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What's the average cost to cut down a tree?
Want to find out how much tree removal costs on average? The cost of tree removal relies heavily on the size of the tree and can be between £150-£3500.
Would you like to find out how much tree felling will cost you, exactly? Then look no further, this complete guide will provide you with all the cost factors you need to take into consideration when removing a tree.
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How much does it cost to cut down a tree?
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It can be difficult to estimate the exact tree removal cost as the price can range dramatically depending on the diameter, height and type of tree, as well as its position in the garden. As you can imagine, the larger the tree, the more you can expect to pay for the job.The ease of access to the tree also plays a big part in the overall cost of the job as the more difficult it is to get to, the longer the job will take, and this will increase the cost of the job.
You can usually expect a climbing tree surgeon to charge around £150-£200 per day in labour costs. We often work as a team of 3 with one person performing the climbing and two grounds persons as it’s unsafe to carry out tree work alone, plus it’s a difficult job to tackle without any assistance.
With this in mind, you can expect to pay an average of around £300-£400 in total per day for labour.
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TREE REMOVAL COSTS
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As we've mentioned, tree removal prices can vary greatly depending mostly on the size of the tree and the ease of access to the tree. We have created a table below which highlights the average tree removal cost you can expect to pay for different tree sizes:
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Alternatively, an extra large tree of over 75ft in height could cost around £2100 - £4200 to remove, taking anything from 2.5 to 5 days when done professionally.
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Additional Costs
You may need to think about several additional costs when it comes to removing a garden tree. This is the same if you're looking to remove a live tree or if you're searching for dead tree removal. Below is a list of the additional costs that you may need to think about with this type of work:
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Garden Waste Removal
Many tree surgeon contractors will include garden waste removal as a part of the service, however we will include that in the overall cost if that’s wanted.If you are also having other work done in your garden simultaneously, you may have a lot of waste that needs removing and we can provide you with a cost for that also.
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what affects the cost of removing a tree?
There are several factors that could affect the overall cost of removing a tree. Below is a list of the main cost affecting factors when it comes to this type of work:
Size of the Tree
The size of the tree can play a big part in the amount that you can expect to pay for tree felling. Larger trees will take much longer to work on than smaller trees, so you can expect larger trees to cost more. The longer the job takes, the more you will have to pay for labour.
Ease of Access
The ease of access to the tree can also play a big role in the amount that you will pay to have your tree removed. If the tree is difficult to access, this may require extra work, and the job will likely take much longer to complete. With this in mind, trees that are more difficult to access will end up costing more overall to remove.
Difficulty of the Job
Every tree removal job is different and has its own specific challenges. Some jobs are more difficult than others and more often than not we come across obstacles that prevent felling, such as outdoor structures, boundaries, amenities and in most cases available space. The more difficult the job is to complete, the longer it will take and, therefore, the more it will cost overall.
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Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Tree Removal
Many trees are protected by tree preservation orders. This means that you will need to get approval from your local council before making any alterations to the tree, such as pruning or felling. If you are unsure about your particular tree, you should always get in touch with your local council first for advice on tree felling laws. When you contact a tree surgeon to complete the work for you, they will also often be able to provide you with appropriate advice on whether you will need permission to remove your tree.
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Types of Trees
There are many different types of tree that are commonly found in UK gardens. Below is a list of the most common trees found in gardens in the UK with some information on how to identify them:
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English Oak Tree
Oak trees are very common and can grow in a wide range of soil conditions, but they tend to prefer well-drained soils located in sunny locations. These trees tend to grow up to around 30m. Their leaves are large and lobed with smooth edges, and the leaves will fall during the winter time. Oak trees feature acorns that can be easily identified.
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To remove a mature oak tree you should expect to pay around £3000.
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Common Beech Tree
Beech trees can live up to 300 years and tend to be most common in southern and central parts of England. These trees prefer dry, chalky soils for optimum growth. Similar to an oak tree, common beech trees tend to grow up to around 30m. The leaves on this tree are oval in shape with wavy edges. This type of tree produces beech seeds which are encased within green, prickly cases, and the bark of this tree is thin and grey.
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To remove a mature beech tree you should expect to pay around £3000.
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Ash Tree
Ash trees are a very common type of tree in the UK. These are usually found in very deep, well-drained soils located in sunny areas. They usually grow up to around 35m and feature leaves that are made up of 3-6 pairs of serrated little leaves with one leaf at the end. Ash trees lose their leaves during winter but can be identified in these months by their large, black buds.
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To remove a mature ash tree, you should expect to pay around £2500.
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Horse Chestnut Tree
Horse chestnut trees can tolerate a huge range of soils but prefer rich, moist soils located in sunny areas. They tend to grow up to around 30m and feature large, palmate leaves that have 5-7 serrated leaflets. During the warmer months, horse chestnuts trees feature clusters of white flowers, which later become conkers that are encased in green, spiky cases.
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To remove a mature horse chestnut tree you should expect to pay around £2500.
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Sycamore Tree
Sycamore is a fast-spreading tree that can grow in most types of soil and areas. These trees tend to grow up to around 35m and feature palmate leaves on red stalks with five toothed lobes.The seeds on these trees can easily be identified as they are winged seeds, often known as 'helicopter' seeds. The bark on sycamore trees tends to be scaly in appearance.
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To remove a mature sycamore tree you should expect to pay £2500.
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Hiring Contractors to remove a tree checklist
You will need to consider a few things before hiring someone to remove a tree for you. Below is a list of some of the main things that you should consider when looking for the right contractor for the job:
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Does the contractor offer any guarantees with their work?
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How much is the work to complete? – Ask for a breakdown of costs so you can ensure you are paying a good price for each element of the job.
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What type of tree felling services does the contractor offer?
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Is the contractor experienced in the type of tree felling work that you require?
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How many years' worth of experience does the contractor have in tree felling?
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How many contractors will carry out the job?
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Will the contractor fix any issues that may arise?
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Does the contractor provide any insurance if any parts of the job go wrong?
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Will the contractor take care of any relevant waste removal?
HOW WE REMOVE YOUR TREE
Most of our tree removal services will be carried out using sectional removal practices, whereby the larger branches are cut up into smaller sections, then lowered to ground level using ropes.
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We do this until all that remains is the main stem (or trunk) which can be cut and removed in small sections, from the top down until it's possible to fell the tree in the space we have available.
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Our team will ensure that the site is left clean, with all debris removed. Many customers will also require removal of the tree stump too, which we can also assist with using our speciality machinery, to ensure a flat surface that can be used for lawn, shrubbery, patio or any other purpose.
We can also leave woodchippings for you if you'd like them for firewood or to use as mulch.
why use a qualified tree surgeon?
At Urban Tree Care, we'll make sure that the tree which needs removing isn't protected by a TPO (Tree Preservation Order). Ignoring a TPO is illegal and can result in a penalty notice. These TPOs are made to protect trees that bring significant benefits to the local area, and protects them from unnecessary destruction.
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We are professional tree surgeons in Nottingham with a team that have been trained and assessed to NPTC and LANTRA standards, showing we are competent to carry out any tree work to British Standard guidelines (BS3998) and using safety equipment to protect our customers, their property and ourselves.
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We have £5,000,000 in public liability insurance and our team are covered by £10,000,000 in employee liability insurance, giving you total peace of mind when you book us.