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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blown away at the cost of tree surgery.

23 replies

LancashireButterPie · 02/08/2026 13:08

Blimey, tree surgery is well paid isn't it!
We have just received a quote of £350 per hour.
Is that really the going rate or am I being ripped off here?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
nc42day · 04/08/2026 21:15

The first quote was over the top by far, always get three, no matter what the trade

Somersetbaker · 04/08/2026 21:13

LancashireButterPie · 04/08/2026 19:38

£250 for the whole job! Not per hour.
Original man stated £700 for the whole job expected to take 2 hours but if it took longer he would charge £350ph on top.

He doesn't want the job, but if you'll pay stupid money he'll do it. That's the sort of job, they normally do when they've finished early, or the weather is to bad to climb trees with a chainsaw. I had a 50 year old oak (so not that massive) lowered, a couple of hours work, access down the side of the house, no urgency, so they did it one afternoon while I was at work.

Springbuck · 04/08/2026 20:25

We recently paid £1200 to have a huge willow removed. There were four workers and they got rid of all the debris. They also sanded down the stump ( and got rid of two other stumps without charging extra) it took them around 5 hours.
We thought that was great value.

hyggetyggedotorg · 04/08/2026 19:49

My BIL was a GP. Gave it up to be a tree surgeon & earned far more money for fewer hours & less stress. He did have to pay to train & the equipment is expensive but yeah, there’s money in it.

Jc2001 · 04/08/2026 19:45

LancashireButterPie · 04/08/2026 19:38

£250 for the whole job! Not per hour.
Original man stated £700 for the whole job expected to take 2 hours but if it took longer he would charge £350ph on top.

That is crazy. Sounds like cowboys. How could they possibly not know how long things are going to take?

Original poster
LancashireButterPie · 04/08/2026 19:38

£250 for the whole job! Not per hour.
Original man stated £700 for the whole job expected to take 2 hours but if it took longer he would charge £350ph on top.

OP posts:
Original poster
LancashireButterPie · 04/08/2026 19:36

It's one man, the nearest on Google search to us, pruning a largish stellata magnolia shrub, approx 3m high said it should take 2 hours, £700.
Leaving all the trimmings behind as we have a shredder and will do this.
Thanks for the advice, we got a quote for £250 in the end.

OP posts:
Nourishinghandcream · 02/08/2026 13:29

A bit more information from the OP would be useful.
Have they really quoted by the hour (never seen that for tree surgery) or is it that they have quoted for the job, given an expected timeframe and the OP has simply divided the cost by the number of hours?
Does the job include disposal (i e. on-site shredding) as if not, that would immediate red-flag?
As with any trade, there is training, cost of equipment, insurance etc. It is a skilled and dangerous job which is (as ever) made to look easier by people who know what they are doing using the correct equipment following the correct processes &:procedures.

"Any job that is dominated by men is priced accordingly I’ve noticed."
Really.... is that the best you can find up with?😖☹️

Ilovemyfam · 02/08/2026 13:19

The other consideration is whether or not you asked for the quote or if someone came knocking on your door suggesting that you needed some work. In my experience those soliciting work are
likely to rip you off.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/08/2026 13:18

It is expensive but I can see why it is - it’s skilled and there’s risk involved.

Tbh if it was a worthless we’d be able to do it ourselves!

Ilovemyfam · 02/08/2026 13:16

I never have a high price tag job done without several quotes.

I suspect that specialized equipment and insurance would make it expensive. However £350 an hour is perhaps not clear. I would want to know the price of the job, not the hour - also are they including disposal/ cleaning up etc.

Rumpledandcrumpled · 02/08/2026 13:16

oldestmumaintheworld · 02/08/2026 13:14

Tree surgery is expensive mainly due to high insurance costs and the need to have at least staff on site at all times. There's also the cost of removal.
I would always ask for a total price. This is more usual.

This, and get several quotes, I think you’re being ripped off. You should know total price for the job and what they will do ie Inc removal etc,

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 02/08/2026 13:16

Any job that is dominated by men is priced accordingly I’ve noticed.

Rumpledandcrumpled · 02/08/2026 13:15

That’s very high, we pay about 500 for a day for 2 men, more if it’s a very big treee and climbing to be done.

Meadowfinch · 02/08/2026 13:14

I paid £1800 for two men, one day , a cherry picker and a diesel shredder, to remove a 65 foot willow tree that was leaning towards the house. North Hampshire, last autumn.

it depends what is involved.

oldestmumaintheworld · 02/08/2026 13:14

Tree surgery is expensive mainly due to high insurance costs and the need to have at least staff on site at all times. There's also the cost of removal.
I would always ask for a total price. This is more usual.

YourWinter · 02/08/2026 13:13

I have a line of hopelessly overgrown conifers. Quote £9k, which I’ll never be able to afford.

Epoisses · 02/08/2026 13:12

What are you having done? We paid £400 for total removal of a 30 feet high Willow. Took everything away.

ThePeppyOpalScroller · 02/08/2026 13:12

Depends, are you having a large shrub trimmed back, or a 70ft tree taken down?

FourEyesGood · 02/08/2026 13:11

It requires skill, involves expensive (niche) equipment and is fairly high-risk.
You could try doing the job yourself, but you’d probably end up regretting it!

rubyslippers · 02/08/2026 13:11

It depends
We’ve never been quoted per hour but have spent upwards of £1000 to prune / lop and sort tree issues out
done properly and with the safety equipment it takes time and skill

hellospring26 · 02/08/2026 13:11

It’s a skilled, and dangerous job. I can imagine their insurance costs being very high.

KatiePricesKnickers · 02/08/2026 13:10

£350 for how many people?
My FIL paid £2k to remove a huge leylandii.