How to Quote Tree Surgery Jobs in the UK
Per Tree, Day Rate, or Something in Between? Price the Risk, Not Just the Timber
In a UK tree surgeons group, a homeowner with 40 ash, 6 red cedar, and a large oak to remove asked if anyone would take the wood as part payment for the work. The replies said something about this trade beyond the specific job, tree surgery quotes are never just about the tree, they are about access, disposal, risk, and what happens to the arisings once the job is done. Meanwhile, a freelance climber posting for casual subcontract work quoted “competitive day rate/hourly rate depending on experience,” a reminder that plenty of arb income is priced by the day rather than per job at all.
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This guide covers how to quote tree surgery jobs properly in the UK, using the pricing structure and site checks that actually reflect how this trade works, and how it differs from every other trade covered on this site: the compliance and risk-assessment layer is not optional extra admin, it is part of the price.
Step 1: Decide Whether the Job Is Priced Per Tree or by the Day
Most straightforward domestic work, a single crown reduction, a felling, deadwooding, or a hedge cut, is priced per tree or as a fixed job price. Bigger dismantles, multi-tree jobs, subcontract climbing, and most municipal or contract work runs on a day rate instead, similar to how groundworkers and fencers price agricultural contract work. Decide which model fits before you start working out numbers, and if a job genuinely spans both, for example a large multi-tree clearance where some trees are straightforward and others need technical dismantling, price each portion separately rather than forcing one blended rate across the whole job.
Step 2: Check Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Area Status First
Before you price anything, confirm whether the tree is protected. A UK tree surgeons page found it necessary to post an educational graphic correcting common myths, no, a large conifer is not automatically exempt just because TPOs are commonly associated with oaks, and yes, a TPO can apply because of a tree’s exceptional amenity value to the surrounding area, not just its species or size. Trees in a conservation area may also need six weeks’ written notice to the council even without a specific TPO.
This is not a step you can skip and fix later. Working on a protected tree without consent can mean an unlimited fine for the customer and reputational damage for you, and a customer genuinely may not know their tree is protected, which is exactly why checking with the local planning authority before quoting removal or major pruning needs to be part of your standard process, not an assumption that the homeowner has already sorted it.
Step 3: Survey the Site for Access, Hazards, and Rescue Planning
Visit the site in person before quoting. Assess the tree’s height, lean, condition, and species, check for decay or deadwood that changes the technical approach, and confirm what is nearby, buildings, greenhouses, garden structures, power lines, roads, and neighbouring gardens the arisings or a falling limb could reach. If a MEWP could access the site, note it, since aerial platform access can be faster and safer than a full climbing rig for some jobs, and changes your equipment and pricing accordingly.
This survey doubles as the start of your risk assessment. You need a drop zone plan, an aerial rescue plan appropriate to the climb, and a clear view of what happens if something goes wrong, before you can honestly price the job at all. If the site sits next to a road or a footpath, factor in whether you need traffic management or a banksman, this is a real cost, not a nice-to-have.
Step 4: Price Your Day Rate or Per-Tree Rate to Reflect the Real Risk and Cost
Whether you are pricing per tree or by the day, work backwards from your actual numbers, not a rate that feels roughly competitive:
- Annual personal drawings target (e.g. £35,000-£45,000)
- Business costs: vehicle, chainsaws and climbing kit, PPE replacement, chipper or plant costs, arb-specific public liability insurance, software
- NPTC/Lantra ticket renewal and CPD training costs
- Tax, National Insurance, and CIS if you work as or hire subcontractors
- Divided by billable days (typically 180-210 per year after weather days, holidays, and admin time)
Arb-specific public liability insurance is genuinely more expensive than generic trade cover, and rightly so given the risk profile, so it needs to be built into your day rate or per-tree pricing as a real cost, not absorbed as a margin hit. If you are pricing a groundsman or second climber as a subcontractor for the day, their day rate is a direct cost of the job, add it to the quote rather than eating it out of your own margin.
Step 5: Price Disposal, Chipping, and Stump Grinding Separately
Waste disposal is rarely free, and it should never be silently absorbed into the felling price. Chipping and removal, tip fees, and stump grinding are all commonly priced as separate lines. If the customer wants to keep the logs for firewood, or is willing to take timber in place of some of the disposal cost, as in the real Hampshire example above, agree that in writing before the job starts and reflect it clearly on the quote and invoice, not as an unexplained discount.
Step 6: Write the Quote Clearly, and Send It in Writing
A good tree surgery quote includes:
- Client name and site address
- Date of quote and validity period (usually 30 days)
- Pricing basis stated clearly, per tree, per job, or day rate
- Species, and the work specified precisely (e.g. “fell to ground level,” “crown reduce by 20%,” “deadwood over 50mm”)
- Confirmation of TPO/conservation area status and any consent obtained
- What is included and excluded (e.g. “waste chipping and removal included,” “stump grinding priced separately”)
- Access equipment needed (MEWP, crane, traffic management) if applicable
- Total cost (ex VAT if VAT-registered)
- Deposit amount and when it is due, particularly if equipment hire needs booking in advance
- Confirmation of your public liability insurance and relevant NPTC certification
Send the quote by email or through proper quoting software, not a text message. A written record of exactly what was agreed, including TPO status and what happens to the arisings, protects you if a dispute arises later.
Step 7: Taking a Deposit
For most domestic tree work, a deposit is reasonable once a start date is confirmed, particularly if the job needs a MEWP, crane, or specialist access equipment booked and paid for in advance. As with fencing and groundworks, tying the deposit to a confirmed date and any equipment hire that needs securing, rather than taking it the moment a quote is signed off, gives the customer a genuine, defensible reason for the request.
Real Tree Surgery Pricing Patterns Shared by UK Tradespeople
| Job Type | Typical Pricing Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic felling or reduction | Per tree / fixed job price | Priced on species, height, access, and condition |
| Large or technical dismantle | Day rate | Higher risk, often needs a rescue plan and MEWP or crane |
| Subcontract / casual climbing | Day rate or hourly | “Competitive day rate/hourly rate depending on experience”, common wording in UK arb hiring posts |
| Waste chipping and removal | Separate line item | Sometimes offset if customer takes timber as part payment |
| Stump grinding | Separate line item, per stump | Priced by stump diameter in many cases |
Patterns drawn from discussions in UK tree surgeon Facebook groups, 2026. Always confirm current local rates, insurance costs, and council requirements before quoting, these vary by region and site.
Using Software to Quote Faster
Building quotes on paper or from memory means every repeat job starts from scratch, and it is exactly how a disposal charge or a TPO check gets missed under time pressure. Tradify is built specifically for UK tradespeople and lets you save your standard per-tree and day rates by job type, attaching photos of the tree and site conditions directly to the quote for a proper record.
Pricing: From ~£34/month per user. Free 14-day trial, no card required.
If keeping your risk assessment, method statement, and certification records inside the same system as your quoting matters more to you, Treetask is a newer, arb-specific alternative built for exactly that.
Common Quoting Mistakes Tree Surgeons Make
- Quoting before checking TPO or conservation area status, this can void the job entirely and expose the customer to a fine
- Folding disposal and stump grinding into the base price, price them as separate, defensible lines instead
- Underpricing risk on technical dismantles, a job needing a full rescue plan and MEWP is not the same price as a straightforward felling
- Agreeing to take timber as part payment without writing it down, confirm the arrangement clearly on the quote before work starts
- Not pricing arb-specific insurance into the day rate, generic trade cover is not adequate for this trade and the higher premium needs reflecting in what you charge
- Quoting a subcontractor’s day rate as your own margin, a hired climber or groundsman’s rate is a direct job cost, not something to absorb
The Bottom Line
Tree surgeons who quote well are not the ones with the lowest per-tree rate, they are the ones who check TPO status before committing to anything, survey properly for access and risk, and keep disposal, stump grinding, and equipment hire as separate, defensible line items. Because the risk in this trade is genuinely higher than most, a quote that reflects that risk honestly protects both your margin and your business if something does go wrong.
If you want to speed up quoting and keep every job cleanly priced whether it is per tree, per job, or day rate, Tradify is worth a look. It is built for UK tradespeople and works properly from a phone on site.
Frequently Asked Questions: Quoting Tree Surgery Jobs
Domestic felling and reduction work is usually priced per tree or as a fixed job price, based on species, height, condition, and access. Larger or technical dismantles needing a full rescue plan and specialist access equipment are more commonly priced as a day rate. There is no single flat figure, since risk and access change the price more than size alone.
Most straightforward domestic work is priced per tree or as a fixed job price. Bigger dismantles, multi-tree jobs, and subcontract or municipal climbing typically run on a day rate. Decide which basis fits the job before pricing it, and split a job that genuinely spans both rather than forcing one blended rate.
Yes, always. A Tree Preservation Order can apply to any species based on its amenity value to the area, not just older or larger trees, and trees in a conservation area may need six weeks’ written notice to the council even without a specific TPO. Working on a protected tree without consent can mean an unlimited fine for the customer, so this check needs to happen before you quote, not after.
No, price them as separate, clearly labelled line items. This protects your margin and gives the customer an itemised, defensible breakdown rather than one number they might question. If a customer takes timber as part payment instead of paying full disposal costs, confirm that arrangement in writing before the job starts.
A deposit tied to a confirmed start date is reasonable, particularly for jobs needing a MEWP, crane, or specialist access equipment booked and paid for in advance. This protects your cash flow for equipment hire costs without asking the customer to fund work that has not started.
Tradify is widely used among UK tree surgeons because it handles per-tree, per-job, and day-rate pricing on the same account and lets you attach site photos directly to the quote. Treetask is a newer, arb-specific alternative worth considering if you want risk assessments and certification tracking built into the same platform as your quoting.
Related Guides for Tree Surgeons
- UK Tree Surgeons Hub, all our tree surgery guides and reviews in one place
- Best Apps for Tree Surgeons UK
- Best Job Management Software for Tree Surgeons UK
- Best Invoicing Software for Tree Surgeons UK
- Tradify Review for Tree Surgeons UK
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