Tree surgery is quoted per job rather than off a price list, and the reason is simple: the tree is only half of what you're paying for. Where it stands, what's underneath it and how the cut material gets out of the garden matter just as much as the tree itself.
We don't publish a fixed price list, because two trees that look similar from the pavement can be very different jobs once you factor in access, what's underneath and how the material has to come down. What we can do is explain exactly what moves the number, so you know what to look at before you ring round.
What actually drives the price
Six things do most of the work in any tree quote.
- Size and height. The baseline for how long the job takes, how many people are needed and what equipment comes with them.
- What the work is. Deadwooding, a crown lift, a thin, a reduction and a full removal are very different amounts of work on the same tree.
- Species. Dense hardwoods are slower to cut and heavier to handle than softer, lighter timber.
- Condition. A dead or decayed tree is worked far more cautiously, which takes longer.
- Access. Can a chipper get near the tree, or does every branch come out by hand through a side gate?
- Waste volume. A mature tree produces a surprising amount of material, and removing it is a real part of the cost.
Access is the one people forget to mention
This is the single biggest surprise in tree quoting. The same tree in two different gardens can be quoted very differently, and it is almost always access.
- Is there a side gate, and how wide is it?
- Can a vehicle park near the property, and for how long?
- Is there rear access, or does everything come through the house?
- How far is it from the tree to where the vehicle can stop?
- Is there anywhere on site the chip could stay, if you want it?
What's underneath changes the method
A tree with room around it can often be felled. A tree with a conservatory, greenhouse, shed or neighbour's fence beneath it has to be dismantled in sections and lowered on ropes rather than dropped. That's controlled, careful work and it takes considerably longer — which is why proximity to buildings is one of the largest cost differences in tree surgery.
The type of work matters more than people expect
| Work | Relative cost | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Deadwooding | Lowest | Removes dead branches; often all a tree needs |
| Crown lift | Low | Raises the canopy; reclaims the ground beneath |
| Targeted pruning | Low | Deals with specific branches over a specific problem |
| Crown thin | Moderate | Lets light through without changing the size |
| Crown reduction | Higher | Makes the tree genuinely smaller |
| Felling / dismantling | Highest | Removes the tree entirely |
| Stump grinding | Quoted separately | Different equipment; not always wanted |
Describe the problem, not the operation
This saves people more money than anything else on this page. A great many enquiries that begin "I need it reduced" turn out to be a crown lift once we ask what's actually bothering the customer — and a lift is cheaper, lasts far longer and usually looks better.
What can bring the cost down
- Several trees in one visit rather than one at a time — the set-up and travel happen once.
- Combining tree work with hedge cutting or clearance in the same arrangement.
- Keeping the chip or logs if you have a use for them.
- Clearing the ground beneath the tree beforehand.
- Being realistic about access at quotation, so nothing changes on the day.
- Flexible timing, outside the busiest periods.
What shouldn't be the cheap bit
A quote noticeably below the others is usually a quote for a different job. Most often it's the same work without the insurance, without a proper look at the tree first, or without checking whether the tree is protected.
- Ask to see insurance, and check it covers tree work at height.
- Ask what qualifications the people climbing hold.
- Ask whether they've checked for a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area.
- Ask how the branches will be brought down.
- Ask whether they're a registered waste carrier.
Before any work starts
Trees can be protected by a Tree Preservation Order, and properties in conservation areas need notice given to the council before work. Checking costs nothing and takes a phone call, and it's worth doing before booking rather than after — cutting a protected tree without consent is a criminal offence, and not knowing isn't a defence.
Getting a genuinely useful quote
- Roughly how tall the tree is — against the house is fine as a guide.
- The species, if you know it, or a photograph.
- What's actually bothering you about it.
- What's beneath and around it.
- The access route, described honestly.
- Whether the stump needs removing too.
- Whether other trees or hedges need attention at the same time.
Want a free quote on your tree?
Tell us roughly how tall it is, what species if you know, and what's underneath. We'll arrange a free quotation based on the actual work required.