Tree Surgery Prices in Leeds: What Affects the Cost?

How much does tree surgery cost in the UK?

The table below shows national guide ranges from two published UK cost guides, BestBuilders and MyJobQuote. They are not Leeds Tree Surgeon's prices. We've included them only to give you a rough idea for budgeting.

Treat these as a starting point for your budget. The two sources differ from each other, and neither has seen your tree, so a real quote for a Leeds property could fall inside or outside any of these ranges.

What makes one tree job cost more than another?

Four things usually set the price: the tree, the access, the method and the waste. If you see a big gap between a low and a high figure, it will most likely come down to one of them.

How prices vary from service to service

Each type of work has its own main factors, which is why a general day rate tells you very little. These are the details that matter most for each service.

• Tree felling and removal: height, nearby buildings and whether the tree can come down in one piece.
• Crown reduction: the crown's size and structure, and how much you want to take off.
• Stump grinding: the diameter, the access and the depth needed for what comes next.
• Hedge work: length, height, species and who takes the clippings away.
• Emergency tree work: the danger on site, the time of the visit and how safely the timber can be reached.

Stump depth is a good example of how your plans can affect a price. For new turf, the RHS suggests grinding to about 20 to 25 cm, so it's worth saying what you want to do with the ground afterwards.

What extra costs are often quoted separately?

The stump is the usual one, because a tree removal quote may not include it. Hedge or crown work carried out in stages can also mean more than one visit, so ask your tree surgeon in Leeds about these items early.

• Stump grinding after a tree has been felled.
• Surveys, reports or help with paperwork for protected trees.
• Return visits for a staged reduction.
• Traffic controls or specialist access equipment.

Is there a fee for permission to work on a protected tree?

Generally not, as the Planning Portal says there is no statutory fee for a standard TPO application or a conservation area notice. Professional reports or drawings can still cost money, so allow for those if your tree needs them.

It's also worth checking the tree's status before you budget, because you'll need to allow time as well. The council aims to decide a valid TPO application in about eight weeks, and a section 211 notice has to go in at least six weeks before the work.

Does the time of year affect what you pay?

Timing can affect your plans more than your price, so ask how flexible a contractor can be. Active birds' nests are protected, which can delay hedge work or tree work in spring and summer. Cherry and plum are broadly pruned from April to July, and our guide to the best time to prune trees covers other species.

How to compare tree surgery quotes fairly

Compare quotes line by line, because the cheapest figure only means something if each one covers the same work. Ask every contractor to put the job in writing, then work through these checks.

1. Does each quote describe the same work and the same finished result?
2. Are timber, branches and stump work included?
3. Has the contractor told you about relevant qualifications and insurance?
4. Have tree protection and wildlife checks been considered?
5. Is there a clear specification rather than a phrase such as "cut back heavily"?

If one quote is far lower than the others, look for what it leaves out, which is often the stump, the waste or a return visit.

How to get a quote for your tree work

Use the form on this page to send us your postcode, a brief description and the result you want. We'll confirm whether we can help, and you can then email two or three photos to [email protected], including one of the access route, but please take them safely from the ground. Once we've reviewed your details, any price for your job will be confirmed in writing, so you can compare it with the others you receive.