Edgbaston's villa gardens, laid out on the Calthorpe family's estate, hold some very big old trees, and a removal there can need two separate sign-offs before a saw is started. Harborne's Moor Pool estate has its own area Tree Preservation Order. Across the boundary in Bearwood and Smethwick the trees are smaller, but the gardens are tight terraces and the rules are Sandwell's, not Birmingham's.
Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local tree surgeon who covers B15, B16, B17, B32, B66, B67 and B68, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What tree removal costs in Edgbaston and Harborne
Prices are by height and include cutting up and taking away all the wood and brash.
| Tree height | Indicative price | Stump ground out at the same visit |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 5m) | £280–£380 | add £70 |
| Medium (5–10m) | £480–£720 | add £100 |
| Large (10–15m) | £850–£1,400 | add £150 |
| Over 15m | Free survey | Priced on survey |
The two halves of this patch sit at opposite ends of the table. A self-sown sycamore against a Bearwood back wall, or a conifer in a Quinton semi, is usually a small or medium job priced from photos. A mature plane, cedar or lime behind an Edgbaston villa is often over 15 metres, so it goes to a free survey. The tree removal cost guide shows how the bands and extras add up.
What pushes the price up here
- Very big trees close to houses. An Edgbaston plane over a roof or a garden wall has to be taken down in small sections on ropes, with a bigger crew. Anything touching or overhanging a building is priced after a visit.
- Narrow estate roads. Most Moor Pool streets were built only 4.9 metres wide. Parking a chipper, or setting up a platform, takes more planning there.
- Lifting equipment on the road. Birmingham City Council requires a highways licence for lifting equipment on a public road. The specialist applies for it and includes it in the price.
- Through-the-house access. Bearwood and Smethwick terraces often have no side gate. Carrying everything through the house, or a tree more than 20 metres from the van, adds around 15%.
- Several trees. Two or three trees cost about 1.8 times the price of one.
- Keeping the logs. Takes about £75 off.
Who has to agree in this patch
The Calthorpe Estate (much of Edgbaston). If your home is inside the estate's Scheme of Management, its Residents' Handbook says felling a tree will usually need the estate's consent, and the Scheme may require you to plant a good replacement. How it fits with the council depends on the tree:
- A tree with a TPO is taken out of the Scheme because of the Order, so you need Birmingham City Council's consent only.
- A tree in the Edgbaston or Barnsley Road conservation area without a TPO needs two consents: the estate's, and six weeks' notice to the council.
- Fruit trees are outside the Scheme, but the council's conservation area rules still apply.
The handbook says the estate's inspections usually happen on Wednesday mornings, often the Wednesday after you ask, with a verbal decision on the day. The estate and the council don't coordinate, so start both early. The Calthorpe Estates FAQs give the current contact.
Birmingham City Council. The patch includes the Edgbaston, Barnsley Road, Lee Crescent, Ryland Road and St Augustine's conservation areas, plus Greenfield Road, Harborne Old Village and Moor Pool. In all of them, a tree with a trunk over 75mm across at 1.5m high needs six weeks' notice before felling. The council's 2012 Moor Pool appraisal adds that trees standing when the conservation area was created are protected by an area order, TPO No 534 of 1971. That means formal consent, not just notice. Check the TPO map for your address.
Sandwell Council (Bearwood, Smethwick, Oldbury). Sandwell has four conservation areas in Smethwick, and its historic areas page places 4 to 32 Bearwood Road inside the High Street and Crocketts Lane area. Six weeks' notice is needed there before tree work. Sandwell TPOs are checked on its public access system.
You won't need a felling licence for a garden tree. The Forestry Commission's guidance exempts trees in gardens.
Where the wood goes
The specialist removes the wood as a registered waste carrier. Neither council's tips take trade waste. Sandwell's only tip, on Shidas Lane in Oldbury, has skips for garden waste and wood, but it's for Sandwell residents only, and vans or cars with trailers get one booking every four weeks. On the Birmingham side, there's no tip in this part of the city, and Kings Norton's operator says vans and trailers aren't allowed while it is redeveloped. Birmingham tips also turn away commercial vehicles.
What the job involves
- Permissions. The specialist checks the TPO map, the conservation area boundary and, in Edgbaston, the Calthorpe Scheme. On the estate, a written report from them helps the inspection go smoothly.
- Dismantling. A roped climber removes the crown in sections, lowering each one clear of the house, walls and glasshouses.
- Processing. Branches are chipped and timber cut into logs, then taken away unless you keep them.
- Stump and replanting. The stump can be ground at the same visit. If the estate or council wants a replacement tree, agree where it goes first.
Sometimes a crown reduction solves the problem and is easier to get agreed. If only the stump is left from an earlier felling, see stump grinding.
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 tree removal in Edgbaston & Harborne
My Edgbaston tree has a TPO. Do I still need the Calthorpe Estate's consent?
According to the Calthorpe Residents' Handbook, no. Trees with a Tree Preservation Order are excluded from the Scheme of Management because of the Order's legal protection. You need consent from Birmingham City Council instead, applied for through the Planning Portal.
How quickly does the Calthorpe Estate inspect a tree?
The handbook says inspections usually take place on Wednesday mornings, normally the Wednesday after your enquiry. A verbal decision is often given on the day, with written confirmation a few days later. Council notice or consent is a separate process.
Which old trees on the Moor Pool estate are covered by its 1971 TPO?
The council's appraisal says the area order covers trees that were standing when the conservation area was created. Later planting may not be covered by the Order, but it is still covered by the conservation area notice rule. Check the TPO map and ask the council if unsure.
Is Bearwood Road in a conservation area?
Part of it. Sandwell Council lists 4 to 32 Bearwood Road within the High Street and Crocketts Lane, Smethwick conservation area, where tree work needs six weeks' notice. For other streets, check Sandwell's conservation area maps and its TPO records before felling.