Tree Removal Cost?
Discussion
There was a couple of guys clearing a garden along the street. So I asked them for a ballpark figure to take down and remove a birch tree in my garden. Around 30-35ft high. Trunk just over 1 ft diameter. First price was £1500. When I made it clear I thought that was excessive. £750.
I told them I would need to get other quotes. I'll probably take it down myself and take it to the dump in as many carloads as it takes. My estate takes loads up to 3m long inside.
I would have thought two guys, half a day, no more than £3-400 but as I have never used tree surgeons before I have no idea. Seems it's expensive enough it's worth the hassle of doing it myself.
I told them I would need to get other quotes. I'll probably take it down myself and take it to the dump in as many carloads as it takes. My estate takes loads up to 3m long inside.
I would have thought two guys, half a day, no more than £3-400 but as I have never used tree surgeons before I have no idea. Seems it's expensive enough it's worth the hassle of doing it myself.
irc said:
There was a couple of guys clearing a garden along the street. So I asked them for a ballpark figure to take down and remove a birch tree in my garden. Around 30-35ft high. Trunk just over 1 ft diameter. First price was £1500. When I made it clear I thought that was excessive. £750.
I told them I would need to get other quotes. I'll probably take it down myself and take it to the dump in as many carloads as it takes. My estate takes loads up to 3m long inside.
I would have thought two guys, half a day, no more than £3-400 but as I have never used tree surgeons before I have no idea. Seems it's expensive enough it's worth the hassle of doing it myself.
Tree surgeons are unlikely to do you a half day unless you use them regularly and are sufficiently flexible around timing that they can fill the other half.I told them I would need to get other quotes. I'll probably take it down myself and take it to the dump in as many carloads as it takes. My estate takes loads up to 3m long inside.
I would have thought two guys, half a day, no more than £3-400 but as I have never used tree surgeons before I have no idea. Seems it's expensive enough it's worth the hassle of doing it myself.
A 30-35ft tree isn't the most straightforward to take down, even at a 30cm diameter. Doing it from the ground will almost certainly be a bit sketchy.
The pros would probably climb and take it down in sections (and deal with the brash for you).
Anyone who halves their price immediately loses all credibility, so worth shopping around but the £750 doesn't sound outrageous.
I would also use ladders and cut it down bit by bit. I used to rock climb so I am happy at heights and can rig up a safety line if I think it warranted.
The tree is also far enough from the house that branches damaging anything as they fall is not an issue. A couple of years ago I lopped off a couple of the higher limbs but I think the tree is now past it's best.
I am also happy to leave the stump in the ground around 6 feet. I did this with a similar tree in the back garden years ago and it eventually rotted. I'll stick a bird table on top meantime.
The tree is also far enough from the house that branches damaging anything as they fall is not an issue. A couple of years ago I lopped off a couple of the higher limbs but I think the tree is now past it's best.
I am also happy to leave the stump in the ground around 6 feet. I did this with a similar tree in the back garden years ago and it eventually rotted. I'll stick a bird table on top meantime.
I wouldn't use random garden blokes to take down trees.
Either DIY or get a proper tree surgeon.
What's a fair price can depend a lot on the complications, like is it near power lines, is access difficult, does he need to notify council because you're in a conservation area, how difficult will clean-up be, does it need to come down in little bits due to what's under it etc etc.
If you just want it felled that can be very cheap, then a firewood merchant can chop it up and take it away.
Dismantling it and cutting it up and clearing up without damaging whatever is underneath takes time.
It's work for two blokes, for half a day, anything under £500 is good, bearing in mind they have the overhead of turning up to quote for work that they don't get.
A 35ft tree can be easy to DIY.
Use a scaffold tower or platform and long reach tools to work from the top down.
Somebody will give you beer money for the logs.
Equally in an awkward location, getting a good tradesman is sensible and fair value.
Either DIY or get a proper tree surgeon.
What's a fair price can depend a lot on the complications, like is it near power lines, is access difficult, does he need to notify council because you're in a conservation area, how difficult will clean-up be, does it need to come down in little bits due to what's under it etc etc.
If you just want it felled that can be very cheap, then a firewood merchant can chop it up and take it away.
Dismantling it and cutting it up and clearing up without damaging whatever is underneath takes time.
It's work for two blokes, for half a day, anything under £500 is good, bearing in mind they have the overhead of turning up to quote for work that they don't get.
A 35ft tree can be easy to DIY.
Use a scaffold tower or platform and long reach tools to work from the top down.
Somebody will give you beer money for the logs.
Equally in an awkward location, getting a good tradesman is sensible and fair value.
I had quotes for a rotten maple taken down. Around 60cm trunk with big branches going over the fence line. I had quotes of £1500+VAT, £1000, and £750 (no VAT due). The £750 included reducing the canopy of a couple of other trees too, so I went with them. They took all the debris away, but didn't take out the stump.
Managed to take this down with a friend at the start of the year, borrowed the kit.
The trunk was about 60cm, hard work as it had some nasty roots.
Took around 2 weeks plodding at it, tried to burn the stump with no luck, it's now a very heavy 100cm ball stuck up the top of the garden now.
Have another further up to do next year.
The trunk was about 60cm, hard work as it had some nasty roots.
Took around 2 weeks plodding at it, tried to burn the stump with no luck, it's now a very heavy 100cm ball stuck up the top of the garden now.
Have another further up to do next year.
Edited by BertyFish on Saturday 5th July 14:19
That’s not big enough to pay a premium to a proper tree guy to take it down.
Before the pic I was thinking £750 sounded ok.
In the south east you basically have to beg tree surgeons to do work for you. I had a guy in for a day in November last year. Just him £900.
I did ok too as the best alternative quote I had for the same work was £1,500 and a few outfits were over £2k.
Before the pic I was thinking £750 sounded ok.
In the south east you basically have to beg tree surgeons to do work for you. I had a guy in for a day in November last year. Just him £900.
I did ok too as the best alternative quote I had for the same work was £1,500 and a few outfits were over £2k.
irc said:
Looking at that, two of us would do that in a morning. £400 including removing all waste. Logs could be left on site or removed, wood chip all taken away unless specified otherwise for use on flower beds etc. That is a dream job and if they were all like that life as a tree surgeon would be so much easier!That is a nice tree. Could you live with a trimmed down version?
I had to take out a much larger birch (it was wobbly in wind and would have taken out ours or neighbours house) but wish I could have have l kept it. I've got 6 trees (super-dwarfing plum and apple, plus one Aspen) back in its place, but I miss a mature tree.
I had to take out a much larger birch (it was wobbly in wind and would have taken out ours or neighbours house) but wish I could have have l kept it. I've got 6 trees (super-dwarfing plum and apple, plus one Aspen) back in its place, but I miss a mature tree.
POIDH said:
That is a nice tree. Could you live with a trimmed down version?
I had to take out a much larger birch (it was wobbly in wind and would have taken out ours or neighbours house) but wish I could have have l kept it. I've got 6 trees (super-dwarfing plum and apple, plus one Aspen) back in its place, but I miss a mature tree.
I like trees. It is a small garden though. There is already two vertical habit flowering cherries planted in the front garden to replace it.I had to take out a much larger birch (it was wobbly in wind and would have taken out ours or neighbours house) but wish I could have have l kept it. I've got 6 trees (super-dwarfing plum and apple, plus one Aspen) back in its place, but I miss a mature tree.
Z
Any. Update. I have started taking down the top branches. Two carloads away. Another three to go I would think. Including getting them to the dump, around 6 hours work.
As for the trunk. I was discussing this with a workmate who it turns out has a woodburner and a chainsaw. Him and his mate are going to take the trunk for burning. No cost but they are a 40 minute drive away so I will give them a bottle of malt each.
Edited by irc on Tuesday 8th July 10:47
Edited by irc on Tuesday 8th July 10:56
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