Palms are everywhere on this coast and they age badly in a suburban backyard. They're also the cheapest large removal you're likely to book.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Central Coast Tree Services connects the Central Coast and the Central Coast property owners with qualified, insured local arborists for palm removal and related tree work. Tell us what the tree is doing and we'll match it to an operator who covers your suburb — free quote, no obligation.
Queen or cocos palms were planted through coastal NSW for decades and are now widely regarded as a pest. They drop heavy fronds and enormous quantities of fruit, the seed spreads into bushland readily, and flying foxes feeding on the fruit can suffer for it.
They're straightforward to remove — no serious wood, so a crew can often do several in a day. Check the current position with council before assuming there's no approval needed; being an undesirable species is not automatically the same as being exempt.
Bangalow palms and cabbage tree palms are native and are treated quite differently to cocos. Don't assume a palm is a palm as far as the rules go.
A mature palm crown is extremely heavy and drops as a unit. Fronds have serrated edges that will open a hand up, and the trunk gives no useful warning before it goes. Palms near pools and pergolas usually have to come down in sections rather than be felled.
If you want to keep the palm, cleaning — taking off dead fronds and seed heads — is an annual job that removes most of the mess and nearly all of the danger, at a fraction of removal cost.
the Central Coast.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal (under 10m) | $500 – $1,200 | Ornamentals, young palms and small natives with room to work around them. |
| Medium tree removal (10 – 20m) | $1,200 – $2,800 | The standard suburban job. Access moves this number more than height does. |
| Large tree removal (20m+) | $2,800 – $8,000+ | Mature blackbutt, spotted gum or Norfolk pine, usually dismantled in sections. |
| Palm removal | $250 – $1,200 | Cocos and bangalow palms — no real wood, so cheap unless the crown must come out in pieces. |
| Tree trimming / pruning | $300 – $900 | Clearance off a roof, deadwooding or a crown reduction. Averages around $425 on this coast. |
| Stump grinding | $150 – $500 | Priced on diameter and access. Expect a minimum callout of roughly $180 – $220. |
| Emergency / after-hours callout | $500 – $3,000+ | Storm make-safe. What it costs depends on what the limb is resting on. |
| Arborist report (AQF5) | $400 – $700 | Typically around $450. Required for a Private Tree Works Application and most consents. |
Prices are indicative only. Every tree is different — access, species, what's underneath it and how far the chipper has to walk all move the number. You get a fixed written quote after an on-site assessment.
Full removal of trees that are dead, dangerous, lifting paving or outgrowing a coastal block.
Cutting back overgrown canopies for clearance and light — done to standard, not just topped.
Qualified AQF3 and AQF5 arborists for assessments, reports and tree work across the coast.
Grinding stumps out below ground so you can turf, pave or replant over the top.
Structural pruning and tree trimming — clearance, deadwooding and shaping, done to AS4373.
Taking the stump and root plate out entirely, rather than grinding it down.
Tell us the suburb, the tree and how urgent it is — we will match it to the right operator.
Call 0485 835 759