Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgery Services
These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by us to you. By booking or accepting a quotation for any work, you agree to be bound by the terms below. They are intended to create a clear, fair, and practical agreement for the supply of professional arboricultural services, including inspection, pruning, dismantling, stump-related work, and other associated tasks. These terms apply to all customers using our service, whether the work is arranged for a private garden, commercial site, managed property, or other premises.
For the purposes of these terms, references to “we”, “us”, or “our” mean the service provider carrying out the agreed work, and “you” or “your” means the customer named on the booking, quotation, or invoice. We may occasionally update these terms to reflect changes in law, health and safety requirements, industry practice, or service arrangements. The version in force at the time your booking is accepted will normally apply to your contract, unless a later written variation is expressly agreed.
These terms are designed to support a professional tree surgeon service while setting reasonable expectations about quotations, access, waste, delays, and limits of liability. They should be read together with any written quotation, job sheet, or agreement issued for the relevant work. If any part of a quotation or specific written agreement differs from these terms, the written quotation or agreement will usually prevail for that particular point.
All services are subject to availability and to the information you provide at the time of enquiry. A booking request does not create a binding contract until we confirm acceptance, availability, and any key details relevant to the work. We may decline or postpone a booking if the site conditions, weather, access, legal constraints, or the nature of the trees require further assessment. Any estimate given before inspection is indicative only and may change once a proper appraisal has been completed.
To make a booking, you must provide accurate and complete information about the site, the trees, access arrangements, and any known hazards. This may include the location of overhead cables, boundaries, protected trees, wildlife considerations, or underground services. If the information supplied is incomplete or inaccurate, we reserve the right to revise the scope, price, timing, or method of work. A tree surgery booking may also require confirmation of permissions, such as landlord consent, neighbour agreement where necessary, or planning and conservation approval if applicable.
Where a visit is arranged for inspection or quotation, the appointment time may be approximate and subject to operational demands. We aim to attend within the agreed window, but we cannot guarantee exact arrival times. If we need to reschedule due to adverse weather, staff illness, equipment failure, emergency work, or other events outside our control, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and offer a new appointment.
Prices may be supplied as fixed quotations or as estimates. A fixed quotation will generally cover the stated scope only and assumes that conditions match the information given and that no unforeseen issues arise. An estimate is not a fixed price and may be adjusted if the actual work, access, risk level, disposal volume, or time required differs from what was initially anticipated. Additional work requested by you on the day will normally be charged separately.
Payment terms will be stated on the quotation or invoice. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, payment is due immediately upon completion of the work or within the period stated on the invoice. We may request a deposit to secure a booking, particularly for larger projects, specialist machinery, or time-sensitive works. Deposits may be non-refundable where we have reserved labour, scheduled machinery, or incurred planning and preparation costs, subject always to applicable consumer law.
We accept payment by the methods specified at the time of booking or invoicing. If payment is not made when due, we may charge reasonable recovery costs, suspend future work, or pursue outstanding sums through lawful recovery procedures. Title to any goods supplied as part of the service, where applicable, will remain with us until full payment has been received. Where the customer is a business, late payment may also attract statutory interest and compensation in accordance with relevant legislation.
Cancellations must be made as soon as possible. If you cancel a booking after we have allocated resources, we may charge a cancellation fee reflecting the time, labour, and costs already committed. If the cancellation occurs on or very near the scheduled date, the fee may be higher because the appointment slot may not be recoverable. Any prepaid deposit may be retained in full or in part to cover genuine losses, unless the law requires otherwise.
You may also need to reschedule work if access is not available, permissions have not been secured, or weather conditions make the work unsafe. If we are unable to complete the service because the site is not ready, or because essential information has not been disclosed, we may treat this as a late cancellation and charge accordingly. We encourage you to ensure that vehicles, pets, children, garden items, and fragile objects are removed from the working area before our arrival.
If we cancel due to unsafe conditions, unavoidable operational disruption, or circumstances beyond our control, we will either rearrange the service or refund any amount paid for work not carried out, as appropriate. We will not be responsible for indirect losses arising from cancellation or postponement, such as missed events, lost earnings, or inconvenience, except where such loss cannot lawfully be excluded.
All tree surgeons and operatives will take reasonable care while carrying out the work, but tree surgery is a hazardous activity and some risks cannot be eliminated entirely. You are responsible for telling us about hidden risks, underground utilities, fragile structures, and any special site restrictions. We will take reasonable steps to protect property, but we are not liable for pre-existing defects, structural weakness, defective fencing, cracked paving, hidden decay, or damage arising from the natural condition of a tree or from unavoidable access requirements.
Our liability for loss or damage caused by our negligence is limited to the amount of the fee paid for the specific service, except where the law says otherwise. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded. We do not accept liability for damage caused by storms, subsidence, high winds, ground movement, falling debris outside the agreed work area, or acts of third parties.
You should ensure that valuable items, ornaments, vehicles, lighting, and other vulnerable property are removed from the work zone. If you ask us to work near structures, greenhouses, glass, cables, or surfaces that may be damaged by normal arboricultural operations, you accept the increased risk unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. Where reasonable, we may recommend that certain items are protected, relocated, or excluded from the working area before work begins.
Waste arising from the work, including branches, trunk sections, foliage, stump arisings, and other green waste, will be managed in accordance with applicable waste regulations and duty of care requirements. We will normally remove and dispose of waste as stated in the quotation. If waste is to be left on site at your request, it becomes your responsibility once agreed, and you must ensure that it is stored, composted, or removed lawfully. You must not ask us to dispose of waste in a manner that would breach environmental rules or local authority requirements.
Where waste is transferred for recycling, composting, chipping, or disposal, it may be taken to a licensed facility or handled by an approved waste carrier. You acknowledge that legal compliance may require us to record the transfer, segregate certain materials, and avoid cross-contamination. If the work involves diseased wood, invasive species, or potentially contaminated arisings, we may need to apply additional handling, transport, or disposal procedures and charge extra for those measures.
Any timber, chip, logs, or arisings retained by us or removed from site remain subject to our operational discretion unless otherwise agreed. If you request logs or chip to be left for reuse, this must be agreed in advance and may affect the final tidy-up standard. We will not be responsible for the condition, moisture content, pest presence, or future suitability of any material left at your request.
If the work involves trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, conservation area controls, planning conditions, leases, easements, or other restrictions, you are responsible for ensuring that the relevant permissions or consents are in place unless we have specifically agreed in writing to assist with that process. We may suspend or refuse work where carrying it out would risk breaching legal requirements. Any delay caused by missing consent will not be treated as a failure on our part.
We will use reasonable skill and care in carrying out the agreed services. However, trees are living organisms and results can vary depending on species, condition, season, weather, and historical management. We do not guarantee long-term tree health, regrowth rates, or future structural performance unless a specific guarantee is stated in writing. Natural changes to a tree after work has been completed are outside our control and are not covered by any implied promise of outcome.
Where advice or recommendations are given, they are based on observations made at the time of inspection and on the information available to us. Such advice should be treated as professional opinion rather than an absolute warranty. Further investigation, monitoring, or follow-up works may be recommended where there is uncertainty about tree condition, decay, root activity, or external pressures affecting the site.
You agree to provide safe access to the site and to inform us of any conditions that may affect the health and safety of our team or others. This includes aggressive animals, insecure boundaries, unstable ground, overhead hazards, restricted parking, or the presence of vulnerable persons. We may stop work immediately if conditions become unsafe or if continuing would create unacceptable risk. In such circumstances, you may still be charged for the work already completed and any reasonable call-out or mobilisation costs.
Unless agreed otherwise, all materials, equipment, and temporary protection used in delivering the service remain our property and may be removed when the work is complete. You must not interfere with our equipment, use our machinery, or direct our operatives in a way that compromises safety. Any requests to alter the method of work on the day may require a revised price or revised timetable.
We may subcontract part of the service where appropriate, but we remain responsible for the overall delivery of the agreed work subject to these terms. Any subcontractor engaged will be expected to follow applicable safety, quality, and waste handling standards. Where a subcontractor is used, your contract remains with us unless we state otherwise in writing.
Any complaint about the service should be raised as soon as reasonably possible after completion so that the matter can be reviewed. We may ask for photographs, relevant documents, or a site visit to assess the issue. If a defect is found to arise from our workmanship and is within our control, we will usually aim to rectify it within a reasonable period. This does not apply to matters caused by weather, natural tree behaviour, third-party action, or factors outside the original scope of work.
We are not responsible for delays caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, road closures, accidents, supply shortages, labour disputes, utility failures, fire, or other unforeseen events. If such an event occurs, we may suspend performance of the contract for the duration of the disruption. If the interruption continues for an extended period, either party may be entitled to end the affected part of the agreement without further liability, subject to any amounts already properly due.
These tree surgery terms do not give any third party rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 unless expressly stated in writing. If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force so far as legally possible. Failure by us to enforce any right or provision immediately does not mean we waive that right or provision for the future.
These Terms and Conditions and any dispute or claim arising from them are governed by the law of England and Wales. Both parties agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction, unless mandatory law provides otherwise. If a dispute arises, we encourage both parties to attempt to resolve it in good faith before starting formal proceedings.
The contract between us and you will begin when we confirm acceptance of the booking or quotation, and it will end when the agreed work is completed and paid for, subject to any continuing obligations such as payment, liability limitations, or data retention required by law. We recommend that you retain a copy of the quotation and these terms for your records.
By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions for tree surgeons. If any individual is booking on behalf of a landlord, tenant, company, managing agent, or other principal, that person confirms they have authority to bind the relevant party to the contract and to accept responsibility for payment where applicable.
In summary, these terms are intended to provide a clear framework for professional tree surgery services, ensuring that both sides understand how bookings are made, how prices are set, how cancellations are handled, how waste is managed, and how liability is limited. Our aim is to deliver services safely, lawfully, and with reasonable care, while protecting both your interests and our operational integrity.