Treatment Cost vs. Removal Cost - Emerald Ash Borer

It seems like every day we get questions on the cost of removal vs. treatment. 

There are many variables such as ease of access to complete the removal, is the tree healthy, can it be saved, labor costs, insurance cost,  etc. etc.

The best document that I have seen in terms of giving cost estimates is The Potential Economic Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) on Ohio, U.S., Communities, by T. Davis Sydnor, Matthew Bumgardner, and Andrew Todd.(Google it)

Here is a chart that simplifies their findings for the private owner.  The average tree was 12.4 inches in dbh.  dbh is the diameter (from one side to the other, not all the way around) of the tree trunk at breast height, or 4.5 feet above the base of the tree.

Landscape Value: $807 ( The value the tree adds to your property)

Removal Cost: +$675
Tree & Stump

Replacement Cost:+$290


TOTAL COST: =$1,772

Of course one might find suitable replacements at a lower cost, or maybe the removal service is higher or lower in your area.  But this chart gives a good rule of thumb for the private owner.

In contrast, by treating that same 12.4 inch dbh average tree with TREE-age and the ArborJet injection system, that same tree could be treated for only $120.00


And one treatment has been proven to protect ash trees for a minimum of 2.5 years.  So in terms of cost to treat vs. cost to remove, it looks like a no-brainer to treat the trees.

The way that treatment is calculated is on the total accumulated dbh inches.  In other words, you might have two, or three, ash trees that total 12.4 inches dbh.  If you have many ash trees there would be discounts for certain quantity levels, but the measurement is in total dbh inches for all the trees, not by the individual tree.