How much does it cost to deal with there's a big mushroom growing out of my tree?

An assessment is the honest first spend, and on a large or valuable tree a decay-measurement reading costs extra and earns it. If removal follows, the cost driver is specific to this symptom: the crew must assume the stem cannot be trusted. A rotted trunk may not be safe to climb and may not be safe to rig against, which pushes the job toward a crane or a large bucket and away from the cheaper climbing bid — the same tree without decay would price lower. Butt rot also means the stump grind runs into soft punky wood and hollows, which is faster in some ways and messier in others.