Tree trimming in Murfreesboro that helps the tree instead of hurting it
Deadwood out, roofs and wires cleared, weak unions reduced, crape myrtles left with their shape — every cut made at the collar where the tree can seal it, and never a topped tree with our name on it.
Trimming is where most of the damage to Murfreesboro's trees gets done, and most of it is done by someone with a chainsaw and no plan. Topping a maple or a hackberry — hacking the crown back to stubs — produces a mop of weak shoots that break in the next ice storm, opens the trunk to decay, and turns a tree that would have lasted another forty years into a removal in ten. Crape myrtles get the same treatment every February. We don't do it, and we'll tell you when a tree that's been topped before is now a hazard because of it.
What we do is prune to the ANSI A300 standard: crown cleaning to take out the dead, broken and rubbing limbs; thinning to let wind through the canopy of a hackberry or silver maple; reduction cuts to bring a limb back off the roof or away from the service drop; structural pruning on young trees so they never grow the weak co-dominant unions that split in a storm; and raising the canopy so you can mow under it and see the street.
What's included
Crown cleaning
Dead, dying, broken, rubbing and diseased limbs removed throughout the canopy.
Roof, wire & driveway clearance
Limbs brought back off the shingles, the gutters, the service drop and the driveway with proper reduction cuts.
Structural pruning
Young maples, oaks and street trees shaped so weak unions never form.
Thinning & reduction
Wind let through heavy hackberry and silver-maple canopies; end weight reduced where a limb is over-extended over the house.
Crape myrtle & ornamental pruning
Suckers, crossing limbs and seed heads out, natural shape kept — no knuckled stubs.
Utility coordination
Anything within ten feet of Middle Tennessee Electric's primary lines is MTE's to clear; we handle the service drop side and everything else.
Tree trimming & pruning cost in Murfreesboro, TN
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small ornamental (crape myrtle, dogwood, Japanese maple) | $125 – $350 | Per tree |
| Medium tree, crown cleaning (25–45 ft) | $350 – $800 | Deadwood and clearance |
| Large hackberry, maple or oak (50–80 ft) | $750 – $1,900 | Full crown cleaning and reduction |
| Roof or wire clearance only | $250 – $700 | Targeted cuts |
| Structural pruning, young trees | $90 – $250 | Per tree, every 2–3 years |
| Whole-yard pruning day | $1,200 – $3,200 | Crew and chipper for the day |
These are 2026 Rutherford County ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — removal, rigging or crane, hauling, stump grinding, any paperwork — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about tree trimming & pruning
How often should I trim the big trees over my house?
A mature hackberry, maple or oak over a Murfreesboro roof is worth a look every two to three years and a real pruning every three to five. Young trees benefit from structural pruning every couple of years until the framework is set. Bradford pears need attention every year and still split.
When is the best time to prune in Middle Tennessee?
Late winter — January through early March — for most shade trees, while they're dormant and before the sap runs. Oaks especially should be pruned in the dormant season to avoid oak wilt beetles. Deadwood and hazards come out any time of year. Spring-flowering ornamentals get pruned right after they bloom.
Will you top my tree?
No. Topping is the single most damaging thing done to trees in Rutherford County. If a tree is too big for its spot we'll reduce it properly, and if it can't be reduced enough to be safe we'll recommend removal — but we won't leave a tree with stubs and call it a trim.
Can you trim the tree that's over the power line?
Anything within ten feet of MTE's primary lines is the utility's job; call them and they'll clear it at no charge. We handle the rest of the tree and anything near your service drop, working with the line de-energized or sleeved when we have to be close.
Do you clean up the branches?
Every time. Chipped on site, hauled, lawn raked, driveway blown off. You won't know we were there except for the tree looking better.