Tree work is one of the few garden jobs where the wrong person can cause real damage: to your house, to the tree, or to themselves. Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We connect you with one vetted tree surgeon who covers your postcode, and we check their chainsaw qualifications and insurance before they receive a single enquiry.
Tell us about the job, add a few photos and you'll see an indicative price straight away. The specialist then confirms a fixed price, usually the same day.
What's covered
Every job below goes to the tree specialist in your area.
- Tree removal: taking a tree down completely, often in sections where space is tight.
- Tree felling: dropping a whole tree in one piece, where there is enough clear ground to do it safely.
- Crown reduction: making a tree smaller and lighter while keeping its natural shape. Crown lifting, thinning and deadwood removal are priced alongside it.
- Pollarding: cutting back to the same framework of branches on a regular cycle.
- Stump grinding: grinding a stump away below ground level so you can turf or plant over it.
- Stump removal: the wider choice between grinding, digging the roots out, treating the stump or leaving it.
- Hedge removal: taking a hedge out completely, roots included.
- Hedge reduction: bringing an overgrown hedge down in height or width.
Routine hedge trimming and general tidying sit under garden clearance instead, as they don't need a tree surgeon.
Indicative prices
These are the ranges our estimator uses. They include taking the waste away.
| Job | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree removal (under 5m / 5–10m / 10–15m) | £280–£380 | £480–£720 | £850–£1,400 |
| Crown reduction or pollarding | £220–£300 | £320–£480 | £480–£750 |
| Pruning, crown lift, thin or deadwood | £180–£280 | £280–£400 | £400–£600 |
| Stump grinding (under 30cm / 30–60cm / over 60cm) | £120–£180 | £180–£280 | £280–£400 |
| Hedge reduction (under 5m / 5–15m / 15–30m long) | £180–£280 | £280–£450 | £450–£750 |
Hedge removal is about £70 per metre, with a minimum of £350. Trees over 15m are priced after a free survey. The minimum charge for any job is £150.
Prices are indicative. The specialist confirms a fixed price from your photos, usually the same day. For a fuller breakdown, see the tree removal cost guide and the crown reduction cost guide.
When you need a tree surgeon
Once a job involves climbing, a chainsaw, or branches heavy enough to damage something when they fall, you need someone trained for it rather than a gardener. Typical reasons people get in touch:
- A tree has outgrown its space and is blocking light or pressing against the house, a fence or a garage.
- Roots are lifting paving, or you are worried about drains or foundations.
- There is dead wood in the crown, fungus at the base, or a split after a storm.
- A neighbour's tree overhangs your garden. You can usually cut back to the boundary, and our guide on overhanging branches explains the limits.
- You're selling, extending or landscaping and a tree or stump is in the way.
If a tree is actively falling, split and hanging, or lying on a road, a building or power lines, don't fill in a form. Call the emergency services, or the network operator if cables are involved.
What affects the price
- Height and spread. Bigger trees mean more climbing, more rigging and more waste.
- What's underneath. A tree over a conservatory, greenhouse or neighbour's roof has to be taken down piece by piece on ropes, which takes longer.
- Access. If everything has to be carried through the house, or the tree is more than 20m from where the van can park, expect around 15% more.
- Number of trees. Two or three trees cost roughly 1.8 times one; four or more roughly 2.5 times, because set-up and travel are shared.
- Waste. Keeping the logs or chippings takes about £75 off.
- Survey jobs. Trees over 15m, trees touching or overhanging a building, work near overhead cables or over a road or pavement, and anything likely to exceed £1,200 are priced after a free visit.
How it works through Branch and Bramble
- Describe the job and add photos. It takes a few minutes. Our guide on what to photograph for a tree quote shows which shots help most.
- See an instant price range based on the size, access and number of trees.
- One local specialist gets in touch. Your enquiry goes to a single tree surgeon who covers your area, not to a list of firms who all ring you. They confirm a fixed price and agree a date directly with you.
Before a tree surgeon joins, we check their public liability insurance and NPTC (City & Guilds) or equivalent chainsaw certificates, and record the expiry dates. Your contract is with them, not with us. Read do tree surgeons need to be qualified? for what those certificates cover.
We currently cover areas including Sutton Coldfield, North Birmingham, Solihull, South Birmingham and Edgbaston, Harborne and Bearwood.
Questions about tree surgeons
Do I need permission before any tree work?
Most garden trees can be pruned or removed without permission. The exceptions are trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order and trees in a conservation area, where you need consent or must give the council six weeks' notice. Our guide on whether you need permission and how to check for a TPO walk you through it, and the specialist will check too.
Is the price I see online the final price?
No. It is an indicative range worked out from your answers. The tree surgeon looks at your photos and confirms a fixed price, usually the same day. Larger or more complicated jobs are priced after a free survey visit.
Will several companies contact me?
No. Each enquiry goes to one tree surgeon who covers your postcode. Your details are not sold on or shared with other firms.
What does "vetted" mean here?
It means we have seen and recorded the specialist's public liability insurance and chainsaw qualifications (NPTC or equivalent), with expiry dates. It is not a guarantee of workmanship, and your contract for the work is with the tree surgeon.
When is the best time of year for tree work?
Most work can be done year-round. Many specialists prefer late autumn to late winter for heavy pruning, when trees are dormant and nests are empty. Some species, such as cherries and plums, are better pruned in summer. The specialist will advise on timing for your tree.