How Much Does Poison Ivy Removal Cost?

Poison ivy is one plant you want to avoid. Coming in contact with poison ivy can result in anything from a slight itch to severe blistering that send you to the hospital. Allowing poison ivy to grow anywhere that people or pets may come in contact with it is never a good idea. It can be difficult to eradicate and usually requires a professional poison ivy specialist to decide which removal method to use.

Professional poison ivy removal costs an average of $400 to $600. When hiring an expert, you will want to budget, on average, about $500 for spraying the plants, pulling the surface plants from the soil around one tree or approximately 10 square feet of surface area, and properly disposing of the plant debris. You can expect to pay slightly less for professional herbicide spraying of poison ivy plants, which can cost as little as $300. The price for professional poison ivy removal can be as high as $700 for pulling the plants and roots out of the ground manually.

Poison Ivy Removal Prices

Poison Ivy Removal Cost by Location

Poison ivy grows in many different locations. Some areas require more work than others, resulting in higher removal costs. The location of the poison ivy will determine the amount of time and materials needed for removal.

Removing Poison Ivy From a Yard

If you suspect there’s poison ivy growing in your yard, bring in an expert removal company to survey your property and determine how much poison ivy needs to be removed. A professional will charge at least $300 to remove poison ivy from your yard with herbicide spraying. The more poison ivy plants there are in your yard, the more time and labor involved. Some companies charge an extra $50 to $100 per additional hour of work, so you may need to factor that into your budgeting.

Poison Ivy in Ground Cover

One of the most common places for poison ivy to grow is near the ground and close to bushes, trees, and forests. Poison ivy as ground cover may be slightly easier to remove than large vines in a tall tree. The ground cover can be sprayed directly and removed more quickly because of the easier access. Plan to pay about $300 for using a herbicide to remove a cluster of poison ivy spreading across the ground. If an entire section of your backyard is overrun by poison ivy, increase your budget to cover the extra labor and equipment expenses.

Poison Ivy On a Fence

Clearing poison ivy growing on or near a fence will cost around $350, although the final price depends on how much poison ivy there is and how tall the plant has grown. Remember that some countries charge $100 per hour just for doing work on a ladder. If you have a tall fence that’s been overrun by poison ivy, you may need to adjust your budget accordingly. A professional removal company will treat the visible poison ivy with chemicals before pulling out what’s left of the plant underground. You can also opt for complete manual removal, although this could cost about $500.

How to Remove Poison Ivy From Trees

Poison ivy vines often pop up around trees and can grow back unless completely removed, roots and all. This process may require a ladder to reach tall vines. Something plant removal companies charge more for in many cases. They may treat the stump with glyphosate, a chemical compound found in weed killer. Manually digging up the roots to prevent regrowth is another option. Expect a professional company to charge around $500 to completely remove a small patch of poison ivy growth from a tree.

Poison Ivy Removal Prices by Type

You should be aware of two different types of poison ivy. The costs to remove these pesky plants may vary depending on how they grow and how long they have been growing.

Non-climbing Poison Ivy

Non-climbing poison ivy grows close to the ground and appears more like a bush or shrub rather than a vine. In many cases, non-climbing poison ivy can be less expensive to remove because it’s closer to the ground. Spraying non-climbing poison ivy plants and pulling up the roots is easier in smaller, shorter growth patterns. A professional company is likely to charge around $300 for professional chemical treatment. The total price for spraying non-climbing poison ivy plants increases based on the total spread of poison ivy, the amount of chemical solutions needed, and the labor required.

Climbing Poison Ivy

Climbing poison ivy is the vine version of this plant that can rapidly reach new heights and grow up on fences, walls, and trees. Due to the fast growth of climbing poison ivy, it’s important to completely remove the roots from the ground to eliminate the spread. Prepare to pay about $500 to remove 10 square feet of climbing poison ivy and dispose of the leaves and roots. Remember that some contractors charge up to $100 per hour to perform work using a ladder, which climbing poison ivy often requires.

Average Cost of Poison Ivy Removal by Method

Three main methods may be used to get rid of poison ivy in your yard: killing the plants with herbicide sprays, pulling it out of the ground by hand, or a combination of the two. To find out which approach is best for you, check out the pros and cons of each below.

Poison Ivy Herbicide

While chemical herbicides are the easiest and fastest way to get rid of poison ivy, they only work temporarily. Chemicals only kill surface plants, leaving the roots untouched and able to regrow.

Chemical herbicides cost, on average, about $300 for professional application. If you want the professional to pull out and dispose of the dead plants after spraying, they will charge an additional $50 per hour for the added labor and about $25 per 10 lb. bag of refuse.

One of the major drawbacks of using herbicides to kill off poison ivy is its high environmental impact. Chemical eradication impacts the environment the most. The chemicals leach into the surrounding soil and become dangerous to other plants, pets, and people.

Manual Poison Ivy Eradication

Considered the gold standard when it comes to getting rid of poison ivy, manual eradication is the most effective. By hand digging every plant and root from the ground, the plant seldom returns. Manual eradication is backbreaking work, however, and takes more time. This is why it is the most expensive removal method, costing about $700 for a single tree or small area. The impact on the environment is minimal, however, since no herbicides are used.

Combination Eradication

More work than simply spraying the plant, but less than manually removing every plant and root from the ground, the combination approach offers the benefits of both. The combination approach costs, on average, about $500 for one small area (about 10 square feet or a single tree). This approach is effective in most cases and offers less impact on the environment than strictly spraying the plants. However, since some chemicals are used to kill the poison ivy first, it does come with some downsides.

Poison Ivy Exterminator Cost

Properly removing poison ivy takes a certain amount of skill and knowledge. Taking on the job yourself could result in a bad reaction–-and even the return of the plants. Hiring a professional who understands how the plants grow and how to remove them from your property safely results in the most trouble-free eradication. However, not every landscaper is qualified to remove poison ivy. Be sure to inquire whether the crew you want to hire has been specifically trained in dealing with poison ivy and knows how to best remove and dispose of the plants.

Depending on the amount of poison ivy that needs to be removed from the area, the cost can run between $300 and $700, with the average hourly rate running $50 to $75 per hour for tackling larger areas of ground ivy.

If only one tree or small area is affected, the cost runs about $500. This fee includes manually digging out the vines and roots. Most jobs take less than three hours. Keep in mind, though, if the vine has grown far enough up the tree to require the specialist to use a ladder, the cost will rise to about $100 per hour just for cutting out the vine. An additional cost of about $25 per 10 lb. bag of refuse will be levied to dispose of the plant. Travel fees commonly range from $25 to $40 per hour.

How to Identify Poison Ivy

When identifying poison ivy, most people simply look for clusters of three shiny leaves found growing on a vine-like stem. While this is a common way to identify some forms of the plant, you must understand the different stages ¹ of poison ivy. You want to avoid coming in contact with it even when it looks different.

Usually growing in clusters of three leaflets (with the middle stem slightly longer than the other two), poison ivy doesn’t always grow in a vine. Some poison ivy resembles a shrub or even ground cover.

Depending on the season and the region in which the poison ivy is growing, the leaves can look somewhat different. Some poison ivy plants feature elongated or lobed leaves with either jagged or smoothed edges (but never serrated).

Poison ivy’s color changes with the seasons. While it is usually green in the summer, the plant appears more reddish, orange, and yellow during the fall and winter months. To make matters worse, poison ivy plants tend to change color and shape depending on the region and season in which they are growing.

To correctly identify poison ivy, watch for several common signs. If you see compound leaves made up of three leaflets that grow along the middle stem and two smaller leaflets located directly opposite one another, you are very likely looking at a poison ivy plant. These plants also have smooth stems without brambles and a slightly waxy appearance that may look shiny.

Is Poison Ivy Dangerous?

Poison ivy can be more than just a nuisance. It can be dangerous. More than 85% of the general population is allergic to it, and about 15% experience dangerous reactions like swelling, fever, difficulty breathing, or infection that send them for medical care. Poison ivy should always be taken seriously when discovered in your yard or garden.

Poison Ivy Rash

Most people know full well about the rash a poison ivy plant causes, but few understand how or why their skin reacts. Dermatitis (swelling and itching of the skin) is caused when the skin comes in contact with the urushiol (oily sap) found in the plant. Since the human body considers urushiol to be dangerous, it reacts by increasing the histamine reaction in the body, sending fighter cells to fend off harm. This reaction causes swelling, itching, and redness of the area. While the rash itself is not harmful, when scratched repeatedly, it opens the skin to infection.

What Happens If You Eat Poison Ivy?

One of the most dangerous ways to come into contact with poison ivy is eating it. It’s incredibly important to recognize poison ivy with its three leaves and pointed tips. It’s better to err on the side of caution and double-check before eating any natural plants. If poison ivy is consumed, it could cause an internal rash and inflammation of the airways, lungs, and digestive tract, which could lead to death if left untreated. Allergic reactions may also occur if you inhale smoke from burning poison ivy. Although animals have a greater level of protection with their fur, dogs and cats may have mild gastrointestinal issues if they ingest poison ivy.

Inhaled Poison Ivy

Another dangerous way of interacting with poison ivy is when the affected person comes in contact with smoke filled with urushiol. Burning poison ivy can be dangerous if anyone inhales the smoke. Once the urushiol-filled smoke enters the nasal passages and throat, the airway may begin to swell, making it impossible to breathe. An allergic reaction in the digestive tract can also cause serious harm by prohibiting food intake, causing dehydration from vomiting, and even disrupting important digestive processes.

Touching a poison ivy plant or inhaling smoke from a burning plant aren’t the only things that may cause your body to react. Some people even have secondary reactions when they come in contact with the oils from another source. One possible culprit may be your pet. While dogs do not usually react to poison ivy, if they have run through an area where it is growing, the oils could get stuck in their fur and later be transferred to their owner’s skin. Since poison ivy oils can live for up to five years (even when off of a live plant), coming into contact with it from pets is common.

Urushiol Oil Removal

One of the best ways to eradicate oils from an animal is to either hose it down carefully with water (wear protective clothing since the oils will be in the water) or have your dog professionally bathed by a groomer.

Remember, too, that the entire plant contains urushiol, not just the leaves. Touching its stem and roots can also cause a reaction. Allergy-inducing properties can remain on dead plants, too. So, even if the poison ivy you discover looks dead, that does not mean it is safe to touch.

Where Does Poison Ivy Grow?

Maybe you see poison ivy everywhere you look, or maybe you have never seen it firsthand, leaving you to wonder where the plant is hiding. Popping up all across the United States (except Alaska and Hawaii), poison ivy grows close to the ground. Resembling either a vine or a shrub, the plant tends to either hug the ground or a tree. Poison ivy usually does not grow very high, unless it has attached itself to the side of a tree, fence, or wall. The most common places to look for it include trees, stumps, edges of properties where the grass stops, along the base of other shrubs, and amongst other ground covers.

Poison Ivy Disposal Cost

Poison ivy clean-up is an important part of poison ivy removal. If the poison ivy plants are taken out but improperly disposed of, the plant could start growing elsewhere. That’s why most poison ivy removal contractors offer removal and disposal services. A reasonable base price for professional poison ivy disposal is $50 plus the removal method you choose. Ask your contractor, as many are required to dispose of poison ivy for insurance purposes, so the $500 average cost for pulling the plants out may include debris disposal.

How to Prevent Poison Ivy from Growing Back

Poison ivy is a stubborn plant that grows fast, so it’s important to stay on top of it and get it removed as soon as you can. One key to success in preventing future poison ivy growth is to remove the roots entirely. If the roots are left in place, and only the top layer of leaves is treated, the plant will grow back easily. Regular chemical treatment of the affected area decreases the likelihood of regrowth. If you have persistent poison ivy growth, it may be worthwhile to consider professional root removal and disposal over cheaper, short-term services.

Poison Ivy vs Poison Oak

Poison ivy is often compared to and confused with poison oak, a woody shrub or vine that may produce a similar allergic reaction. The main difference in the appearance of these two plants is the shape of the leaves. Poison ivy always has three leaves, with the large center leaf surrounded by a slightly smaller leaf on each side. These shiny leaves have notched edges and are typically a vibrant green color. They can turn shades of yellow and red when the leaves change along with the seasons. Poison oak usually has larger, rounder leaves that resemble oak tree leaves, hence the name. Poison oak may come in clusters of three, five, or seven textured leaves with an almost hairy surface.

While the plants are different, the rashes caused by both poison ivy and poison oak are very similar, as they are both caused by the presence of urushiol within the leaves. Poison ivy and poison oak exposure can lead to red, itchy bumps on the skin with inflammation lasting several days. The reaction develops within 12 to 48 hours of exposure and lasts for up to three weeks. The severity of the rash depends on how much urushiol got on your skin.

Additional Considerations and Costs

Here are a few extra things you should consider when hiring a professional to eradicate the plants:

• Permits and licenses. In most cases, no special permits or licenses are required for poison ivy removal. The one exception may be if the vine has climbed up a tree, requiring longer ladders or even tree removal.
• DIY options. Removing poison ivy yourself may seem like an easy job. Still, it must be done correctly to ensure that the plant and its roots have been completely eradicated without any adverse reactions for the person doing the work. If you want to avoid a glyphosate-based product, you may want to try putting together your own plant-killing spray: mix a gallon of vinegar with 2½ cups of salt and ¼ cup of dish soap. Use your special brew on the leaves and vines. You might need to apply this solution a couple of times, especially for older, more resilient plants. You should also know that, like the commercial stuff, your vinegar-based weed killer will kill all the plant life it comes in contact with, so be careful where you spray it.
• Guarantees. While every removal specialist is different, most professionals offer a guarantee for their work. Most guarantees run for 3 to 6 months and are included in the base price of poison ivy removal. That way, if the plant reemerges in the same area, you are protected. With the guarantee, the specialists will come back out and get rid of it for free.
• Herbicide use. You may think that using a herbicide to try and kill poison ivy plants before a professional comes to eradicate it is helpful. However, sometimes it makes the professional’s job more difficult. Refrain from spraying any chemicals on the plants beforehand, unless otherwise instructed by the removal specialist.
• Prioritize the process. When poison ivy seems to be taking over your property, it can be difficult to know where to begin the removal process. Take a tour through your yard and make a list of areas where the plant is growing. Then, prioritize the areas where you want the removal specialist to begin. Depending on the size of the root structure, it may not be necessary to remove each plant individually, but rather eradicate the entire underground root system. Your professional removal crew will be able to help you decide what areas to tackle first.
• Never burn poison ivy. Warning: Burning poison ivy plants (even dead ones) can be deadly! The oils that cause the allergic reaction mix with the smoke. When the smoke is inhaled, swelling and blistering in the nose, throat, and even lungs can occur
• Don’t plant edibles where poison ivy has been. The oils that cause poison ivy to be a problem for most people can linger in the soil for months. Be careful not to plant fruits, vegetables, or herbs in the area for at least 12 months.
• Getting rid of poison oak and poison sumac. Poison ivy isn’t the only dangerous plant that could be overtaking your garden or yard. Call for professional help if you discover sumac or poison oak, too. Both can cause serious allergic reactions and need to be removed by a trained professional.
• Pet safe poison ivy killer. If you have furry friends at home, you may want to ask your contractor about natural alternatives for poison ivy removal. Some chemical treatment products are safe for animals once dry, but you can get greater peace of mind by asking for a pet-safe solution. Most contractors have a pet-safe option that they use upon request if it’s not their standard go-to. While every poison ivy removal company is different, most should not charge extra for pet-safe poison ivy treatments.

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Stages: A temporary structure used during construction/maintenance/painting projects to raise and support workers (or one worker), required materials, and equipment