
|---|---|---|
| Sapling stock | saplings line, $20-$50 | counted inside the small-to-medium band |
| Young stock | young line, $50-$200 | counted inside the small-to-medium band |
| Mature stock | mature line, $200-$2,000 | counted inside the large band |
| Elderly stock | elderly line, $1,000-$10,000 | counted inside the large band |
Each reading is one frame's own counting for that size. Frame A counts each size on its own by-maturity line. Frame B prints no maturity line; it counts smaller stock inside its small-to-medium band and larger stock inside its large band.
The forms, priced apart by frame
| Stock form | Frame A reading | Frame B reading |
|---|---|---|
| Container form | counted inside the by-type and by-maturity bands | counted inside the per-tree band |
| Boxed form | counted inside the by-type and by-maturity bands | counted inside the per-tree band |
| Balled-and-burlapped form | counted inside the by-type and by-maturity bands | counted inside the per-tree band |
Neither frame prints a separate figure for the container, boxed, or balled-and-burlapped form. Both count each form inside their printed bands, and no form band is invented here.
Frame A lines behind the sizes, as reported
| Frame A line, as published | Reading | 2026 band |
|---|---|---|
| Planting, published average | per tree | $300 |
| Single small tree | per tree, about | $100 |
| Each additional tree | per tree | $40-$70 |
| Evergreen, by type | per tree | $20-$500 |
| Fruit, by type | per tree | $20-$200 |
| Shade, by type | per tree | $40-$1,000 |
| Landscaper labor | per hour, about 30% of project cost | $50-$100 |
The by-type and by-maturity tables carry the sizes here: the sapling line is the lowest band on the page, and the elderly line is the highest.
Frame B lines behind the sizes, as reported
| Frame B line, as published | Reading | 2026 band |
|---|---|---|
| Tree planting | per tree | $200-$700 |
| Small-to-medium tree, up to ten feet | per tree | $125-$700 |
| Large tree, ten to twenty-plus feet | per tree | $400-$1,300 |
Frame B counts sizes by installed height alone: the small-to-medium band starts below the per-tree band's floor, and the large band ends above its ceiling, because height, not maturity, is the counting on these rows.
Sizes priced apart, neighbours named apart
A stock-size line answers the size question only inside its own frame: a maturity line is not a small reading of a height band. The tree-trimming hub prices pruning on an existing canopy, the tree-removal hub prices an existing tree taken out, the landscape-design pages price a plan product, the backyard-landscaping pages price a whole-yard project, and the bush-removal-and-replacement guide prices shrub removal -- none prices a new tree by stock size.
Reading a by-size quote, by frame
- Stock size and form named beside every figure
- Each figure read on its own size row only
Frequently asked questions
What does sapling stock cost to plant, as reported?
Frame A prints saplings on their own by-maturity line at $20 to $50. Frame B counts sapling stock inside its small-to-medium height band at $125 to $700, with no sapling band apart.
What does mature stock cost to plant, as reported?
Frame A prints mature trees at $200 to $2,000 and elderly trees at $1,000 to $10,000. Frame B counts larger stock inside its large height band at $400 to $1,300. The readings sit in separate frames.
What do container, boxed, and balled-and-burlapped forms print at, as reported?
Neither frame prints a separate figure for any of the three forms in this cluster. Each form is counted inside Frame A's by-type and by-maturity bands and inside Frame B's per-tree band.
What does an additional tree cost to plant, as reported?
Frame A prints a single small tree at about $100 to plant and each additional tree at $40 to $70. Frame B prints no additional-tree line; its counting is per installed tree by height.
Is a stock-size line the same purchase as trimming or removal?
No, head-on: trimming prices pruning on an existing canopy and removal prices an existing tree taken out, stump lines included. Stock sizes here price planting a new tree only.