While I want to primarily DIY landscape my home, trees are a whole other beast.

In my previous home, I had established trees and mainly focused on adding annuals, shrubs and perennials.

In this new house, I needed privacy and protection from the Alabama sun.

And I needed it fast.

Related: Tell Your Landscaper to Plant Trees Here for Maximum Impact

However, I quickly realized that my threshold for planting trees myself is between 10-15 gal containers.

This is because I planted a few trees very early on.

In terms of more mature trees, I have planted a Burkii Cedar, Brandywine Red Maple and Japanese Maple.

Related: Popular Maple Shade Trees: Brandywine Red Maple

The front of my home is still completely exposed to the hot afternoon sun.

So I purchased two mature balled and burlapped (B&B) trees from a local nursery, with no idea how I would transport it or plant it.

Then I called three businesses to get a quote: an arborist, a landscaper and a professional tree planter.

My priorities were availability and cost. They all gave me similar quotes which I will share to save you the uncertainty of what to pay.

But first, let us clarify a few things about the mature balled and burlapped trees I purchased.

What is a mature tree?

A mature tree is considered to be one with a thick trunk and an extensive root system.

The trunk of a mature tree is usually more than 1.5 in caliper (trunk diameter) and often covered in bark that is weathered and textured.

Mature trees also have well-developed root systems that spread deep into the soil, providing stability and efficient water and nutrient absorption.

This root system is essential for the tree’s overall health and longevity.

What is a balled and burlapped tree?

A ball and burlap (B&B) tree is a tree that was initially grown in the ground, in native soil, and dug up for sale.

In digging the more mature tree, a generous root ball of about 2ft or more in diameter is wrapped in burlap.

Where do you buy mature trees?

You can find more mature trees in big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot.

However, it is very rare to find such trees in big box stores.

You will have more success shopping for mature trees by going to your local plant nursery.

Your local nursery will likely offer more variety of trees as well.

If they do not have a tree you are interested in, most nurseries can cater to your request in their next order of trees.

Simply mention your wishes to the staff.

But back to the costs of delivering and planting trees in North Alabama…

How Much It Costs to Deliver a Tree in North Alabama?

In the area I live, Huntsville, Alabama, the town is no more than a 30 mins drive from end to end.

You can imagine my surprise when I was quoted between $100-$200 to deliver my trees.

This cost was a flat fee and not based on the number of trees.

How Much It Costs to Plant a Tree in North Alabama?

From the three businesses I reached out to, I was quoted prices that were fairly close to each other.

Each business quoted me between $125-$150 to plant each tree.

I was offered various reasons for the cost.

The hard clay soil, the size of the root ball, the labor and the equipment needed to dig the hole.

None of these reasons really pass the sniff test for me, but I already purchased the trees.

If I had known the price range prior, I would have bought trees under my 15 gal limit and planted them myself.

Since the quotes were in the same ballpark, I went with the business that could do it the soonest.

I paid $430 to deliver and plant two trees that I had purchased for $350.

 

Final Thoughts

I hope I have helped with costs to keep in mind if you would like to hire a professional to deliver and plant your trees in North Alabama.

Essentially, you should expect to pay a flat fee for delivery and a planting fee per tree.

Keep in mind, these prices I was quoted holds true even with container trees with a 10 – 15 gal root ball.

Without knowing the costs prior, I highlighted that my threshold for planting trees myself was 15 gal and under.

After my experience, I will be going back to planting (myself!) mature trees with a 10 – 15 gal root ball.

Simply put, the cost to hire a professional to plant your trees is too high for me to recommend.