Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we get asked most often about tree surgery in Sheffield - from costs and qualifications to permissions and timing.
General Questions
The basics about hiring a tree surgeon and what to expect from us.
Anyone can legally call themselves a tree surgeon - there is no licensing requirement in the UK. That means the quality of operators varies enormously. What you should look for is NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council) qualifications, which are the recognised industry standard for chainsaw use, aerial tree work and related operations. You should also check for public liability insurance of at least £5 million. We hold both, and we are happy to show certificates on request before any work starts.
Yes. We carry public liability insurance to £5 million and employer liability insurance. Both certificates are available on request and we are happy to provide them before work begins. You should never allow any tree surgeon onto your property without seeing proof of insurance - if something goes wrong with an uninsured operator, the costs fall on you.
For standard work and free quote visits, we typically attend within 2-3 working days. For emergency situations - a tree down in a storm, a tree that has fallen onto a building or vehicle, or an immediate safety risk - we aim to respond the same day or the following day. Call us on 0114 489 5482 and describe the situation and we will advise on the fastest option.
We monitor weather conditions and will not carry out work at height in high winds. This is not only our policy - it is a legal and safety requirement. If conditions on the day of a booked job are unsafe, we will contact you to reschedule rather than expect you to cancel. Your safety and the safety of our team always comes first. Light rain does not usually prevent work, but anything that creates unsafe conditions will mean we rearrange.
We cover all of Sheffield and the surrounding areas of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. This includes Rotherham, Barnsley and Chesterfield, as well as Sheffield suburbs such as Ecclesall, Dore, Fulwood, Ranmoor, Crookes, Hillsborough, Woodseats, Nether Edge, Stocksbridge, Chapeltown, Beighton and Mosborough. See our areas page for the full list. If you are unsure whether we cover your postcode, call us and we will confirm.
Services & Tree Work
Questions about the different types of tree work and what each involves.
Tree surgery is the broader term for all work carried out on trees to manage their health, structure and appearance. This includes crown reduction, crown thinning, crown lifting, deadwooding, pruning and pollarding - work that keeps the tree in place but improves or manages it. Tree removal is a specific operation where the whole tree is felled and extracted from site. Removal is appropriate when a tree is dead, diseased, structurally dangerous, or simply in a location where it cannot be managed. In many cases, surgery is preferable to removal as it keeps the tree alive and avoids the need for stump grinding.
British Standard BS 3998 - Recommendations for Tree Work - advises that no more than 30% of the live crown should be removed in any single operation for most species. The reason for this limit is that heavy pruning creates stress for the tree and can trigger excessive regrowth (epicormic shoots) or leave wounds too large to compartmentalise effectively, increasing the risk of disease and structural weakness. We follow BS 3998 on all work. If a tree needs significantly reducing over time, we may recommend a phased programme of work over two or more seasons.
Crown reduction is the process of reducing the overall height and spread of a tree while retaining its natural shape and as much of the living crown as possible. Each branch is cut back to a suitable secondary branch or growing point, so the tree still looks like a tree rather than a collection of stumps. It is used to reduce a tree that has outgrown its space, to reduce wind loading on a structurally weakened tree, or to limit shading. It is one of the most skilled operations in tree surgery and should always be carried out by a qualified arborist.
Yes - in most cases. The main options are crown reduction (reducing overall height and spread while keeping the tree's shape), crown lifting (removing lower branches to give more clearance beneath the tree), and pollarding (a more severe reduction to a previously pollarded framework, which works well on species like willow, lime and plane but not on most conifers). The right option depends on the species, the tree's age and history, and what you are trying to achieve. We will advise on the most appropriate approach at the free quote visit.
Standard tree removal cuts the tree to ground level, leaving the stump and root system in place. This is included in the standard removal price. Stump grinding is a separate add-on service where a grinding machine removes the stump to below ground level - typically around 150-250mm deep - leaving wood chip behind that can be raked over. Stump grinding is the most practical and cost-effective way to eliminate a stump, and prevents regrowth on species that would otherwise reshoot from the stump. We offer stump grinding as an add-on to any removal job, and as a standalone service if you already have a stump you want removed.
Costs & Quotes
What tree surgery costs in Sheffield and how our quoting process works.
Costs vary considerably depending on the size and species of the tree, what work is needed, how accessible the site is, and what is around the tree. As a rough guide, smaller tree work or hedge trimming may start from around £200, while removal of a large tree in a constrained garden can reach £1,000 or more. The only reliable way to get an accurate price is a free site visit. See our tree surgery cost guide for a fuller breakdown of typical prices in Sheffield.
Yes - completely free. There is no call-out charge for the site visit, no charge for the written quote, and no obligation to accept it. We visit, assess the work, and give you a written price. If you decide not to proceed there is nothing to pay and no pressure from us. We think this is the only fair way to operate.
Tree surgery prices vary between contractors for several reasons. The size of the tree and complexity of the job are the biggest factors - a large oak overhanging a listed building is a very different proposition to a small ornamental tree in an open garden. Access matters too: if equipment cannot get close, the job takes longer. Insurance and qualifications add cost - a fully insured, NPTC-qualified team costs more to run than an uninsured operator with a chainsaw. And waste disposal (chipping, timber removal, skip hire for large jobs) is a real cost that not all quotes include. Always make sure you are comparing like-for-like, and always check insurance before accepting a low quote.
Generally no - routine tree surgery (pruning, reduction, removal of a healthy tree) is not covered by home insurance. However, if a tree has fallen during a storm and caused damage to your property, your buildings or contents insurance may cover the cost of removing the fallen tree and repairing the damage. Check your policy documents or call your insurer to confirm. We can provide a written report and photographs if required for an insurance claim.
All our work is carried out to British Standard BS 3998 - Recommendations for Tree Work. If we cause damage to your property during the course of our work, our public liability insurance covers the cost of repair - we do not walk away from our responsibilities. For stump grinding: we grind to industry-standard depth (typically 150-250mm below ground level) which is sufficient to prevent regrowth in the vast majority of species. We do not offer a no-regrowth guarantee because some species can reshoot from roots at depth beyond what is ground out, but this is uncommon when grinding is carried out properly.
Permissions & Regulations
What you need to know about TPOs, Conservation Areas and planning rules before work starts.
In most cases you do not need permission to remove a tree on your own property. However, there are two key exceptions. First, if the tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), you must apply to your local council for consent before any work can be carried out. Second, if your property is in a Conservation Area, you must give the council six weeks' notice before removing or significantly altering any tree - this gives them time to consider whether a TPO should be placed on it. We check for both before quoting and will advise you if consent is needed.
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a legal instrument made by a local planning authority - in Sheffield's case, Sheffield City Council - to protect specific trees or groups of trees that have significant amenity value. Once a TPO is in place, you cannot cut down, uproot, top, lop, willfully damage or carry out any other work on the tree without first obtaining written consent from the council. Applications are assessed against the tree's amenity value and the proposed work. We will not carry out any work on a TPO tree without confirmed written consent from the council.
You can check Sheffield City Council's planning portal and interactive map, which shows the location of all TPO trees and Conservation Areas in the city. Alternatively, call or email Sheffield City Council's Planning Department directly and give them the address and a description of the tree. We can also check for you as part of the free quote visit - we are familiar with the local planning constraints and regularly deal with the council's tree officers. If there is any doubt, we check before we start.
You have the right to cut back branches or roots that overhang or encroach onto your property, but only up to the boundary line - you cannot go beyond it. Importantly, anything you cut off legally belongs to your neighbour, not you - you should offer the arisings back to them rather than disposing of them without asking. You do not need your neighbour's permission to do this, but it is always worth having a conversation first to avoid a dispute. If the tree is covered by a TPO, you still need council consent even for cutting back over the boundary - so always check before acting.
Carrying out unauthorised work on a TPO tree is a criminal offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Convictions can result in an unlimited fine in the magistrates' court. The same applies in Conservation Areas where the required notice has not been given. We take this seriously and will never start work on a tree where there is any doubt about TPO status or Conservation Area restrictions. If you are unsure, we will check - and if consent is needed we can advise on the application process.
Still Have a Question?
If your question is not answered above, we are happy to help. Call us for a quick chat or send us an email and we will get back to you promptly.
We will get back to you within one working day.