“How much does a tree surgeon cost?” is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is: it depends. There’s no flat rate for tree work: a job that looks identical from the kerb can be quick and cheap or slow and involved once you factor in access and what’s underneath. But “it depends” isn’t very helpful on its own, so here’s the real picture.
What actually drives the price
Five things move the figure more than anything else:
- Size. A 6-metre garden tree and a 20-metre mature beech are completely different jobs.
- Access. Can we get a chipper to the tree, or is everything carried out through the house? Tight rear-garden access is the single biggest cost multiplier.
- What’s underneath. A tree over open lawn can be dropped quickly. A tree over a conservatory, greenhouse, fence or your neighbour’s garden has to be rigged down piece by piece, which is slower and more skilled.
- The wood and brash. Chipping and taking everything away takes time and tipping. Leaving you the logs cut to length can save a little.
- Protected status. A TPO or conservation area adds a (free) council application and a few weeks’ lead time, which we handle for you.
Rough UK guide prices
These are general UK guide figures, not a quote. Every job is priced on its own after a site visit:
| Job | Typical UK range |
|---|---|
| Stump grinding (per stump) | £60 – £250 |
| Hedge cutting / trimming | £150 – £500 |
| Crown reduction (medium tree) | £400 – £900 |
| Small tree removal | £150 – £400 |
| Medium tree removal | £400 – £900 |
| Large tree removal / sectional dismantle | £900 – £2,500+ |
| Arboricultural survey / report | £150 – £500 |
A two-person team with a chipper is commonly in the region of £400–£700 a day in our area, but we price the job, not the day, so you get a fixed total rather than an open meter.
Why we quote on site, not over the phone
It’s tempting to want a number on the phone, and plenty of firms will give you one. The problem is that a blind phone quote is either padded to cover the worst case (so you overpay), or optimistic (so the price “changes” on the day). Neither is fair.
A ten-minute site visit fixes that. We see the access, the target, what’s underneath, and the planning status, and we give you a written, fixed quote with no obligation. What we quote is what you pay. The visit is free anywhere across Leeds, Garforth and out to York.
If you’d like an accurate price for your tree, tell us about it and we’ll come and take a look.