HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a tree felling contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register covers tree felling — but the tree may be protected. Ask the council first, then check insurance, training and the plan for the timber.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a tree felling contractor in five steps

  1. Ask the council before anyone quotesPreservation order or conservation area? Felling a protected tree without consent is an offence for whoever causes it.
  2. Agree how it comes downFelled in one piece where there is room, or dismantled in sections from the top near a house.
  3. Check insurance and the crewHigh public liability, a trained climber and a trained rescuer on the ground.
  4. Price the stump and the timberStump left, ground out or poisoned; logs left, split or taken away — each a line.
  5. Look for nests firstAn active nest stops the felling until the birds have gone.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

In all four nations tree felling contractors can trade without a licence, and no official register lists them. The safety of the job depends on the crew's training and the plan; the legality depends on whether the tree is protected.

Ask for the insurer, the limit and the chainsaw training of each person on the crew.

Tree preservation order or conservation area

A tree under a preservation order may not be cut down, uprooted or wilfully destroyed without the council's written consent. Fines for felling a protected tree reach £20,000 in the magistrates' court in England and Wales, and a replacement tree is usually required. Felling a conservation-area tree needs six weeks' written notice to the council in all four nations, small trees aside. The weeks let the council decide whether to make an order.

Ask the council whether the tree has an order, and do not let felling start without written consent. Keep the notice and the date the six weeks end. gov.uk →

Felling licence (England)

Under the Forestry Act 1967, felling more than 5 cubic metres of timber in a calendar quarter needs a Forestry Commission licence; trees in a garden are exempt.

For felling in a paddock, field edge or woodland plot, ask whether a licence is needed. gov.uk →

Nesting birds

Damaging or destroying a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (in Northern Ireland, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985).

Ask the tree felling contractor to inspect the tree for nests before the date is fixed. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Felling a tree is standard-rated, so the VAT is 20%. A tree felling contractor above the £90,000 threshold must be registered, charge it on the felling, the stump and the clear-up, and show the 20% on its own line.

Ask the tree felling contractor for the VAT number and check the 20% is a separate figure on the written quote. gov.uk →

“Have you checked the tree for a preservation order or conservation area?”

A good answer: Yes, with the council, before quoting — or they tell you how to check.

“Will you fell the tree whole or in sections?”

A good answer: Section felling with rigging near buildings, roads and wires; a straight fell only with a clear drop zone.

“Who climbs and who is the rescuer for the tree felling?”

A good answer: Named people, each with chainsaw and climbing training, and at least two on site.

“What happens to the stump?”

A good answer: Left at a stated height, ground out, or treated — priced separately.

“Will you take the felled timber away?”

A good answer: Logs left cut to length, split, or removed; brash chipped.

“Is the felling quote inclusive of VAT?”

A good answer: A written figure with VAT at 20% shown, or a statement that they are not VAT-registered.

“What if there is a nest in the tree?”

A good answer: The felling waits until the birds have left.

“Does the tree affect a neighbour or a boundary?”

A good answer: They ask, and suggest you talk to the neighbour before the date.

Getting the quote right

  • The tree, its height and position, and the felling method
  • Stump treatment and price
  • Timber and brash: chipped, left or removed
  • Protection status checked, with consent or notice dates
  • Crew and machinery on site
  • The insurance named, with the public liability limit
  • Who actually attends to fell the tree, and whether the climbers are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT shown apart from the felling and stump prices

Walk away if

  • "Nobody will know" about a protected tree
  • A cold call to fell a tree you never asked about
  • One person, no ground crew
  • No insurance details for a tree beside a house
  • Cash only and no written quote
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£700
HIGH
£2,500

What a tree felling contractor costs: £150–£2,500 per tree

Tree felling is priced per tree after a look at it; height, how close it is to buildings, whether it has to come down in sections and what happens to the timber set the figure. Tree Felling price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Tree felling contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Check and planProtection checked, the tree inspected for nests and decay, the felling method chosen.
  2. Secure the areaDrop zone marked, people and cars moved, the chipper placed.
  3. Dismantle or fellBranches removed and lowered in sections, then the trunk felled or taken down in pieces.
  4. ProcessBrash chipped, the trunk cut to logs.
  5. Stump and clearStump left or ground as agreed, the site raked and checked with you.

Section felling
Taking a tree down from the top in pieces, lowered on ropes.
Straight fell
Felling the whole tree in one piece into a clear space.
Felling licence
Forestry Commission permission for larger felling in England, outside gardens.
Drop zone
The cleared area where cut sections land.
Brash
The small branches, chipped on site.
Stump grinding
Grinding the stump below ground with a machine.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the consent and invoiceIf the tree was protected, the council's consent or your notice is the proof the felling was allowed, and any replacement condition comes with it.
Check the siteNo damage to fences, roofs or paving, chippings raked up, logs stacked where agreed.
Plan the replacementA replacement tree may be a condition of consent; plant it in the planting season.
Review the jobSay how the tree felling contractor did — on Locufy only a booked job can be reviewed, and a problem goes through the make-it-right step first.

STEP 1Put it to the tree felling contractor in writingDescribe the fault in the felling, add photos and give a date to reply. Reasonable care and skill is part of every service contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for the tree felling contractor goes to them first if you say so, and we chase the reply. Then you review.
STEP 3A protected tree felledTell the council planning enforcement team: protected trees are theirs to enforce. The consumer helplines pass complaints to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) for England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) for Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims as the last stepWhere the tree felling contractor still will not pay, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a tree felling contractor: questions people ask

Nobody needs a licence to work as a tree felling contractor in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and there is no register to search. A felling licence from the Forestry Commission is about the timber, in England, and gardens are exempt.

Yes, unless it is protected. A preservation order needs the council's consent; a conservation-area tree needs six weeks' notice. Check with the council first.

Usually £150–£2,500 a tree, with £700 typical. The tree felling price guide sets out the reasons; your town in the search box above shows local tree felling contractors.

Whoever does or causes the work — the person who ordered it as well as the contractor.

Outside the nesting season, from autumn to late winter, unless the tree is dangerous.

Only if the quote says so; stump grinding is usually a separate line.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: Tree SurgeryHow to hire: Tree PruningHow to hire: Stump GrindingHow to hire: Hedge RemovalHow to hire: Garden ClearanceHow to hire: LandscapingHow to hire: Hedge TrimmingHow to hire: Garden DesignAll 701 hiring guides →

Tree felling contractors near you

Tree felling contractors in LondonTree felling contractors in ManchesterTree felling contractors in BirminghamTree felling contractors in GlasgowTree felling contractors in BelfastAll tree felling contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas (England)
  2. gov.scot — Planning Circular 1/2011: tree preservation orders, conservation areas
  3. nidirect — tree preservation
  4. gov.uk — tree felling licence: when you need to apply (England)
  5. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 — protection of wild birds, their nests and eggs
  6. Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, article 4 — wild birds, their nests and eggs
  7. HSE — working with chainsaws
  8. HSE — aerial tree work
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register