Moving a 20-Foot Blue Spruce: Tree Spade Required

A 20-ft, 20-year-old blue spruce (trunk ~6–8″ caliper) is at the upper limit for truck-mounted tree spades. Bobcat-sized spades won’t cut a large enough root ball.

Process

1. Hire a professional tree mover with a truck-mounted spade (90″+ blade).
2. They dig the receiving hole first, then the tree—ball sizes match.
3. Cost is regional; expect $1,500–$3,500+.
4. Fall is correct season; complete before ground freezes.

DIY Warning

Backhoe + canvas sling = high mortality. Pros achieve ~50% survival on this size; DIY is near 0%.

Tree transplanting guide (PDF).

If the tree is valued, pay the pro. If not, remove and plant a 15–20 ft boxed specimen ($1,000–$1,500) after regrading.