How much do tree surgeons cost?

The average hourly rate for a tree surgeon is £40 – 50. It is common for tree surgeons to work in teams of two to three due to the inherent risk of the work.

So hiring a team will cost around £400 – 500 per day for a smaller firm.

If you go for a bigger company or live in London or the south-east, the cost could be closer to £900 per day.

Many things affect how a tree surgeon prices a job, so it’s difficult to say how much they will charge without first knowing what the work entails.

Tree surgeon prices

Before we look at how a tree surgeon prices a quote, below is a list of the rough costs of the most common jobs to give you a bit of an idea of how much you can expect to pay.

Tree surgeon cost factors

So, the above table is just a rough guide. How much a tree surgeon charges ultimately depends on the job.

When pricing up a quote, there’s a lot a tree surgeon will need to account for which often won’t be clear until they have inspected the tree and surrounding area.

Below is a list of the various things a tree surgeon considers when setting a rate for a job.

The type of job

The work itself will set the baseline for the cost. For example, removing a large tree with restricted access will cost more than a standard trim job on a small or medium-sized tree.

There will even be cost variations with a category of work. For instance, a tree stump removal will cost more if you want the roots extracted as well as the stump.

Tree size

The larger a tree is, the more labour it requires. Felling or trimming a large tree generally requires a tree surgeon to climb the tree. This involves more equipment, more time and a bigger team of labourers to assist the process and to ensure all the necessary safety precautions are taken.

The number of trees

Some companies will offer a discounted rate for a group of trees, while others will charge based on time. It’s worth checking, but the number of trees will impact the cost one way or another.

Accessibility

A tree surgeon has to consider getting their equipment to and from the tree, as well as the process of waste removal. The harder a tree is to access, the more labour and time it will require.

The location of the tree also affects how easily a job can be carried out. If a tree is located near an overhead cable or building, for example, the job will require more care due to the added hazards.

Condition of the tree

Diseased or otherwise unhealthy trees are particularly dangerous to work on because they become brittle and therefore more difficult to control. Greater care must be taken to remove them which means longer on the job.

Similarly, when it comes to tree trimming, the more that needs to be done to the tree or the worse condition it is in, the more the job will cost.

Waste removal

Most companies include the removal of waste in their quote, but some charge it as an additional fee, so it’s always important to check.

Location

Labour costs vary across the country, with London and the south-east costing more than the north.

You now have enough information to create a rough range for your budget. To get a more accurate sense of how much you’ll need to spend, the best thing to do is organise for a tree surgeon to come out and assess the tree(s) or shop around for some quotes, describing your job in as much detail as possible.

For more information on how much certain jobs cost, take a look at our tree surgeon cost guides where we go into more detail:

• Cost to remove a tree
• Stump removal costs
• Tree trimming and pruning costs

To get quotes from tree surgeons near you – post a job now.