Tree pruning, reduction, felling and removal by size and access
Tree Surgery
Tree surgery is the pruning, reduction, felling or removal of trees to manage their size, health and safety, carried out with appropriate climbing, rigging or machine access depending on the tree and site.
Definition
What Tree Surgery covers
Tree surgery covers a range of arboricultural work: formative and maintenance pruning, crown thinning or reduction, deadwooding, pollarding, and complete felling or removal of a tree including stump grinding where required. The right approach depends on the tree's species, condition, size and its surroundings, and some trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order or fall within a conservation area, which affects what work can be carried out and when.
Suitable for
- Overgrown or overhanging trees affecting light, boundaries or buildings
- Dead, diseased or storm-damaged trees needing removal or reduction
- Routine crown reduction or thinning to manage size and shape
- Stump removal following felling
Not suitable for
- Trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order or in a conservation area where consent has not yet been obtained
- Emergency dangerous-tree situations posing an immediate risk to life or property, which need urgent specialist or emergency service attendance
Process
How the work is carried out
- 01
Assessment
Site visit to assess the tree's species, condition, size and access, and to check for any Tree Preservation Order or conservation area restriction.
- 02
Consent check
Confirming whether local authority consent is needed before work proceeds, and applying for it where required.
- 03
Tree work
Carrying out the agreed pruning, reduction or felling using appropriate climbing, rigging or machine access.
- 04
Clearance
Removing arisings and, where felling, grinding the stump if agreed as part of the job.
Typical timescale
Most domestic tree work is completed within a single day, with larger or multiple-tree jobs taking longer depending on size and access. Confirmed once the tree has been assessed.
Cost guidance
Tree surgery typically costs £150–£800 per job in our area, with the tree's size, condition and how easily it can be accessed being the main factors, and waste removal charged as an extra. We provide an itemised quotation after assessing the tree rather than a fixed headline price.
Limitations and exclusions
- Work to trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, or within a conservation area, requires local authority consent before work starts
- Removal and disposal of arisings (branches, timber and green waste) is quoted as part of the job or as an extra, depending on volume
- Stump grinding is a separate operation from felling and is priced individually
Areas we cover
Tree Surgery across Sussex, Surrey, Kent and South London
Local property styles, planning authorities and neighbourhood coverage for tree surgery in each town we work in.
Related services
You may also need
FAQs
Tree Surgery FAQs
Do I need permission to prune or fell a tree?
If the tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order, or sits within a conservation area, you normally need to notify the local planning authority or obtain consent before work starts — we check this during our initial assessment so you're not caught out.
What happens to the wood and branches afterwards?
Arisings are usually chipped or removed from site as part of the job. If you'd like to keep logs for firewood or have particular disposal preferences, let us know when we quote so it's reflected in the price.
How do you price tree work if every tree is different?
We assess each tree in person — its size, species, condition and how accessible it is (open garden versus tight, overhung, or near buildings and power lines) — because these factors affect the time, equipment and rigging needed far more than a generic per-tree rate would reflect.
Discuss your tree surgery project
Tell us about the property and what you have in mind, and we'll arrange a site visit.
Last reviewed 2026-07-28.