Wes here from Wake Forest. Do not even think about hiring anyone who quotes 800 dollars for a sixty foot loblolly. A real tree job requires a crew, a climber, a ground crew, and a massive amount of insurance.

For a tree that size, especially close to a house or solar panels, you should expect to pay between 1800 and 3000 dollars per tree depending on the access. If they do not use a climber or a crane, they are dropping it whole and hoping for the best. That is how roofs get crushed.

Cheap tree work is how you end up with a crane in your living room.

Wes is absolutely correct about the safety aspect. From a plant health perspective, loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) actually have very deep taproots and are highly wind resistant unless the root system has been damaged by recent construction or trenching.

Before you cut them down, you might want to consult a certified arborist rather than a removal company. The Wake County extension office has a list of certified arborists who do not have a financial incentive to cut down healthy trees. Trimming dead wood is much cheaper and keeps our beautiful canopy intact.

I had to clear five big pines off a property in East Raleigh last year. Tree company wanted 12000 dollars initially because of the power lines. I shopped it around and found a licensed crew out of Knightdale that did it for 8500, but that did not include stump grinding.

Stump grinding was another 1500. Always ask if the quote includes haul away and stump grinding, or you will be left with giant logs rotting in your yard for five years.

I paid 2400 dollars for one pine in Cary last summer. Included stump grinding.

That is a fair price for Cary, J. Usually the prices are a bit higher there because of tight property lines and HOA regulations.

Solarcurious, if you want a recommendation, Leaf and Limb did some oak canopy pruning for me a few years ago. Not cheap, but they are incredibly professional and safety conscious. They used a bucket truck and ropes for everything.

This is exactly what I needed. I suspected that 800 dollar flyer was too good to be true. I will reach out to a certified arborist first to see if they even need to come down. Thank you all for keeping me from making a costly mistake.