Trimming on Long Island is priced per tree, and height is what moves the number most. Two Suffolk companies publish their ranges, and they line up closely once a tree passes 30 feet.
Trimming prices by tree height
| Tree height | Miguel’s Tree Service, Port Jefferson Station (Aug 2026) | Competition Tree, St. James (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 feet | $150 to $350 | $50 to $250 |
| 30 to 60 feet | $300 to $700 | $250 to $500 |
| Over 60 feet | $700 to $1,500 or more | $500 to $1,800 or more |
| Three-person crew, by the hour | $268 to $358 | about $250 to $320 |
Miguel’s takes about $100 off each additional tree trimmed on the same visit. Both companies say tight access, like a tree behind a fence or next to a pool, and limbs near the house or the wires push a job toward the top of the range. Miguel’s puts large oaks and work that needs a crane at the high end.
Prune oaks between October and February
Oak wilt is a fungus that kills oaks, and it turned up on Long Island in the Town of Islip in 2016, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Sap beetles carry it to fresh cuts. NYS DEC tells homeowners not to prune oaks in spring or summer. Do it between October and February.
If a storm tears a limb off an oak in July, the broken piece still has to come down. Plan the rest of the oak work for the cold months.
What a good trim looks like
The International Society of Arboriculture describes four kinds of pruning on mature trees:
- Cleaning takes out dead, dying, diseased and weakly attached branches.
- Thinning reduces the density of foliage at the edge of the crown to let wind or light through.
- Raising removes lower branches to clear the roof, the driveway or the sidewalk.
- Reduction makes the tree smaller, often to clear utility lines.
ISA says no more than 25 percent of the crown should come off at once, and less on a mature tree. Cuts should be made just outside the branch collar, the swollen ring where a branch meets the trunk, never flush against the trunk. ISA also says wound paint does not reduce decay.
Say no to topping
Topping means cutting branches back to stubs. ISA says it can strip 50 to 100 percent of a tree’s leaves, which starves it, and the new shoots that sprout are weakly attached and break in wind and ice. The stubs decay, and bark that was shaded can sunburn. Competition Tree says it weakens trees and leads to decay. If a company offers to “top” a tree or cut it way back, ask for crown reduction instead, or call someone else.
How often to trim
Competition Tree says most mature trees benefit from trimming every three to five years. Fast-growing trees, and ones that hang over the house, may need it sooner.
Branches near the wires are PSEG’s job
State regulators at the Department of Public Service leave the electric lines to PSEG Long Island, and say that cutting within 10 feet of one without training and certification breaks state and federal law. A private company’s trim quote should stop short of the wires. Trees near power lines explains what PSEG clears, how often, and which lower wires it leaves alone.