Trees & Hedges · Service 04 of 12
Tree Work & Tree Surgery
Structural work to keep trees healthy, safe and the right size for the space they are in — with the legal checks done before a saw comes out of the van.
What this is
About our tree work & tree surgery
Most tree work we are called out for is not removal. It is a tree that has outgrown its position, is blocking light, is dropping deadwood over a garden where children play, or has been damaged in a storm. In a lot of those cases a well-judged crown reduction or a thin solves the problem and leaves you with the tree.
We will always tell you when that is the case. Taking a tree down is quicker and often more profitable, so it is worth knowing that we would rather reduce a healthy tree properly than remove it and sell you a stump grind. If a tree genuinely does need to come out — because it is dead, dangerous, or structurally compromised — we will explain why in plain terms.
Before any work starts we check whether the tree is protected. Trees can carry a Tree Preservation Order, and any tree above a certain size in a conservation area needs notice given to the council before work. Getting this wrong is a criminal offence with an unlimited fine, and a great deal of West London falls inside a conservation area. We do this check as a matter of course.
What is included
- Crown reduction, thinning, lifting and shaping
- Deadwood removal and storm damage make-safe
- Sectional dismantling in tight or overlooked gardens
- Full removal and felling where it is justified
- Stump grinding and root removal
- Pollarding and coppicing of appropriate species
- TPO and conservation area checks before work begins
- All arisings chipped or removed, site raked and cleared
Every job is quoted as a fixed price, and every price includes removing the waste.
Do you need this?
You probably need this if…
No sales pitch — just the situations that usually mean it is time to make the call.
- Branches are overhanging a roof, conservatory, neighbour or public path
- The tree has lost limbs, or you can see dead wood in the crown
- It has grown far taller or wider than the space can carry
- The garden has lost most of its light to a single tree
- You can see fungal growth at the base, or the trunk has a lean or a split
- You have a stump left from previous work that is now sprouting
How it runs
Our tree work process
Step by step, so you know exactly what happens and in what order.
- 01
Site visit and inspection
Tree work is quoted in person, not from a photo. We look at species, condition, targets underneath, access and what the tree is actually doing to the space.
- 02
Legal checks
We check for Tree Preservation Orders and conservation area status with the local authority. If notice or consent is needed, we tell you what is required and how long it takes.
- 03
A written specification
You get a quote that says exactly what will be done — how much is coming off, from where, and in what way. Vague tree quotes are how people end up with a tree cut far harder than they expected.
- 04
Controlled work, sectioned down
In enclosed gardens we take trees down in sections and lower material under control rather than dropping it. Slower, but it is what keeps fences, sheds and greenhouses intact.
- 05
Clear down, chip and remove
Brash is chipped, timber cut and removed or left as logs if you want them, and the ground raked over. Stump grinding, if you have asked for it, happens last.
What you get
Why it is worth doing properly
Risk taken out, tree kept in
Deadwooding and a sensible reduction usually deal with the actual hazard while leaving you the shade, screening and value a mature tree gives a garden.
Light restored without losing the tree
A crown thin or lift can put a remarkable amount of light back into a garden while barely changing the tree's outline from the street.
No legal exposure
Because the TPO and conservation checks happen before work, you are not the one finding out afterwards that consent was needed.
Nothing damaged on the way down
Sectional dismantling and controlled lowering exist precisely because gardens are full of things that cost more to replace than the tree work.
Pricing
What affects the price
We quote per job rather than per hour, so the number cannot creep. These are the things that move it up or down.
The fastest route to a price: send two or three photos on WhatsApp. We can usually quote from photos the same day, with no site visit needed.
- 01Size, species and condition of the tree
- 02Whether it can be felled or has to be dismantled in sections
- 03What sits underneath it — sheds, glass, fences, cars, power lines
- 04Access for equipment, and whether material can be chipped on site
- 05Volume of timber and brash to remove
- 06Whether local authority notice or consent is required
- 07Stump grinding, which is priced separately by diameter
Questions
Tree Work questions
The things people ask us most about this particular job.
For pricing, booking, waste and legal questions that apply to every job, see our full FAQ page.
You often cannot tell by looking, which is the problem. Trees can be individually protected by a Tree Preservation Order, and in a conservation area most trees above 75mm trunk diameter require six weeks' written notice to the council before work. We check both with the local authority as part of quoting.
It does not necessarily mean the work cannot happen — it means consent or notice is needed first. We will tell you what applies, and you can then decide whether to proceed. Carrying out unauthorised work on a protected tree is a criminal offence, so it is not something to guess at.
If you want it gone, yes. Grinding takes the stump out below ground level so the area can be turfed, paved or planted. Left in place, stumps of many species will resprout, and some can host honey fungus.
In principle you are entitled to cut growth that crosses your boundary, back to the boundary line — but not to enter the neighbour's land, and the cut material belongs to them. If the tree is protected, that right does not override the TPO. We will talk you through the specifics of your situation.
Only if you do not want them. Plenty of customers ask us to cut and stack timber for a log burner, which also reduces what we have to take away.
Tree Work across West London
We cover Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Ickenham, Cowley and Ruislip, Hayes, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Northwood, Harefield, Denham, Iver, Hounslow, Heston, plus Northolt, Greenford, Southall, Ealing, Harrow, Slough, Isleworth, Chiswick and the surrounding areas. Check your area.
Often booked together
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Tree Work
Get a fixed price for tree work
Tell us about your garden and we will come back within 24 hours with a fixed price for the tree work & tree surgery you need. Free, and no obligation.
Prefer to message? Send us photos on WhatsApp — it is the fastest way to an accurate price.