Crane tree removal for the trees with nowhere to fall
Some trees can't be roped down: a 70-foot cottonwood over the house, a dead ash too brittle to climb, a maple between two garages with no room to lower anything. A crane lifts them out piece by piece.
A crane changes the job. Instead of a climber cutting a limb and the ground crew lowering it on a rope, the crane holds the piece before the cut. The climber or a bucket operator rigs it to the crane's hook, makes the cut, and the crane lifts it straight up and over the house to a clear spot in the yard or the street, where it's cut up and chipped. Nothing swings into the roof. Nothing drops onto the deck. On a tight lot it's often the only safe way, and on a big tree it can be faster than rigging, which offsets some of the crane's cost.
In Sioux Falls, crane jobs are usually one of three trees. There are cottonwoods and silver maples that grew 60 to 80 feet over houses on the older streets and along the river. There are dead ash too brittle to climb safely. The City itself notes removal gets harder as the beetle weakens the wood. And there are trees a storm left leaning on or over a structure. We plan the lift on the estimate visit: where the crane sets up, how much each piece weighs, whether the street or alley needs to be blocked, and where the overhead lines are. For a crane set up in the street, we coordinate with the City.
The rules don't change because a crane is on site. Ash still comes down outside the Memorial Day to Labor Day beetle season unless it's an emergency, and the wood stays inside the quarantine counties. The crew still needs the City arborist's license, and the boulevard still needs its removal permit. We still grind the stump and rake the yard.
What's included
Lift plan on the estimate
Crane position, piece weights, overhead lines and street use worked out before the day.
No climbing on brittle wood
Dead ash and storm-cracked trees rigged from the bucket or the hook.
Nothing dropped
Each section held by the crane before the cut and set down in a clear spot.
Street coordination
Street or alley use arranged when the crane sets up off the property.
Ash rules still apply
Outside the beetle season unless it's an emergency, wood kept in the quarantine.
Full cleanup
Chipped, hauled, stump ground and the yard raked.
Crane tree removal cost in Sioux Falls, SD
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crane-assisted removal, typical | $2,500 – $7,500 | Most big residential trees |
| Very large cottonwood over a house | $5,000 – $12,000 | Size and access decide it |
| Dead ash over a roof, crane | $2,500 – $6,000 | No climbing on brittle wood |
| Storm-damaged tree on a structure | $3,000 – $10,000 | Emergency rates may apply |
| Stump grinding | $200 – $600 | Large stumps |
| Street-use coordination | Included | When the crane sets up in the street |
These are 2026 Sioux Falls ranges to help you budget. Your written price is itemized (climb or bucket work, rigging, chipping and haul-off, stump grinding, crane time) and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about crane tree removal
Why would I need a crane?
When a tree is too big, too brittle or too close to the house to rope down safely, or there's no room to lower pieces. A crane lifts each piece away before it's cut.
Does a crane damage the lawn?
It usually sets up on the driveway, the street or mats. Where it has to cross the lawn, we use ground protection mats.
Is a crane more expensive?
The crane costs more per hour, but on a big tree it often shortens the job a lot. On a 70-foot cottonwood over a house, crane and rigging prices can end up close.
Can you remove a dead ash with a crane in summer?
Only if it's an emergency, meaning it has failed or is about to. Otherwise ash work waits for Labor Day, crane or not.
Do you need a permit to put a crane in the street?
Street use is coordinated with the City when the crane sets up in the right-of-way. We arrange it.
How long does a crane removal take?
Most are done in a day, including cleanup.