In 2026, tree surgery in London and North London is typically quoted on a team rate. Most jobs cost between £600 and £900 a day for a team of 3, or £75 and £110 per hour.
Prices in London can sit at the higher end due to access, parking, and disposal costs. The main factors affecting your quote are time on site, risk level, waste removal, and whether the tree has protected status.
Below you’ll find typical tree surgeon costs for London, a full breakdown by service, and advice on what to check before hiring.
Tree Surgeon Costs at a Glance
These are team rates covering the full crew, equipment, and vehicles. The day rate applies to jobs expected to take a full working day; shorter jobs are quoted hourly or on a half-day basis.
What’s typically included: labour, on-site clearing, and chipping of green waste on-site.
What can add to the cost of tree surgery: off-site waste removal and disposal, stump grinding, access equipment such as a cherry picker, parking suspensions, and work on trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).
Most tree surgery companies, including Forbes Tree Care, apply a minimum call-out charge for smaller jobs. If you’re unsure whether your job meets it, it’s worth a quick call before booking.
Tree Surgery Costs - Detailed Price Breakdown
Labour is the largest part of any quote, covered by the hourly or day rate. The prices below are indicative – what you’ll actually pay will depend on the size of the job, access, and whether waste removal is included.
Tree cutting and pruning: £300+
The bigger the tree, the higher the cost. If there are lots of obstacles in the way, the cost will increase too.
Tree removal and felling: £300+
Similarly to cutting and pruning, bigger or harder-to-reach trees cost more.
Stump grinding: £100+
This is priced per the size of the stump. We measure the stump at ground level. If there are surface roots extending away from the stump, these factor in too.
Pollarding: £300+
Similar to tree pruning, but sometimes quicker than pruning because there is less climbing around the tree.
Tree reports: £300+
Risk assessment reports are calculated on the number of trees included in the report and the size of the tree
Mortgage and insurance reports typically cost £360, including VAT
Planning applications
We don’t charge for submitting planning applications if we have been instructed to do the tree work. Otherwise, we charge £144, including VAT.
Parking
We require visitor parking permits for each vehicle. If these cannot be provided, we will need to suspend a parking space. The cost of a parking suspension varies with each borough and can be found on local borough websites.
To put this in context: a straightforward crown reduction on a medium-sized tree with good garden access typically takes a half-day, putting the labour cost in the £300–£450 range before any waste removal.
A more complex job – say, a large tree close to a building with access through the house – could take a full day or more, with waste removal and a parking suspension on top. Getting a site visit and a written quote is the only reliable way to get an accurate figure.
What Affects the Cost of Tree Surgery?
Tree surgery costs vary across the UK and depend on a number of factors. When you’re quoted an hourly or day rate, that covers the whole crew – not a single arborist. What that crew costs you depends on a few key factors.
Time on site is the biggest variable – the more trees and the more complex the job, the more expensive it will be. Larger or structurally complicated trees, and those in poor condition, take longer to work on safely.
Tree size and condition feed directly into this: a dead or wind-damaged tree makes the job more complicated and increases the cost.
Risk level matters too. Trees growing near buildings, power lines, or in confined spaces require more careful, methodical work and carry higher liability – both add time and cost.
Access has a similar effect: if waste has to be carried through a house, it takes longer and requires more protection to avoid damage to the property.
Waste removal isn’t always included. Tree surgeons can sometimes offload green waste for free, but disposal costs are often passed on to the customer – particularly in London.
Geographical location also affects the price: wages, disposal costs, and overheads all vary across the country, and London sits at the higher end.
Why Is Tree Surgery So Expensive?
It takes a long time to properly train to be a tree surgeon. It’s a highly skilled job. Though lots of people will offer their services, the best tree surgeons cost more because it takes time to get to that skill level.
The specialist equipment is very expensive, and the service requires top insurance to cover all risks. If someone offers to do it cheap and cash in hand, ask yourself: what happens if they’re not insured and something goes wrong?
Why are Tree Surgeon Costs in London Higher?
Working in London and North London typically adds to the cost of tree surgery in three main ways.
Access is often restricted. Many North London gardens are only reachable through the house or a narrow side passage, which limits equipment and adds time to the job.
Parking and logistics add cost. Each crew vehicle and chipper needs somewhere to park. In residential streets, that usually means paying for a parking suspension – costs vary by borough and can be found on your local council’s website.
Waste disposal is more expensive. Licensed tipping costs in Greater London are higher than most of the country, and that feeds into every quote.
Do Protected Trees, TPOs, and Conservation Areas Affect Tree Surgery Prices?
If you’re considering work on a tree in a conservation area, or on a tree with a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), you must notify or seek consent from your local council before any work begins.
Carrying out unauthorised work on a protected tree is a criminal offence and can result in significant fines. You can check whether your trees are protected via your local authority’s planning portal, or find out more at GOV.UK.
Learn more about the legalities of cutting down a tree on your property.
How to Save on Tree Surgeon Costs
- Choose a reputable company with good reviews. They might cost more in the short term, but will cost you less down the line.
- Avoid companies that knock on your door offering quotes. They typically offer a low quote on the spot, then either do poor-quality work, cause damage they’re not insured to cover, or inflate the price once they’ve started.
- Shop around. Get 3 quotes and choose the person you trust the most.
- If you notice your tree looks unwell, deal with it sooner rather than later, before it becomes a bigger problem.
- Sometimes, pruning little and often can be cheaper than waiting 10 years to have the tree pruned.
- Book in autumn or winter. Demand is lower between November and February – you’ll get better availability and often a more competitive price.
What To Look For When Hiring A Tree Surgeon
There are many unscrupulous people out there looking to take advantage of trusting homeowners. Check that anyone you hire to work on your trees has the following:
- Fully insured with Public Liability, Employers’ Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance
- Fully qualified (NPTC, Lantra, First Aid at Work)
- Plenty of good reviews
- Photos of the team on the website
- Sustainable service (recycling by-products, reducing waste)
Tree Cutting Cost FAQs
Most tree surgery companies charge on a team rate. In 2026, expect to pay £75–£110 per hour for a full crew in London - this covers the whole team, not a single person.
Both. Smaller or straightforward jobs are often quoted per tree or on an hourly basis. Larger jobs are typically quoted as a half-day or full day. Day rates in London are usually £600–£900 for a team of three.
Not always. Some contractors include it; others quote it separately. Always confirm before accepting a quote, and check whether it covers green waste only or timber and stumps as well.
Stump grinding is quoted separately and priced by the size of the stump at ground level. Forbes Tree Care starts from £100, with surface roots factored in where relevant.
Get A Free Quote For Tree Surgery Services Today
If you’re based in North London and looking for a quality tree surgeon, we can help. At Forbes Tree Care, we’re a family run business, with a team of highly skilled tree surgeons. We provide reasonable prices for doing a great job. Get in touch with us today for your free no-obligation quote.
