Hedge work is quoted per job, because length on its own tells you very little. Two hedges the same length can differ by a factor of three once you account for height, width, species, condition and how the cuttings leave the site.
The six factors
- Length. The starting point.
- Height. The price steps up where the job needs a platform rather than a step ladder.
- Width. Both faces plus the top is roughly three times the work of topping alone.
- Species. Soft growth cuts fast; dense conifer and thick woody stems do not.
- Time since the last cut. The biggest variable on a neglected hedge.
- Access and disposal. Whether a chipper reaches the hedge or the arisings go out by hand.
Access on a terraced street
Worth flagging because it is common in Kidderminster. On the Victorian terraces, rear access is frequently a shared entry between houses, or there is none at all and everything goes through the house.
It is the thing most worth being accurate about at enquiry stage. An optimistic description produces a quote that changes on the day.
The first cut versus the maintenance cut
| Time since last cut | What the job is |
|---|---|
| Within a year | Routine maintenance — quickest and cheapest |
| Two to three years | Heavier trim; old cutting line still findable |
| Four years or more | Reclamation — far more material, line usually lost |
| Never properly cut | A reduction project, priced as one |
A clean edge is what you are paying for
The visible difference between a hedge that has been tidied and one that has been finished is mostly in three details, and none of them are about how much comes off.
- A true top line, worked to a line rather than judged by eye. On any run over a few metres the difference is obvious.
- A slight batter on the faces — marginally wider at the base than the top, so light reaches the bottom and the base stays green rather than going bare and leggy.
- Square ends. Where a hedge stops it should stop deliberately, not fade out.
The width is where the money goes long-term
A hedge cut only on top gains a few inches of width a year. Over a decade that is a foot or more on each face, and by then taking it back means cutting into old wood — which on a conifer is permanent. Cutting both faces at the same time as the top holds the footprint. It costs more per visit and considerably less per decade.
Where the savings are
- All the hedges done in one visit — the access arrangement happens once.
- Combining hedge work with tree work or clearance.
- Keeping the chip if you can use it. On a no-access site this is worth more than it sounds, because it saves carrying material back out.
- Clearing the ground along the base beforehand.
- Booking annually rather than rescuing it every few years.
One thing that is not a cost factor
Height, legally speaking. There is no maximum lawful height for a hedge in England and nobody can require you to cut one just for being tall. Two metres is the threshold at which a neighbour can complain to Wyre Forest District Council about an evergreen hedge blocking light or access — and even then the council cannot order it below two metres or order it removed.
Wyre Forest District Council remains the authority for that until 1 April 2028, when it is replaced by North Worcestershire Council.
Want a free quote on your hedge in Kidderminster?
Tell us roughly how long it is, how tall, and what it's made of if you know. We'll arrange a free quotation based on the actual work required.
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