HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

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

No register covers tree surgeons — but the tree may be protected. Check the council first, then insurance, training and a written quote.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a tree surgeon in five steps

  1. Ask the council whether the tree is protectedA tree preservation order or a conservation area changes everything. Find out before anyone quotes.
  2. Say exactly what you want doneCrown lift, reduction, thinning or removal — with a photo. "Cut it back a bit" gets you three different jobs.
  3. Get written quotes that list the wasteLogs left, chipped, or taken away; the stump left, ground or not touched.
  4. Check insurance and climbing trainingPublic liability at a level that suits a tree beside a house, and trained climbers with a rescuer on the ground.
  5. Avoid the nesting season if you canSpring and summer cutting has to stop if an active nest is found. Autumn and winter are easier.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

You will not find tree surgeons on any statutory register, because none exists in the four nations, and no licence is needed to trade. The work is high, heavy and close to buildings, so the checks are insurance, the training of whoever climbs, and whether the tree is protected.

Ask for the insurer, the cover level, and the chainsaw and climbing training each crew member holds.

Tree preservation order or conservation area

A tree under a preservation order may not be cut down, topped, lopped, uprooted or wilfully damaged without the council's written consent. The penalty can fall on whoever does or causes the work — which can include you — and a replacement tree is usually required. In all four nations, a tree standing in a conservation area needs six weeks' written notice to the council first, except small trees. The council uses those weeks to decide whether to protect it with an order.

Ask the council planning team whether the tree has an order, and wait for written consent before work starts. Ask who is giving the notice, keep a copy, and do not let work start until the six weeks have passed. gov.uk →

Nesting birds

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 in Northern Ireland) it is an offence to damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built.

Ask the tree surgeon to check the canopy for active nests before cutting, especially from spring through summer. legislation.gov.uk →

Climbing and chainsaw training

HSE says a chainsaw should never be used off the ground by anyone without training in safe techniques, and someone on the ground must be ready to carry out an aerial rescue at once.

Ask who on the day is the climber and who is trained to rescue them. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

Tree surgery is standard-rated, so VAT is 20%. A tree surgeon whose turnover passes £90,000 a year must be registered, charge it and show the 20% as its own line on the written quote.

Ask the tree surgeon for the VAT number and check the 20% sits apart from the itemised tree work. gov.uk →

“Have you checked whether my tree is protected?”

A good answer: "Yes, I asked the council" — or "let's check before I quote". Anyone who says "nobody will know" is offering you a criminal record.

“What exactly will you do to the tree?”

A good answer: Named work — crown lift to a height, reduction by a measured amount, deadwood removal — not "tidy it up". Topping a healthy tree is usually a sign of the wrong contractor.

“Who climbs, and who is the rescuer on the ground?”

A good answer: Names and the training each holds. A one-person crew cannot do a rescue.

“How will the limbs come down near the house?”

A good answer: Rigged and lowered on ropes where they cannot be dropped, with the roof, glass and fences protected.

“What happens to the logs, chippings and stump?”

A good answer: Each one priced: chipped on site, logs left stacked or taken away, the stump left at a stated height or ground out.

“Is the tree surgery quote for the whole job, with VAT?”

A good answer: One written figure that says whether VAT at 20% is included, and what would make it change.

“Will you check for nesting birds first?”

A good answer: "Yes, and if there is an active nest we wait." That is the law, not a favour.

“Do you need my neighbour's permission?”

A good answer: For branches over the boundary, an honest surgeon will suggest you talk to the neighbour and will not go onto their land without agreement.

Getting the quote right

  • The tree, its position and the work, named in arboricultural terms
  • Who removes what: logs, chippings and the stump, each with its price
  • Confirmation the tree has been checked for protection, with the council's consent or notice date if needed
  • Crew size and machinery (chipper, rigging, any platform) and the days on site
  • Insurance named, with the public liability limit
  • Who actually attends to climb and rig, and whether the crew is employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT shown apart from each item of the tree work

Walk away if

  • A cold call offering to cut a tree you never asked about
  • "You don't need permission" without checking the council
  • They want to top a healthy tree flat
  • A lone climber with nobody on the ground
  • Cash only, and no written quote
  • They cannot say where the timber will go
LOW
£250
TYPICAL
£500
HIGH
£1,600

What a tree surgeon costs: £250–£1,600 per job

Tree surgery is quoted by the job after a look at the tree; the size of the tree, the crew and kit needed, the access and how much timber leaves the site set the figure. Tree Surgery 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 surgeons near you, with the badges that matter shown

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

  1. Survey and protection checkThe tree is looked at from the ground, its health noted, and protection checked with the council before the date is fixed.
  2. Set up the drop zoneCones or tape around the work area, vehicles moved, the chipper placed and the ground crew briefed.
  3. Climb or platformThe climber goes up on ropes, or a platform is used; a trained rescuer stays on the ground throughout.
  4. Cut and rigBranches are cut back to the agreed shape; heavy limbs are lowered on ropes rather than dropped near the house.
  5. Chip, clear and walk roundBrash chipped, logs cut, the site raked, and a walk round with you before payment.

Crown lift
Removing lower branches to raise the canopy to a set height above the ground.
Crown reduction
Reducing the height and spread of the canopy, cutting back to suitable growth points.
Crown thinning
Taking out a proportion of the smaller branches to let light through, without changing the shape.
Tree preservation order (TPO)
A council order that makes cutting or damaging the tree without consent an offence.
Arisings
The wood, brash and chippings the work produces.
Rigging
Ropes and pulleys used to lower cut limbs in a controlled way.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the quote, invoice and any consentIf the tree was protected, the council's consent or your notice and its date are the proof the work was allowed.
Look at the cutsClean cuts at a branch collar, no torn bark, nothing left hanging; the canopy should match what was agreed.
Check the clear-upLawn raked, gutters and paths cleared of sawdust, logs stacked where you asked.
Leave the reviewTree surgeon reviews on Locufy come from booked jobs only. If something was left wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Put it to the tree surgeon in writingDescribe the fault in the tree work, 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 2Let Locufy follow it upBelow four stars, you choose whether the tree surgeon sees the problem before your review does; we follow it through, then the review goes live.
STEP 3Protected tree cut without consentTell the council planning enforcement team. If the work was done without the consent or notice the tree needed, that is the council's to enforce. For advice, or to have Trading Standards told, ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims as the last stepWhere the tree surgeon 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 surgeon: questions people ask

No. Working as a tree surgeon needs no licence or registration in any part of the UK. What is controlled is the tree: preservation orders, conservation areas and, in England, a felling licence for larger volumes outside gardens.

Yes, unless it is protected. A tree with a preservation order needs the council's written consent; a tree in a conservation area needs six weeks' notice to the council. Ask the council before anyone starts.

Usually £250–£1,600 a job, with £500 typical. The tree surgery price guide sets out the reasons; your town in the search box above shows local tree surgeons.

Not if the nest is in use or being built — damaging it is an offence. The work waits until the birds have left, which is why autumn and winter are the easiest months.

Whoever does or causes the work — so the person who ordered it can be prosecuted as well as the tree surgeon. Check before you book.

Only if the quote says so. Logs, chippings and stump grinding are separate lines; get each one priced.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

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

Tree surgeons near you

Tree surgeons in LondonTree surgeons in ManchesterTree surgeons in BirminghamTree surgeons in GlasgowTree surgeons in BelfastAll tree surgeons 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. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 — protection of wild birds, their nests and eggs
  5. Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, article 4 — wild birds, their nests and eggs
  6. HSE — aerial tree work
  7. HSE — working with chainsaws
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  10. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  11. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register