The honest answer is "it depends" — so here's exactly what it depends on, what a good quote includes, and how to compare prices fairly.
Anyone who quotes a firm price for tree work without seeing the tree is guessing. The real cost depends on the size and species of the tree, how easy it is to reach, what's growing or built around it, and what you want done. Two trees the same height can be very different jobs.
Rather than give you a number that turns out to be wrong, here's what actually drives the price — so when you do get a quote, you'll understand every line of it.
A small ornamental tree is a quick job; a mature oak, beech, or conifer is hours of skilled, careful work. Species matters too — dense hardwoods are slower to cut and heavier to handle than softwoods, which feeds directly into the time and cost.
How easily we can reach the tree makes a real difference. A tree by the kerb with room to drop and chip is straightforward; one behind a narrow gate, over a fragile lawn, or hemmed in by buildings means hand-balling timber out and working more slowly to protect everything around it.
A tree that can be felled in one piece is far quicker than one that must be dismantled section by section. Trees near houses, fences, greenhouses, or overhead cables need rigging and careful lowering of every limb — safer, but more time and skill, and more cost.
A light crown thin is very different from a full reduction, a fell, or a stump grind. Pruning to a specification, removing a whole tree, or clearing several at once all carry different amounts of labour — and many jobs combine more than one.
Chipping brash and removing logs takes time and disposal, so what happens to the timber affects the price. Leaving logs for firewood can reduce it; grinding out the stump afterwards is a separate task with its own cost.
Aerial work — climbing or using a platform — is more involved than work from the ground. Larger or more awkward trees may need a chipper, winch, or rigging kit on site, and that's reflected in the quote.
If the tree has a Tree Preservation Order or sits in a conservation area, work can't begin until the council gives consent. Checking for protection and handling any application takes time before a saw is even started — but skipping it risks a fine far larger than the survey.
Some work is seasonal, and during nesting season we survey for active birds' nests before starting, which can affect scheduling. We'll always flag anything that means the job should wait — it's the law, and it's the right thing to do.
Tell us about your tree and we'll survey the site and give you a clear, no-obligation quote — every line explained.
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