Common questions, plain answers.

You may. If your tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or stands in a Conservation Area, you must give your council written notice — six weeks for a Conservation Area, longer for a TPO application. We can check the local register for you before quoting and, where needed, help you submit the application.

Almost any tree work in a Conservation Area — including pruning of larger limbs — requires you to notify the council six weeks before work begins. If they don't object in that period, you can proceed. We'll always check the council's planning portal as part of the quote so there are no surprises.

In England and Wales you have a common-law right to prune back branches that cross your boundary — but only up to the boundary line, and you must offer the cuttings back to the owner. You can't enter their property to do the work, and if the tree is protected the standard TPO/Conservation Area rules still apply.

For garden trees, usually not. A Forestry Commission felling licence is needed when felling more than 5 cubic metres of timber in a calendar quarter outside a garden — typical garden jobs fall well below that. We'll flag if your job is one of the rare cases where a licence applies.

We come at a time that suits you, walk the trees with you, talk through options and any constraints (access, neighbours, services overhead), and explain what we'd recommend and why. There's no charge and no pressure to book. You get a written, itemised quote afterwards.

It depends on the work and the access. A single garden tree might be a half-day, including chipping the brash and a thorough tidy-up. A mature tree with limited access or several specimens together is usually a full day or two. We'll always give you a realistic time estimate in the quote.

Yes. The price includes chipping the brash and removing all arisings from site, leaving the area tidy. If you'd like the wood kept for fuel or the chip retained as mulch, just say — we'll happily leave whatever you can use.

Yes — we carry £10 million of public liability insurance, so you and your property are fully covered from the moment we step on site. We can provide a copy of the certificate on request.

Every climber and ground-worker on our team holds the relevant NPTC certificates of competence — the recognised UK standard for professional arboricultural work. All work is carried out in line with British Standard BS 3998.

Power lines are a hard line for safety. Any work within proximity of live lines has to be coordinated with the network operator (UK Power Networks, Western Power and so on) — they'll usually arrange a short isolation. We'll handle that on your behalf when needed.

Five things mostly: the height and spread of the tree, how technical the take-down is (rigging vs straight fell), how much waste there is to chip and remove, how easy the access is for the truck and chipper, and any extras like stump grinding. That's why we always quote after a site visit, not over the phone.

Two trees that look identical from the kerb can be wildly different jobs depending on what's above and behind them, how the timber needs to come down, and how the site empties. Any tree surgeon quoting blind is guessing — we'd rather see the work and quote you a real number.

Most deciduous trees are best pruned when dormant — late autumn through to early spring — so the tree isn't actively pushing sap and can compartmentalise the cuts cleanly. There are exceptions: cherries, plums and other Prunus species are pruned in summer to reduce silver-leaf risk; evergreens are usually pruned in late spring. We'll advise on the right window for your specific tree.

We respond same-day for genuine emergencies — fallen trees blocking a drive, hung-up limbs over a path, storm-cracked branches threatening property. Call 07733 268438 rather than emailing — we'll know within minutes whether we can get to you that day.

For most jobs we need somewhere to park the truck and chipper — ideally on your drive, but we'll find a way around most layouts. If a tree is hard to access from the road we may need to bring kit through the house or down a side passage; we'll discuss this at the quote so there are no surprises.

We work hard to leave the ground as we found it. On soft lawns we lay protection boards under heavier kit, and we plan drop zones for sections of timber so beds and shrubs aren't crushed. If conditions are too wet to safely move plant across grass, we'll suggest rescheduling rather than make a mess.