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CostStorm Cleanup

How much does storm cleanup cost in Virginia?

We found no official Virginia price for storm cleanup, and it varies with the size of the trees, access, hauling and whether lines or a roof are involved. For reference, when we checked on October 27, 2026, Fairfax County charged $20 to $28 to dump a pickup load of brush and Richmond charged $100 for a 24-hour pickup. Get written quotes.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Photograph and list the damage

    Take photographs to show the way things look before you begin cleaning, and keep receipts for all of your clean-up expenses.[1]

  2. Step 2: Ask your insurer what it covers

    Call your insurer before you hire anyone. Generally the fallen tree must cause damage to your home or property before the insurer is obligated to pay for clean up and removal.[1]

  3. Step 3: Price the free and cheap routes first

    Check your city or county for storm debris pickup. Richmond collects storm tree debris through its bi-weekly Bulk and Brush program without a request,[3] and Fairfax County includes 5 free special collections per customer per fiscal year.[5]

  4. Step 4: Get at least three written quotes

    Ask each company to quote the same work, and do not automatically accept the lowest bid.[7]

  5. Step 5: Ask what the price includes

    Get it in writing: when the work will start and finish, who is responsible for clean-up, and the hourly rate for additional work.[7]

  6. Step 6: Verify insurance and licence

    Ask for insurance certificates and phone the agency to verify.[7] For any repair to the house, check the contractor's licence on DPOR's License Lookup.[6]

  7. Step 7: Limit the deposit

    Pay 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less, do not pay cash, and do not pay the full bill until the work is complete.[6]

  8. Step 8: Keep every invoice

    Send the quotes, invoices and receipts to your insurer with your claim.[1]

There is no standard price for storm cleanup in Virginia, and an honest number depends on what fell, where and what has to be carried away. The costs you can check are the dump fees. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Fairfax County charged $20 for a mini pickup load of brush and $28 for a full-size pickup without a rack.[4] Richmond's Bulk and Brush page said a 24-hour bulk and brush collection was available for $100 per request, paid by check or money order only.[3] Everything above that is a written quote.

What drives the price

A crew's price is mostly time, equipment and risk. The factors that move a quote the most:

  • Size and number of the pieces. Branches by hand are one thing. A trunk that needs to be cut in sections and lifted is another.
  • Access. A tree in a fenced backyard that a truck cannot reach costs more to clear than one in the driveway.
  • What it is touching. A tree on a house, a fence, a line or a roof needs more care and more people. See who to call when a tree falls on your house.
  • Hauling and disposal. Some crews chip and leave the mulch, some haul everything, and some leave the wood in the yard.
  • Timing. Right after a storm, crews are busy, and offers at your door deserve caution. Be wary of door-to-door sales, which the Tree Owner's Manual says are especially common after storms.[7]

The dump fee, in two localities

If you haul brush yourself, the disposal fee is the part you can predict. These are the published rates when we checked on October 27, 2026:

  • Fairfax County: bulk or unbagged brush was $59 per ton with a $39 minimum charge and a scale required, while a mini pickup load was $20 and a full-size pickup without a rack was $28.[4] To keep the flat fee rate, brush must not be heaped on the truck over cab height or extended beyond the closed tailgate.[4]
  • Richmond: the $100 24-hour pickup above, which is a collection fee rather than a dump fee.[3]

Neither number is a storm-cleanup price, and your county will differ. They cover only disposal, not cutting, hauling or labor.

Free routes to check first

Richmond handles non-emergency removal of limbs, branches and other tree debris related to a storm event as part of its bi-weekly Bulk and Brush pickup program, and residents do not need to call or submit a request.[3] Fairfax County's collection service includes 5 free special collections per customer per fiscal year, which must be scheduled in advance.[5] If you can cut branches down to size, those can cover the small stuff. The how-to is in cleaning up fallen branches after a storm.

Will insurance pay

Sometimes. Virginia's Bureau of Insurance says the fallen tree must generally cause damage to your home or property before the insurance company is obligated to pay for clean up and removal.[1] Its answers to common questions:

  • Most policies pay for the reasonable cost for clean up and removal of trees that fall and cause damage to your fence or deck furniture.[1]
  • Most policies do not provide coverage for removing trees that may fall on the property.[1]
  • Even when a tree does no damage, some policies provide limited coverage for clean up and removal of trees, for example trees that fall and block your driveway.[1]

The Bureau's homeowners guide adds that your policy will also pay to remove fallen trees that cause damage to your covered property.[2] If the loss exceeds your policy limit, the policy will pay an additional 5% for debris removal.[2] Some homeowners policies contain a special deductible for wind or hurricane losses,[1] so a small cleanup may fall under it.

Comparing quotes

Ask three companies to quote the same work in writing. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid.[7] A tree company should carry personal and property damage insurance ($1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate) and worker's compensation insurance ($1 million).[7] If an arborist is uninsured, homeowners could be held responsible for damages and injuries that occur as a result of the tree work.[7]

On payment, DPOR's disaster guidance is to pay 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less, do not pay cash, and do not pay the full bill until the work is complete.[6]

Stop and call a pro if

  • The job involves a tree on the house, a roof, a power line or a leaning trunk. Hire licensed, insured professionals for that work rather than chasing the lowest quote. See first steps after a storm damages your home.
  • Someone at the door offers cleanup today for cash. That is the pattern DPOR warns about, along with high-pressure tactics and prices that escalate.[6]
  • A quote has no scope, no start date or no insurance certificate. Move on to the next one.

Getting help in Virginia

Fallen tree branches lying across the front yard of a white single-story house
Photo: Nicole Johnson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Related reading: what tree removal costs in Virginia and what yard debris removal costs. Browse snow and seasonal answers or snow and seasonal services.

When you are ready, describe the cleanup once and local pros send written quotes.

Common questions

Is there a standard price for storm cleanup in Virginia?
No. We found no official Virginia price, and a job can be a few branches or a whole trunk with a crane. What can be priced from official pages is the dump fee. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Fairfax County charged $20 for a mini pickup load of brush and $28 for a full-size pickup without a rack.
Will my homeowners insurance pay for storm cleanup?
Often, if the tree damaged something your policy covers. Virginia's Bureau of Insurance says the fallen tree must generally cause damage to your home or property first. Most policies pay for removing trees that damage a fence or deck furniture, and most do not pay to remove a tree that has not fallen. Check your wind deductible too.
Does my town pick up storm debris for free?
Some do. Richmond collects storm tree debris through its bi-weekly Bulk and Brush program without a request, if it is cut to pieces no larger than 4 feet and placed at the property line. Fairfax County customers get 5 free special collections a year, scheduled in advance. Check your own locality.
How much should I pay up front?
Little. DPOR advises paying 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less, not paying cash, and not paying 100 percent of the bill until the work is 100 percent complete. The Tree Owner's Manual adds: never pay in advance.
Why are two quotes for the same tree so different?
Usually they cover different work. One may include hauling the wood and chipping the brush, another may leave it in the yard. Ask for the same scope in writing from each company, and ask who is responsible for clean-up and what the hourly rate is for additional work.

Sources

  1. [1] When Disaster Strikes: Insured Homeowner's Loss, Bureau of Insurance, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Virginia Homeowners Insurance Guide, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Bulk and Brush, City of Richmond Department of Public Works. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Residential Disposal Fees and Regulations, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] Special Pickup, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] Disaster Recovery: Avoiding Fraud, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] Tree Owner's Manual (NA-FR-01-10, revised 2021), USDA Forest Service, distributed by the Virginia Department of Forestry. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.