Poison Ivy Removal Costs

Poison ivy isn’t necessarily life-threatening for most people. It is, however, a nuisance and in serious cases, it can lead to severe conditions that result in a hospital visit. The best solution is to remove poison ivy from your property completely. Unfortunately, this weed is often difficult to control, so professional removal may be required.

Removing poison ivy has variable costs depending on how bad the growth is, where it is located, and what type of removal process is used. Typically, specialists will either spray the plants and the affected areas with chemicals to kill the poison ivy or just remove the plants entirely. How much you pay will depend on what you have to remove and how many return visits are needed, as well.

Poison ivy removal: by a professional, including cost for various removal services and labor costs on a small area or a single tree.

Other considerations and costs

• Plant removal requiring the use of a ladder or scaffolding is going to incur a premium labor charge. Be sure to have a removal specialist do a physical and visual inspection before giving you a cost estimate for accurate pricing.
• Return trips may be required for the full eradication of severe areas of poison ivy growth.
• Most removal companies will offer some type of guarantee on their service, which should be included in the costs. There may also be an additional warranty available for a premium charge, or you might be offered a maintenance plan at a discount for continued protection of your yard.
• If tree removal is necessary, this will increase the cost of eradication significantly. This is rare but may occur with serious infestations.

DIY considerations

• While this might seem like an easy enough job, poison ivy removal is stubborn and takes a trained professional in most cases. If you do attempt to remove your own, go for the roots to completely eradicate them.
• Do NOT burn poison ivy. Even dead plants can release the toxic oils that cause an allergic reaction in many people, and when mixed with smoke, this can cause irritation and blisters in the mouth, nose, throat, and even your lungs.
• Don’t spray poison ivy or other poisons with herbicide before a removal specialist arrives. You might think you are helping, but this could, in fact, make their job more difficult.

References

• Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2019.
• Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
• Literature review of DIY Web sites.