A hedge that gets a little too much growth each year eventually reaches the point where a normal trim can't reach the top, the path is half blocked and the garden sits in shade from mid-afternoon. At that stage it needs reducing: a hard cut to take real height and width off, rather than a tidy-up of this year's shoots.
Reduction is tree-lane work because it usually involves cutting thick, woody stems at height, often from towers or platforms, and producing far more waste than a trim. We connect you with one vetted specialist in your area who has the kit to do it.
What it costs
Prices are by the length of the hedge and include taking all the cuttings away.
| Hedge length | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| Under 5m | £180–£280 |
| 5–15m | £280–£450 |
| 15–30m | £450–£750 |
| Over 30m | Free survey |
These prices are indicative. The specialist confirms a fixed price from your photos, usually the same day. The hedge removal cost guide also covers reduction prices and when removal makes more sense.
What affects the price
- How much comes off. Taking a 5m hedge down to 2m involves more cutting and far more waste than taking 50cm off the top.
- Both sides or one. If you can only reach your side, the specialist can only work on your side and the top, unless your neighbour agrees to access.
- Height to work at. Tall hedges mean scaffold towers or a platform, which take time to set up and move along.
- Species. Thick-stemmed conifers and laurel are slower to cut than privet or beech.
- Access and waste. Carrying everything through the house, or a hedge more than 20m from where the van can park, adds around 15%. Keeping the chippings takes about £75 off.
How far can a hedge be cut back?
This depends on what it's made of, and it's the most important thing to get right.
- Leylandii and most conifers don't regrow from bare brown wood. You can take height off the top, and the hedge will eventually green over from the sides. But cut the sides back past the green growth and they'll stay brown for good. Very overgrown Leylandii often can't be brought back to a slim hedge; see our Leylandii guide.
- Yew, laurel, privet, beech and hornbeam usually recover well from hard cutting, even into old wood, though growth can be slow at first.
- Mixed and native hedges, such as hawthorn and hazel, tolerate hard cutting and can also be laid or coppiced.
For a hedge that needs a lot taking off, the specialist may suggest doing it in stages: the top and one side this year, the other side next year. The hedge copes better and looks less bare in the meantime.
What the job involves
- Checking for nests. The hedge is looked over carefully for active nests before any cutting starts.
- Setting the target. You agree the finished height and width with the specialist. A cord or marker may be set along the top to keep the line straight.
- Cutting the height. Main stems are cut down to the new height with a chainsaw or pole saw, working from towers or a platform if needed.
- Cutting back the sides. The sides are cut back as far as the species allows, then shaped with hedge trimmers.
- Clearing up. Everything is raked out, chipped and taken away.
After a reduction, regular trimming keeps the hedge at its new size. That's lighter work, covered under hedge trimming in our garden clearance section. If the hedge is beyond saving, hedge removal takes it out roots and all.
Hedge specialists cover Solihull, Edgbaston and Harborne and Sutton Coldfield, among other areas.
What to photograph for a quote
Good photos usually mean a fixed price without a visit. More photo tips.
- The whole thing, with your house or fence in shot for scale
- The base or ground level and what’s around it: walls, sheds, beds
- The route in from the road: side gate, steps, the path through
Questions about hedge reduction
Can I cut back my neighbour's hedge?
You can usually cut branches that overhang onto your side, back to the boundary line, without their permission. You can't cut the top or their side without agreement, and you should offer them the cuttings. Our guide on cutting a neighbour's overhanging branches explains the rules.
Is there a legal height limit for hedges?
Not as such. But if a neighbour's evergreen or semi-evergreen hedge over 2m tall is affecting your reasonable enjoyment of your home, you can complain to the council under the high hedges rules, usually after trying to resolve it with your neighbour first. The council can then require the owner to reduce it.
Will the hedge look bare afterwards?
For a while, yes, especially after a hard cut. Species that regrow from old wood usually green up within a season or two. Conifers cut only on the top will fill in slowly from the sides.
How often will it need doing again?
If the hedge is trimmed once or twice a year after the reduction, it shouldn't need another hard cut for many years. Leave it untrimmed and you'll be back in the same position before long.
Is reduction or removal better value for a huge Leylandii hedge?
It depends on how overgrown it is. If the sides have gone brown and bare, reduction won't give you a slim hedge again, and removal plus a new fence or new planting may be better value in the long run. The specialist can price both from the same photos.