Most UK homeowners pay somewhere between £400 and £1,500 to have a tree removed, but the honest answer is that it depends heavily on the tree and the site. This guide breaks down realistic price ranges, explains what actually drives the cost, and covers the checks you should make before anyone puts a saw to your tree.
As a rough guide, a small tree under about 5 metres, such as a young rowan or fruit tree, usually costs £150 to £450 to fell and clear. A medium tree of 5 to 10 metres, like a mature apple or a modest sycamore, tends to fall between £400 and £900. Large trees over 10 metres, such as a full grown ash, oak or poplar, commonly run from £800 to £2,000, and complex jobs involving very large trees, confined spaces or rigging over buildings can exceed £3,000.
These are ranges, not promises. Two trees of the same species and height can differ in price by hundreds of pounds because of where they stand. Any firm quoting a fixed price over the phone without seeing the tree, or at least good photos, is guessing.
Access is the biggest factor after size. A tree in an open front garden where a chipper can park nearby is straightforward. A tree in a rear garden reached only through the house or a narrow passage means every branch and log is carried out by hand, which adds hours of labour. Trees close to buildings, greenhouses, conservatories, phone lines or a neighbour's fence cannot simply be felled; they have to be dismantled in sections, often with rigging ropes to lower each piece under control.
The condition of the tree matters too. Dead or decayed trees, especially ash suffering from dieback, are more dangerous to climb and often need a different approach, such as a mobile platform, which adds cost. Waste disposal is another chunk of the bill, since green waste has to be chipped and carted away. You can trim the price by keeping the logs for firewood or having the chip left on site for mulch, so it is always worth asking.
Before agreeing to anything, find out whether the tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area. Around Skegness and the wider district this is checked with East Lindsey District Council, and elsewhere with your own local authority. Felling a protected tree without consent can lead to a fine running into thousands of pounds, and the responsibility sits with the owner as well as the contractor. A reputable tree surgeon will check this for you as part of quoting.
Also ask for proof of public liability insurance, ideally £5 million or more, and evidence of relevant qualifications such as NPTC or LANTRA chainsaw certificates. Tree removal is genuinely dangerous work, and if an uninsured operator damages your property or a neighbour's, you could be left carrying the cost. Get two or three written quotes that state exactly what is included: felling, removal of all waste, and whether the stump is being ground out or left.
Most quotes cover felling to a low stump, with stump grinding priced separately. Grinding typically adds £80 to £300 depending on the diameter of the stump and whether the machine can reach it. If you plan to replant, lay a patio or returf the area, grinding is usually worth it. If the stump is tucked away in a border, many people leave it to rot down naturally, which costs nothing.
One caution for this part of Lincolnshire: species like willow and poplar, common on wetter ground, will often regrow vigorously from a cut stump. If you leave the stump on these species, expect to be cutting back new shoots for years, so grinding or treating the stump is money well spent.
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