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Tree surgeons guides

Plain-English guides to tree work: what it costs, the rules on protected trees and birds, and how to choose a safe, insured tree surgeon.

Costs

Typical prices for pruning, felling and stump grinding.

• How much does a tree surgeon cost?

  Typical UK tree surgery costs: day rates, tree felling, crown reduction and stump grinding, and what makes the price go up.

Rules and choosing

Tree Preservation Orders, nesting birds, neighbour disputes and how to choose a safe tree surgeon.

• Do I need permission to cut down a tree?

  When you need the council's consent to cut, prune or remove a tree in England: Tree Preservation Orders, conservation areas, exceptions and what happens if you get it wrong.

• How to choose a tree surgeon

  How to pick a safe, qualified tree surgeon: accreditations, insurance, method statements, quotes and red flags.

• Tree work and nesting birds

  The law on nesting birds and tree work in the UK, the main nesting season, bats and what to do if you find a nest.

• Neighbour's tree overhanging your garden

  What you can do about a neighbour's tree: overhanging branches, roots, leaves, protected trees and how to resolve it.

The work

What the common types of tree work mean and what to expect.

• Tree pruning explained

  What tree surgeons mean by crown reduction, crown thinning, crown lifting, pollarding and topping, and which to ask for.

• Stump grinding vs stump removal

  How stump grinding works, how it differs from removing the stump, costs, what to do with the chippings and what you can plant afterwards.

• Dangerous or storm-damaged tree

  What to do with a storm-damaged or dangerous tree: staying safe, calling an emergency tree surgeon, protected trees and who is responsible.