Tree removal in Wolverhampton splits along the Tettenhall ridge. To the west, in Tettenhall Wood, Wightwick and Compton, the trees are big beech, oak and conifers in deep gardens, and the roads themselves make the job harder. The council's 2022 appraisal describes Wightwick Bank and Tinacre Hill as steep, narrow, tree-lined roads with little room for pedestrians, which is where a crew has to fit a chipper and sometimes a platform. East and south, in Wednesfield, Bilston and Blakenhall, gardens are smaller and the job is usually a sycamore or conifer that has outgrown its corner.
Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local tree surgeon who covers WV1 to WV6 and WV8 to WV11, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What tree removal costs in Wolverhampton
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 |
These are the same indicative ranges we use across the West Midlands. On the ridge, more trees are over 15 metres or overhang a house, so more Tettenhall and Wightwick removals are priced after a free survey than from photos. A 1970s conifer in a Penn or Finchfield semi is normally a small or medium job. The tree removal cost guide has worked examples.
What pushes the price up here
- Working from the highway. If a platform or crane has to stand on the road or pavement, Wolverhampton issues a section 171 licence for tree works on the highway, listed at £52.50. Suspending parking bays needs at least seven working days' notice. The specialist arranges both and includes them in the price.
- Steep, narrow roads. On Wightwick Bank and Tinacre Hill there's little space to park a chipper. More carrying means more time.
- Long gardens. A tree more than 20 metres from where the van can park, or wood carried through the house, adds around 15%.
- More than one tree. Two or three trees cost about 1.8 times the price of one, so a line of old conifers is cheaper done in one visit.
- Keeping the logs. Beech, oak and ash make good firewood. Having it cut and stacked for you takes about £75 off.
Permission before a tree comes down
Start with the council's combined TPO and conservation area map. Wolverhampton points out that any species can carry a TPO but none is protected automatically, and that TPO trees can be on private, council or communal land, such as the shared garden of a block of flats. In a conservation area, every tree 75mm or more across at 1.5 metres is protected.
The council needs "full and proper justification" before it will allow a protected tree to be removed. It lists reasons it won't accept: blocked sunlight, pollen, the tree looking unsightly, falling leaves, needles or seeds, and bird droppings. A tree that is dead, dying or dangerous can be dealt with without consent, but only after consulting the Planning Team, so call 01902 551155 before anyone starts.
Subsidence worries. If an insurer or surveyor blames a tree for cracks, get the evidence first. The council says tree-related subsidence only happens on shrinkable clay or silt and is very unlikely on sandy soils. Much of the western ridge sits on sandstone, and the council warns that insurers' reports often lead to trees being felled with no real likelihood of damage. A structural surveyor, usually through your insurer, should look before a healthy tree is lost.
Council housing. If you rent from Wolverhampton Homes, which runs the city's council housing, you need its consent before cutting down any tree or large branch in your garden.
Where the wood goes
Logs and brash from a paid job leave with the specialist as a registered waste carrier. The city's tips at Anchor Lane, Lanesfield (WV14 9NE) and Shaw Road, Bushbury (WV10 9LE) take waste from your own home only, and the council says business waste must go through private disposal.
If you keep the logs, both tips take garden waste and timber and are open 8am to 4pm every day. Bring photo ID showing your Wolverhampton address. The purple garden waste bin costs £55 for 2026 and takes woody waste up to six inches across, loose rather than bagged. The 2027 service runs from 22 February to 10 December. Crews won't collect anything left outside the bin.
Trees on verges and in parks are a different matter. Only a council arborist may fell a council tree, and the council investigates every illegal felling.
What the job involves
- Checks. The specialist confirms if your address is in the city or South Staffordshire, checks the map for a TPO or conservation area, and looks for nesting birds and signs of bats.
- Setting up. On a steep or narrow road, the van, chipper and any platform are positioned first, with cones and any licence in place.
- Dismantling. A roped climber removes the side branches, then lowers the main stem in sections over the house, greenhouse or fence.
- The stump. If you ask, it's ground out at the same visit, which costs less than booking stump grinding separately.
A healthy beech or lime that has simply grown too big may not need to come out. A crown reduction is far easier to agree with the council for a protected tree.
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 Wolverhampton
What does Wolverhampton charge for a licence to do tree work from the highway?
The council lists a section 171 licence for tree works on the highway at £52.50. It's needed when equipment such as a platform goes on the road or pavement. Ask streetworks@wolverhampton.gov.uk about the process. Most garden removals are done by a roped climber without one.
Can a dead tree in the Penn Fields conservation area come down without waiting six weeks?
Possibly. Wolverhampton allows a dead, dying or dangerous protected tree to be dealt with without the usual consent, but only after consulting its Planning Team. Ring 01902 551155 first and keep photographs of the tree's condition.
I rent from Wolverhampton Homes. Can I have a tree in my garden taken down?
Not without asking. Wolverhampton Homes says you must get its consent before cutting down any tree or large branch, and that untrained work may breach your tenancy. It maintains trees in council gardens itself when they are dangerous, dead, diseased or damaging the home.
Will Wolverhampton let me remove a protected tree in Tettenhall because I'm worried about subsidence?
Not on worry alone. The council needs full justification and says tree-related subsidence is very unlikely on sandy soils, and much of the western ridge sits on sandstone. You'd normally need a structural surveyor's report, usually arranged through your insurer, showing the tree is the cause.
Who can fell a council tree outside my house in Wolverhampton?
Only a council arborist. Felling, uprooting or wilfully destroying a council tree is an offence, and the council says it investigates every case. Report a dead, fallen or unsafe council tree to the tree team instead.