What to photograph to get an accurate tree quote

To get an accurate tree quote from photos, send two to six clear daylight pictures: the whole tree with your house in the shot for scale, the base of the trunk, what is underneath and around it, and the route a crew would take from the road, including any gate. Add close-ups of damage or fungi, and a photo of the stump if you want it ground. With those, a local specialist can usually give you a fixed price without a visit, often the same day.

Why photos matter

A tree surgeon prices a job on a handful of things: how big the tree is, how it will come down, what it could land on, how the waste gets out, and how long all of that takes. Most of those are visible in a few good photos.

Without them, the specialist either has to guess, which means a wide price with a margin for surprises, or has to visit, which takes days to arrange. Clear photos remove the guesswork. They show whether the tree can be felled in one piece or has to be taken down in sections, whether ropes and rigging are needed to protect a roof, and whether a chipper will fit down the side of the house. That is the difference between "somewhere between £480 and £720" and a firm figure.

Steps

1. Photograph the whole tree with the house in the shot. Stand back far enough to get the tree from ground to top in one frame, with your house, garage or fence alongside. A building next to the tree gives the specialist a reliable sense of scale that a photo of the tree alone cannot. If the tree is taller than the frame allows, take one photo from further away, even if it includes the neighbour's garden.
2. Photograph the base of the trunk. Show where the trunk meets the ground, close enough to see its width. Stand something next to it, like a spade or a wheelie bin, if you can. Trunk width is one of the biggest factors in how long felling and stump grinding take.
3. Photograph what is underneath and around it. Take a picture looking from the tree towards anything it could fall on or drop branches onto: the house, a conservatory, a greenhouse, a shed, fences, a neighbour's roof, parked cars, the road or pavement. Include any overhead cables or phone lines, and anything on the ground such as a pond, patio or raised bed. These decide how the tree has to be dismantled.
4. Photograph the access route from the road. Start where a van would park and take one or two photos of the way through: the drive, the side passage, the gate, any steps. Measure the narrowest point, usually the gate, and add it to your enquiry. Access decides whether machines like a chipper or stump grinder can get in, or whether everything has to be carried by hand. If the only way in is through the house, say so.
5. Take close-ups of any damage or decay. If you are worried about the tree, photograph the reason: splits, cracks, cavities, dead branches, lifting roots, or fungi on the trunk or around the base. These help the specialist decide whether the job is routine or needs a closer look.
6. Photograph the stump, if you want it ground. Show the whole stump and something for scale, plus anything close to it: paving, walls, drain covers or an inspection chamber. Stump grinding is priced by width, so this photo matters. If you know where pipes or cables run, mention it.
7. Check your photos before you send them. Send two to six, taken in daylight, in focus, with nothing important cut off at the edges. Send the original photo files, not screenshots.

Getting the shots right

• Portrait for height, landscape for context. Turn the phone upright for the whole-tree shot so the top is not cut off. Turn it sideways for the view of what is underneath and the access route, where width matters more.
• Daylight, not dusk. Photos taken in the evening or on a very dull day lose detail in the canopy and on the bark. Avoid shooting straight into the sun; stand with it behind you or to the side.
• Step back, then step in. One wide shot and one closer shot of the same area are more useful than several half-way shots.
• Winter helps. When deciduous trees are bare, the branch structure and any deadwood are much easier to see. In summer, a photo from underneath looking up helps.
• Label anything that is not obvious. A line in your enquiry such as "the fence on the left is the neighbour's" or "cable runs from the pole to the house" saves a phone call.
• No drone or special kit needed. A normal phone camera is fine.

Hedges and garden clearance

The same approach works for other jobs. For a hedge, photograph its full length from one end, one shot showing height against a person or fence, and the access route. For a garden clearance, take a photo from each corner of the garden, close-ups of anything that is not green waste (rubble, old fencing, a shed roof), and the route to the road. Tell the specialist if there is anything you want to keep.

When a visit is still needed

Photos cover most domestic jobs, but some need someone on site:

• very large trees, roughly 15 metres or more
• trees touching or overhanging a building
• trees near overhead cables, or over a road or pavement
• trees that may be protected by a Tree Preservation Order or in a conservation area; see do I need permission to cut down a tree
• signs of serious decay where the tree's stability is in question

In those cases the specialist will arrange a free visit instead. If a tree is dangerous right now, do not wait for a quote; keep people away and call for emergency help.

Services and costs

Once you have your photos, check the typical price ranges:

• Tree removal and the tree removal cost guide: small trees about £280–£380, medium £480–£720, large £850–£1,400
• Crown reduction and the crown reduction cost guide
• Stump grinding and the stump grinding cost guide: about £120–£180 under 30cm wide, £180–£280 at 30–60cm, £280–£400 over 60cm
• Hedge removal and the hedge removal cost guide
• Overgrown garden clearance and the garden clearance cost guide

We are an introducer. When you send your enquiry with photos, we pass it to one vetted local specialist in your area, who confirms a fixed price, usually the same day.