What affects the cost of tree surgery

No two tree jobs cost the same, because no two trees are in the same place. A tree of the same height can be a morning's work in an open field and two days' work behind a terraced house. This guide explains what moves the price, so you know what a quote is made of and can compare quotes fairly.

Every quote we give is free and comes after we have seen the tree.

The size and type of tree

Height matters, but so does the spread of the crown and the thickness of the trunk, as together they decide how much wood there is to cut, lower and take away. Some species are harder work than others: hardwoods such as oak are dense and heavy, conifers can be tall with a lot of foliage, and a tree with several main stems takes longer to dismantle than one with a single trunk.

The type of work

• Felling and removal: taking the whole tree down, usually in sections from the top. Dealing with the stump is a separate cost.
• Pruning: crown reduction, thinning, lifting and deadwooding are priced on how much of the tree is worked on, not on its size alone.
• Stump work: grinding a stump below ground is quicker than digging out the stump and roots.
• Hedges: priced on length, height and how overgrown the hedge is.

Access and what is nearby

This is often the biggest factor. A tree we can reach with a platform or drop in one piece in open ground is far quicker than one that has to be climbed and taken down piece by piece on ropes. Things that add time:

• buildings, glasshouses, sheds and fences under or beside the tree
• overhead power or phone lines
• narrow side passages, steps or a back garden with no vehicle access
• a road or footpath that needs closing or managing while we work

Waste

Removing everything we cut is part of every job, and the amount of wood and brash affects the time and the cost. If you would like logs left for a wood burner, or chippings for your borders, tell us, as it can bring the price down.

Permissions and timing

If a tree has a Tree Preservation Order or is in a conservation area, the council has to be told or asked before most work. We check this and help with the application, and it can affect when the work can start. From March to August we check every tree for nesting birds, and active nests can delay a job.

Emergency work, such as a tree down after a storm, is priced on what it takes to make the site safe, which is hard to know until we see it.

Getting a fair quote

• Get the quote in writing, saying exactly what will be done: how much will come off, whether the stump is included, and whether everything is taken away.
• Check the insurance. A tree surgeon should carry public liability insurance. Ours is with Arborisk, with £5 million cover.
• Ask about the standard. Pruning should follow BS3998, the British Standard for tree work. A very low price for "cutting a tree back" can mean topping, which harms the tree and costs more to put right.
• Compare like with like. Two quotes for "tree removal" can mean different jobs if one includes the stump and waste and the other does not.