How Much Does a Tree Surgeon Cost in London? (2026 Price Guide)
An individual tree surgeon in London typically costs around £45–£90 per hour, or roughly £250–£400 per day working alone. The most common setup, however, is a team of three with a truck and wood chipper, which typically costs £600–£1,500 per day in London (most full-day jobs sit in this range), or £75–£110 per hour for the crew. In practice, very few reputable companies price work by the hour; most jobs require several qualified arborists and specialised equipment, so they’re quoted as a fixed price per job, based on the accessibility, size, and complexity of the tree surgery project.
Because of London’s logistical challenges and higher green waste-disposal fees, tree surgery prices in the capital tend to sit at the higher end of the national average. Below you’ll find a full breakdown of tree surgeon prices in London for 2026, average costs by job type, what changes your quote, and how to get a figure you can rely on.
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Tree Surgeon Costs in London at a Glance
| Setup / Service | Typical London Price (from) |
|---|---|
| Individual tree surgeon (rarely priced this way) | £45–£90 per hour / £250–£400 per day |
| Team of three + truck + chipper (most common) | £600–£1,500 per day / £75–£110 per hour |
| Tree pruning / crown reduction | £200–£1,200+ |
| Tree removal / felling | from £250 (small) – £3,500+ (large) |
| Pollarding | from £380 |
| Stump grinding (per stump) | £150–£400+ |
| Hedge trimming | £150–£1,000+ |
| Ivy removal | from £340 |
| Emergency call-out | from £250+ |
| Tree survey / report (BS5837) | from £460 |
| Indicative London averages for 2026 — your exact price is confirmed in a free written quote, with VAT shown. |
Average Tree Surgeon Costs in London by Job Type
- Tree pruning/crown reduction: £200–£1,200+ Costs vary with the tree’s size and the percentage of crown being removed.
- Tree removal/felling: from £250 for a small ornamental tree to £1,200–£3,500+ for large, mature trees near buildings that need sectional dismantling.
- Stump grinding: £150–£400+ per stump, priced by size at ground level.
- Hedge trimming: £150–£1,000+ Prices increase with height and the need for access platforms.
- Pollarding: from £380, depending on how long it's been since the tree was last pollarded.
- Ivy removal: from £340, labour-intensive hand-stripping to protect brickwork or the host tree.
- Emergency call-out: from £250+ plus out-of-hours crew rates for urgent, fallen or dangerous trees.
- Tree survey/report: from £260 for a basic safety inspection; BS5837 planning surveys from £460+, depending on the number of trees, the site size and complexity.
Why Tree Surgeons Are Rarely Priced by the Hour
When you’re quoted an hourly or day rate, it almost always covers the whole crew, not one tree surgeon. More importantly, hourly and day rates rarely work in the customer’s favour: if a job runs longer than expected, the cost can spiral, and you carry that risk.
That’s why GraftinGardeners, like most established London tree companies, price each project as a fixed price based on the work involved. You know exactly what you’ll pay before any cutting begins, with no open-ended meter running. The only way to get an accurate figure is a free, no-obligation site visit or a quote from clear photos.
Factors That Will Change The Cost of Your Quote
- Tree size, species and condition: larger, structurally complex, dead or storm-damaged trees take longer to dismantle safely and cost more.
- Accessibility: difficult access through terraced properties or narrow side returns often means more manual labour, or smaller specialist machinery, both of which add time and cost.
- Waste removal: some tree surgeons include branch chipping and debris removal; others charge separately or leave the timber. Always confirm what’s included before accepting a quote.
- Tree protection status: if your tree has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or sits in a Conservation Area, there may be an additional charge to prepare and submit the council application on your behalf.
- Risk and proximity: trees near buildings, walls, power lines or public highways need careful rigging and carry higher liability.
- Parking: you may need to provide visitor permits or pay for a borough parking-space suspension for the truck and chipper. Costs are set by the council and can be checked on your local borough website.
- ULEZ compliance: running a fully ULEZ/LEZ-compliant fleet in London incurs real costs that are reflected in every quote.
