How Much Does Bamboo Removal Cost?

Native to Southeast Asia and South America, bamboo is well-known for its visual appeal, often serving as a focal point in landscaping throughout the southern part of the United States. It is also a wonderful screening plant that can make an excellent privacy screen on your property.

Under ideal conditions, bamboo can spread rapidly. In fact, bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth, with some species reaching full maturity in just 90 days. There is one species of bamboo that can grow a staggering 30 inches a day, or about 1.5 inches an hour!

Attempting to contain “running” bamboo (as opposed to the tamer “clumping” variety) is a common issue for many gardeners. Fortunately, there are a number of persistent natural methods, in addition to chemical attacks, that can be implemented to eradicate the unruly plant. While some bamboo removal techniques can be done by the average homeowner, the easiest and most effective option to remove bamboo is to call in a professional.

The cost to remove bamboo depends on a number of factors including the digging conditions, size of your property, height and density of the bamboo, and whether or not the professional has to dig up the dirt to remove the roots. Another major cost factor is how long the removal is going to take, while major bamboo removals could take anywhere from half a day to more than three days depending on the scope of the project.

With that said, bamboo removal usually costs around $400 for a half-day and $800 for a full day, meaning you could pay as little as $400 or as much as $2,400 depending on the aforementioned factors. However, you’ll likely need to keep poisoning the bamboo shoots for several years after removal to keep it from coming back. This adds to the overall cost of removal.

Most of the issues with bamboo stem from the fact that many species spread very quickly. Invasive bamboo types don’t only grow fast upward, but also outward and can consume between three and five feet of new territory each year. With these types, it’s only a matter of time before the bamboo takes over your yard (and possibly even your neighbors’).

In fact, the problem of invasive bamboo has become so severe that some municipalities now have laws that require homeowners to pay for bamboo removal. With this in mind, here are some of the most common reasons that someone would want (or possibly need) to have bamboo removed:

The type of bamboo that you have on your property has a major impact on the complexity of the removal and also how much it costs to remove. Generally speaking, there are two main types of bamboo plants that are commonly planted in home landscapes: running bamboos and clumping bamboos. If you know anything about bamboo, you may have heard that running bamboo should be avoided. For most homeowners and amateur gardeners, this is good advice.

Put simply, running bamboo is notorious for spreading faster and wider than clumping bamboo. It is, therefore, considered an invasive plant species. While there are ways to contain both running and clumping bamboo, which also spreads, it is usually best to opt for the clumping variety unless the aggressive growth habit of running bamboo can be put to good use. In fact, most problems that require bamboo removal are caused by the running type.

All types of bamboo spread via rhizomes, which are stem-like extensions that run underground horizontally and sprout roots below and new shoots above the surface. Running bamboos are considered monopodial, meaning they have long rhizomes that spread horizontally very fast. Clumping bamboos, on the other hand, are sympodial and have shorter rhizomes that tend to stay closer to their origin point and don’t spread as quickly.

While clumping bamboo types usually grow outward from a central point, running types rapidly extend across a garden or lawn and can pop out in areas where they are unwanted. With that in mind, it’s easy to understand why running bamboos are usually classified as invasive plants and why they are the most common variety that requires removal.

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While the aforementioned methods do not use any chemicals, sometimes a chemical attack is necessary to eradicate bamboo. You can poison the bamboo patch by applying a glyphosate herbicide or selective grass type herbicide directly to new bamboo growth. Oftentimes, multiple applications of the herbicide are required.

This method is usually used in combination with one of the techniques outlined above. For instance, you may start by digging up the bamboo and then keep a look out for new growth to intervene right away with the herbicide.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully when using herbicides and don’t let it touch your skin. To protect your grass and other garden plants, try to be as conscientious as possible about applying the product only to the bamboo.

Whether your bamboo has become too overgrown for you to manage or it’s extended into areas of your property where you don’t want it, hiring an experienced bamboo removal specialist is almost always the best course of action. A professional is going to save you both time and money in the long run, as an inexperienced remover likely doesn’t know the bamboo’s root habits and won’t understand the true scope of the project.

If you hire an inexperienced individual or elect to handle the removal yourself, you’re likely going to be stuck trying to eliminate the bamboo again down the road.

There are essentially two main parts of a bamboo removal job. First, the bamboo needs to be cut down to the ground and disposed of – whether it’s via a chipper or by dumping the bamboo at a local green waste disposal center. After the cutting is complete, poisoning is an effective technique to prevent regrowth. The second part involves what you plan to do with the land after the bamboo has been removed.

When it comes to dealing with bamboo rhizomes, stump grinding tends to be the most cost-effective approach. This method involves the use of a purpose build machine with tungsten carbide teeth to chop and grind up the bamboo roots. Your professional will follow the rhizomes as deep as possible, ensuring that they don’t grow back.

Determining the exact cost of bamboo removal will begin with a site inspection from your bamboo removal specialist. This involves a representative coming out to your home to assess the situation in order to provide you with a quote for the removal. A site inspection is very important, as there are many factors that must be considered to accurately price a bamboo removal job.

The first step in calculating bamboo removal costs is determining how many square meters of bamboo you have and how tall the bamboo is. Additional factors that influence bamboo removal costs include access, type of bamboo, method of removal, and the amount of time the experts will spend removing the bamboo.

Generally speaking, the bigger the machinery that can be used for the removal, the cheaper the bamboo removal job is going to be. You can expect the price to be much higher if your professional has to use manual methods of removal instead.

As we’ve seen thus far, the cost to remove bamboo is dependent on a number of factors and the best way to know exactly how much this service is going to cost is to have a site inspection done by a professional. However, in order to give you a general idea of bamboo removal costs, you can expect to spend around $400 for a half-day and $800 for a full day.

Depending on the size and scope of the job, bamboo removal could take anywhere from a half-day to three days. With that in mind, you could spend as little as $400 or as much as $2,400, if not more, for bamboo removal. However, each situation is unique, so it’s safe to say that bamboo removal could cost between one hundred and several hundreds of dollars.

Regardless of the price, hiring a professional is always going to be better and save you more money in the long run than if you were to handle the bamboo removal on your own.

Related Questions

What is the best time to remove bamboo from your yard?

Effectively eradicating bamboo involves attaching both the aboveground greenery and the below-ground root system. To do this, you need to begin the removal process in the spring and continue it all the way throughout the plant’s growing cycle. In mild climates where bamboo thrives, this might mean that you have to implement year-round removal efforts to ensure the grove is completely eliminated.

How do you find bamboo rhizomes in the soil?

Using a sifter is an excellent tool to help you sift through the soil to locate stray rhizomes. Even the slightest bit of rhizome that’s left behind could result in a new bamboo shoot.

Does gasoline kill bamboo?

While it’s not an environmentally friendly option, gasoline is an effective weed killer. After you’ve cut back your bamboo, you can spray about a gallon or two of gasoline over the area to limit growth.