InstaBidsHow much is tree planting?
This survey has no tree planting-specific figure. The figure below covers all "Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system" jobs, so read it as context, not as the price of tree planting alone.
Context: all "Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system" jobs
$2,500 was the median homeowner survey figure for all “Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system” jobs, not tree planting alone, for data years 2021-2023 in the United States. Hired-out jobs in the full category “Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system” reported a typical range (middle half of 923 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $1,000 to $5,500.
Updated 2026-11-03
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
For homeowners, property managers, landlords and HOA boards.
| What was measured | Median | Typical range (middle half) |
|---|---|---|
| Hired-out jobs in the full category “Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system” reported | a median of $2,500 | the typical range (middle half of 923 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $1,000 to $5,500 |
How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 2 November 2026.
These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 2 November 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.
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For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?from=cost-tree-planting&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=cost&page_type=cost&job=tree+planting - Prompt for any AI, with your job
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- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
What does planting a tree cost data cover?
AHS JOBTYPE 36: “Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system”
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 value labels, read 2 November 2026.
The figures cover all jobs in “Added or replaced landscaping or sprinkler system”; they do not isolate tree planting.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 value labels, read 2 November 2026.
Describe the tree species and size in your InstaBids job so contractors bid on the tree planting you have in mind.
Tree planting cost: how wide should the planting hole be?
NYSDEC: Planting hole: “Dig the hole 2-3 times the width of the ball to allow the roots to grow, spread and establish more easily.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Include the root ball and planting hole in your InstaBids description so contractors bid on the same digging scope.
Planting a tree quote: where should the trunk flare sit?
NYSDEC: Trunk flare: “The tree's trunk flare (the point at which the roots begin to branch from the trunk) should be at the soil line.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Put trunk flare placement in your InstaBids scope so the written bids describe the same planting depth.
Tree planting costs: how much mulch belongs around the tree?
NYSDEC: Mulch depth: “Apply 2-4" of organic mulch at least the width of the crown.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Describe the mulch ring in your InstaBids job so each written bid addresses that planting detail.
Cost of planting a tree: what watering follows planting?
NYSDEC: Aftercare watering: “Water your trees, soaking the root zone, at least once a week barring rain, and more frequently during hot weather.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Include the watering tasks in your InstaBids description so contractors can specify the aftercare in writing.
Cost of tree planting: does the tree need staking?
NYSDEC: Staking: “Staking for support is not usually necessary.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Describe the support staking you want considered on InstaBids so contractors address it in their written bids.
What tree planting includes
Where a quote below names a city or county, it is that office's own rule, shown as one example; the permit office for your home may set different rules.
| What the source says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| NYSDEC: Planting site: “There are two major things to consider: what you want the tree to do, and where it is going to be planted.” | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026. |
| NYSDEC: Nursery stock: “Balled and burlapped (B&B) trees are much heavier than bare root trees and lose a substantial amount of roots when dug at the nursery.” | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026. |
Describe your planting site and nursery stock once on InstaBids so contractors read the same tree job.
Line items a written bid should list
- NYSDEC: Remove wrapping: “Once the tree is in the hole, be sure to remove twine, wrap, and wire baskets and avoid disturbing the roots as much as possible.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
- NYSDEC: Backfill: “After following the type-specific instructions below, backfill the hole with the existing soil.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
- NYSDEC: First-year fertilizer: “Fertilizing during the first year is not necessary.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Include wrapping removal and backfill in your InstaBids scope so contractors list that work in writing.
How to compare written bids like for like
Ask every contractor to bid in writing on the same line items listed above, then compare the written bids line by line.
NYSDEC: Container roots: “Help prevent root girdling by untangling or vertically cutting any roots that encircle the root ball.”
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, read 2 November 2026.
Use InstaBids to compare written bids on the same root preparation and planting scope before choosing who gets your number.
Get written bids
Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.
Sources for the figures on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/2023/ahs-2023-public-use-file--puf-.html, read 2 November 2026. U.S. government work; no endorsement implied.
- U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 value labels, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/2023/AHS 2023 Value Labels Package.zip, read 2 November 2026.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, How To Plant A Tree, dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/how-to-plant-a-tree, read 2 November 2026.