Free tool
Tree height calculator
By Umair Nawaz, founder of Lirevon Updated How we test tools
Find out roughly how tall a tree is from the ground. Use the shadow method on a sunny day, or the angle method with a tape and a phone level app. You get an estimate, the formula behind it and a sheet you can print. Useful for homeowners and for crews planning a job.
Related: crown, hazard tree, how tall each species grows, tree care by state, short answers about trees.
Method 1: shadow
Sunny day, level ground. Measure your shadow and the tree shadow within a few minutes of each other.
Method 2: distance and angle
Level ground. Measure from your feet to the trunk, then read the angle up to the very top with a clinometer or phone level app. For the stick trick, enter 45.
Height estimate
Tree
Shadow method
–
Angle method
–
Average of both
–
Shadow math–
Angle math–
Estimate only, built from the numbers entered. Real height depends on level ground, a straight trunk and seeing the true top.
How the math works
- Shadow method: tree height = tree shadow × (your height ÷ your shadow). The sun hits you and the tree at the same angle, so the two shadows keep the same ratio to height.
- Angle method: tree height = distance to trunk × tan(angle to top) + your eye height. Tan is the tangent button on a calculator; this tool works it out for you.
- Stick trick: at 45 degrees, tan is 1, so tree height = distance + eye height.
- Average: if you fill in both methods, the tool shows the average and how far apart the two answers are.
Angle table (tan values)
| Angle | tan(angle) | Height above eyes per 10 of distance |
|---|---|---|
| 30° | 0.58 | 5.8 |
| 40° | 0.84 | 8.4 |
| 45° | 1.00 | 10.0 |
| 50° | 1.19 | 11.9 |
| 60° | 1.73 | 17.3 |
Accuracy limits
- Sloped ground throws off both methods. Find the flattest line to the trunk you can.
- A leaning tree gives a long or short shadow and a skewed angle. Measure from the side, at a right angle to the lean.
- Wide crowns hide the true top. You may be sighting a front branch, which reads high.
- Steep angles close to the trunk magnify small reading errors. Step back.
- Measure twice from different spots. Trust the result only when the two agree closely.
Safety first: do not stand under dead or storm-damaged limbs to measure, and stay well away from downed power lines. Call the utility for lines and 911 for danger.
Questions about measuring tree height
How can I measure a tree without climbing it?
Use one of two ground methods. The shadow method compares your shadow with the tree shadow on a sunny day. The angle method uses your distance from the trunk and the angle up to the top, read from a clinometer or a phone level app. Neither needs you to go near the tree or up it.
How does the shadow method work?
Stand in the sun on level ground and have someone measure your shadow. Right away, measure the tree shadow from the base of the trunk to the tip of the shadow of the top. Tree height equals tree shadow times your height divided by your shadow. Do both measurements within a few minutes, because shadows change as the sun moves.
How does the angle method work?
Walk back from the trunk on level ground and measure that distance. Point a clinometer or phone level app at the very top of the tree and read the angle. Multiply the distance by the tangent of the angle, then add your eye height. The calculator does the tangent for you.
What is the stick trick?
Hold a straight stick upright at arm's length, with the part above your hand as long as the distance from your hand to your eye. Walk back until the top of the stick lines up with the treetop and your hand lines up with the base. You are now at about 45 degrees, so the tree height is roughly your distance from the trunk plus your eye height. In the calculator, enter 45 as the angle.
How accurate is this?
It is an estimate. Results are best on level ground, with a straight tree and a clear view of the true top. Sloped ground, a leaning trunk, a wide flat crown or guessing at the top can all move the answer. For work near power lines, a house, or a crane lift, have a trained pro measure on site.
Why is a broad tree hard to measure?
On a wide, round crown, the highest point you can see from the ground is often a branch near the front edge, not the top above the trunk. That can make the angle method read high. Step farther back, look for the true top and measure from a second spot to check.
Which distance should I stand at for the angle method?
Pick a spot where you can clearly see the top and the angle is moderate, often somewhere between 30 and 60 degrees. Very steep angles close to the trunk magnify small reading errors. Very far away, the top may be hidden by other trees.
Can I use feet or meters?
Yes. Choose feet or meters at the top of the tool. Use the same unit for every length you enter. The angle is always in degrees.
Why would a tree company need the tree height?
Height helps plan the job: whether a tree can be felled in one piece, how much drop zone room you need, what size bucket truck or crane to bring, and how much wood and brush to haul. Our tree job estimator and tree size estimator use that kind of detail to price the work.
Is anything I type sent to Lirevon?
No. The math runs in your browser. Your numbers are only kept in this browser on this device so the form is filled in next time. Clear your browser data to remove them.
For tree service owners
Measure it. Price it. Then catch every call.
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