Tree removal in Solihull

Tree removal in Solihull covers three quite different jobs. In Knowle, Dorridge and Hockley Heath it is often a big oak or ash that stood in a field hedge long before the house, on a plot that runs back towards paddocks. In Shirley, Olton and Monkspath it is more likely a sycamore or a conifer screen that has outgrown a 1930s garden. On the Chelmsley Wood and Kingshurst estates the trees are smaller, but space to lower them is tight.

Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local tree surgeon who covers B90 to B94, B36 and B37, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.

What tree removal costs in Solihull

Prices are by height and include cutting up and taking away all the wood and brash.

These are the ranges we use across the West Midlands. In Solihull the spread of jobs is wide. A conifer or cherry in a Shirley semi is usually a small or medium job priced from photos. A mature hedgerow oak in Knowle is often over 15 metres, so it goes to a free survey. The tree removal cost guide has worked examples.

What pushes the price up here

• Long plots. Knowle, Dorridge and Hockley Heath gardens often put the tree well over 20 metres from where the van can park. That adds around 15%.
• No side gate. On compact estate plots in Chelmsley Wood, Kingshurst and Smith's Wood, everything may have to go through the house. That also adds around 15%.
• Trees over buildings or the road. Any tree touching a roof, near cables or leaning over a road is priced after a visit.
• Closing the road for a crane. Very few garden removals need this. If one does, Solihull treats a road closure as a last resort. It wants at least three months' notice, and the 2026/27 fee is £1,145 for a short closure notice of five days or less, or £2,295 for a full order. The specialist will tell you early if your job is one of these.
• More than one tree. Two or three trees cost about 1.8 times the price of one.
• Keeping the logs. Oak and ash burn well. Keeping the cut logs takes about £75 off.

Checking with Solihull Council first

Almost all of this patch is Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. The duty to check is yours as the owner, and a good tree surgeon will check with you.

Is the tree protected? Start with the council's TPO search by address, or its Conservation, Heritage and Enforcement map, which shows Orders and conservation area boundaries together. Solihull has 20 conservation areas. In this patch they include Knowle, Station Approach Dorridge, Olton, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull town centre, Malvern Hall and Brueton Avenue, and White House Way.

Conservation area trees. The council says any tree in a conservation area over 75mm in diameter at 1.5m above ground is automatically protected. You must notify it before felling. Under the national rules that means six weeks' notice, and if the council doesn't make an Order in that time, the work can go ahead within two years.

Trees with a TPO. You need consent. Solihull asks for the standard treeworks form with a sketch plan showing where the tree is, and a clear and precise description of the work. It says annotated photographs help. The form goes to planning@solihull.gov.uk or to Development Management at the Council House, Manor Square, B91 3QB, and a council tree officer assesses it. The government guidance gives the council eight weeks to decide.

Dead trees. National guidance requires five working days' written notice before cutting down a dead protected tree, and the owner has a duty to plant a replacement.

If you live on the Birmingham side of B37, use Birmingham's TPO map and forms instead. Our guide to checking for a TPO explains what the Order papers show.

Paddock trees, council trees and the wood

Trees beyond the garden. Trees in a garden don't need a Forestry Commission felling licence. A tree in a paddock or field may. A licence is needed to fell more than 5 cubic metres of timber in a calendar quarter, counting trees 8cm or more across at 1.3m. One big oak can pass that. If the tree is out in the field rather than the garden, ask the specialist to check before booking.

Trees that aren't yours. Trees in Solihull's roads, parks and open spaces belong to the council's Forestry Team, on 0121 704 8000. Trees on Solihull Community Housing land are managed by SCH, on 0121 717 1515. Trees on the A45 embankment are a matter for National Highways.

The wood. Bickenhill tip, on Coventry Road, takes wood, timber and garden waste from Solihull residents. It takes no trade or commercial waste, so your tree surgeon removes the waste as a registered waste carrier. If you keep the logs and take the brash yourself, you need a booked 15-minute slot and proof of a Solihull address. Vans and large trailers need a permit, digital since 3 August 2026. Winter hours run from 1 November: 9am to 4pm most days, and to 5:30pm on Tuesdays.

What the job involves

1. Checks. The specialist confirms the council route, whether the tree is protected, and looks for nesting birds and signs of bats.
2. Dismantling. A roped climber removes the side branches, then lowers the stem in sections. On a long Knowle plot, boards go down along the route to the van.
3. The waste. Brash goes through the chipper and timber is cut into logs. It all leaves with the crew unless you keep the logs.
4. The stump. If you ask, it is ground out at the same visit. That costs less than booking stump grinding later.

A healthy oak that has simply grown too big may not need to go. A crown reduction is often easier to agree with the council.