The average cost to remove a hedge is between £100 – 600.
This cost is a wide range because it varies depending on different scenarios, mainly how big your hedge is.
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Hedges have many benefits, including aesthetic appeal, privacy, creating borders, noise reduction, and encouraging wildlife and birds.
However, hedges do need regular maintenance, some more than others and if left, they can become unruly, blocking light or encroaching on neighbouring gardens. If you want your hedge cut back then the cost of hedge trimming is between £25 – 150 per hour.
If your hedge is diseased, or the roots are causing a problem to your home, or you simply want to remove it to create a more spacious garden, then read on for hedge removal costs and influencing factors.
How much does it cost to remove a hedge?
On average, hedge removal costs between £100 – 600. However, hedge removal services charge in various ways: per hour, per metre, per day, and sometimes by project.
Below are ballpark figures for removing different-sized hedges and costs associated with hedge removal. To get accurate quotes for your job, post a job.
| Job description | Average cost (per job) |
| Removal of small hedge (1 – 2m) | £100 – 200 |
| Removal of medium hedge (2 – 4m) | £200 – 400 |
| Removal of large hedge (over 4m, e.g. Leylandii) | £400 – 600 |
| Labour costs | £150 – 250 per day |
| Skip hire | £100 – 400 |
| Excavator hire | £100 – 200 per day |
| Independent waste removal company | £60 – 350 |
| Get quotes | |
We recommend that you get at least three quotes and make sure that the hedge removal company does a site visit before giving you a quote. They will need to see the size and type of hedge and its location to determine what equipment is required and how long they estimate it will take them to do the job.
You also want to ensure that they give you a breakdown of the costs involved, including root removal to prevent any future regrowth and whether they dispose of the waste.
The cost of hedge removal will depend on several factors, which we have outlined below so you can get an idea of how much you can expect to pay.
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What factors affect the cost of removing a hedge?
Size of hedge
The height and length of the hedge will make a difference in the hedge removal cost. Larger hedges will require more labour, increasing the time and labour costs. There will be more waste to dispose of, further increasing the price.
Hedge type
Some types of hedges are more challenging to remove than others which will likely increase the cost.
For instance:
Privet hedges: Usually dense, and their roots spread aggressively. They require digging out the roots entirely or using a stump grinder.
Leylandii hedges: The roots of these hedges intertwine deeply into the ground, so the roots can be challenging to remove.
Hawthorn or blackthorn hedges: Thorny hedges which make removal more challenging and painful and have strong, deep roots.
Older and more established hedges will have a deep and complex root system to dig out, so they will take longer to remove and might require specialised equipment like a mechanical excavator, which costs around £100 – 200 per day to hire if the gardener or company don’t have one.
Skip hire
You may need to hire a skip if the hedge removal company isn’t disposing of the hedge debris. The cost to hire a skip ranges from £100 to £400, depending on the size.
Waste removal
Some professional hedge removal companies might have a wood chipping system to break down the branches and debris into wood chips. These wood chips can then be used for landscaping and composting, reducing the amount of waste.
However, not all hedge removal companies or gardeners will include waste removal in their price, so make sure you check this. It is often the clearing and disposing of the waste that can bump up the quote significantly.
If they are disposing of the waste, they need to have a waste carrier’s license. As it is green garden waste, they only need the lower-tier waste carriers license, which is free. However, it is worth checking that they have this because if they don’t, they could be disposing of waste illegally (fly-tipping), and you could be prosecuted too and given a fine of £400.
You can check if a trader has a waste carrier license here.
If you need to hire an independent waste removal company, this can cost between £60 – 350.
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Location
Where you live can affect the hedge removal price. Hedge removal companies in London and the south-east are usually more expensive than in the north.
Ease of access
The location of the hedge and how easy it is to access will affect the hedge removal quote. For instance, if the hedge is in a hard-to-reach area and needs specialised equipment or if it is difficult for the tradesperson to move the debris from the area to their van, this will increase the time and labour costs.
Hedge removal experience
You will want to hire someone with experience and who knows what they are doing; otherwise, you could end up with more damage. However, more experience usually means a higher rate.
Hedge removal cost calculator
To help you get an idea of how much it would cost to remove your hedge, the first thing to do is get an idea of the size of it.
If you are wondering what the average hedge removal cost per m² is, you generally calculate hedge removal costs by the length and height of the hedge, not by the square metre.
You will then need to take into account the cost factors we have outlined above and any additional costs below to get a better idea.
Additional hedge removal costs
Before removing the hedge, consider what you propose to do with the area afterwards. Will you want to lay new turf? Plant new hedges? Or install fences?
Laying new turf costs between £10 and £30 per square, but this depends on the quality of the turf, the size of the area, and how much preparation your ground needs.
If you want to replace your hedge with fences, then the cost to install fences can range from £400 to £3,000 depending on the number of fences, the size and type of fence you go for.
To get advice on what new hedges to plant, visit the Royal Horticultural Society.
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Do I need planning permission to remove my hedge?
Before removing your hedges, you must be aware of specific laws, such as The Hedgerow Regulations of 1997 and The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.
If your hedge is protected, you will need permission to remove it. You must also not cut hedges during the main bird nesting season (1st March to 31st July) under The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.
If you answer yes to any of these points below, then it is advisable to speak to your local council to double check it is ok to remove your hedge:
- You live in a conservation area.
- The hedge is protected by a tree preservation order.
- There might be birds nesting in the hedge. To avoid disturbing any wildlife, you can remove the hedge in the winter months.
However, if it is a private garden hedge you are removing, it is unlikely that the hedge is protected. You can find more guidance on protected hedges here.
There is no specific law for boundary garden hedges, but if your hedge serves as a boundary between you and your neighbours, it is best to speak to them before removing it to see if they agree.
However, if your neighbour isn’t in agreement, you should check the title deeds of your property to see the boundaries and rights of your property. If you don’t have them, you can find information here on how to obtain them.
If you remove a hedge without their permission, they could take you to court and leave you with hefty legal fees!
Above, we’ve discussed the price of hedge removal and its associated costs.
Next, to get the ball rolling with your project, post a job to get quotes from local hedge removal companies or gardeners.