Tree Removal in Surrey
Tree Removal in Surrey and South West London
Treemedic provide tree removal across Hersham, Esher, Cobham, Weybridge, Walton on Thames, Thames Ditton, East Molesey, Claygate, Kingston, Wimbledon and the surrounding area.
Whether it’s an unhealthy tree, a tight access job squeezed between a fence and a greenhouse, or something that’s become a real hazard, we’ll tell you what it needs and get it down cleanly.
Our Tree Removal Process
Taking a tree down safely takes planning and experience.
This is how we approach every job:
Professional Assessment:
Every job starts with a proper look on site. We assess the tree’s structure, health, and location to decide the safest and most efficient removal method. Depending on access, we may recommend sectional dismantling, crane-assisted removal, or directional felling. We carry out a full risk assessment on-site and work to BS3998 standards throughout.
Safe and Controlled Felling:
How a tree comes down depends on what’s around it. Sectional dismantling is the standard approach in Surrey gardens. A climber works down the tree taking manageable sections, either dropped into a clear area or lowered on ropes. Slower and more skilled than felling, but it’s how a large tree comes out of a confined garden without touching the greenhouse. Rigging is used where sections are too heavy or the drop zone too tight. Timber is lowered under full control on a rigging system. This is the technical end of the job and where experience shows. Straight felling is only possible where there’s a clear drop zone in every direction, which is rare on domestic sites here. MEWP or crane is occasionally the right answer for very large trees, poor tree condition, or where climbing isn’t safe. We hire in the correct machine rather than improvising with the wrong kit. Our NPTC-qualified climbers and ground crew work to controlled cuts and careful rope management throughout, with full RAMS and risk assessment on every job.
Tidy Site Clean-up:
Once felling is complete, we chip the brash, take it away and leave the site tidy. If you want the logs, say and we’ll cut them to length. We recycle wood wherever possible, helping reduce environmental waste and preparing your outdoor space for replanting, landscaping, or simply enjoying more light and space.
Does Your Tree Actually Need Removing?
We’ll tell you if it doesn’t. A fair proportion of the removal enquiries we get turn out to be solvable another way, and we’d rather quote you for the smaller job than take down a healthy tree you’ll end up missing.
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Often solvable without felling
- Too big, or blocking light: a crown reduction or crown lift usually solves this and keeps the tree
- Dropping leaves or fruit: annoying, but not a structural problem
- Roots near the house: real subsidence from tree roots is far rarer than people think and depends heavily on soil type and distance. Get it assessed before assuming
- Deadwood in the crown: normal in mature trees. Deadwooding removes the risk without removing the tree
- Leaning: plenty of trees have leaned quite safely for decades. What matters is whether the lean is new and whether the ground has moved
If it’s an ash that’s thinning or dying back, our guide Ash Dieback: What to Do If You Have an Ash Tree explains the signs and your options.
When removal is the right call
- Dead or dying trees: unstable, and a serious hazard in storms. Removal protects property and the health of nearby planting
- Disease and decay: significant decay at the base or main union, particularly with fungal fruiting bodies present. Some infections also spread to surrounding trees
- Root plate movement: lifting or cracking ground on one side means the tree is no longer anchored properly
- Structural failure that can’t be reduced out
- Property and safety concerns: trees causing damage to roofs, walls, drives or foundations where pruning won’t resolve it
- Landscaping: sometimes a healthy tree has to go to open up light or make way for a new design. That’s a legitimate reason and we won’t lecture you about it
Free assessment, a straight answer, no pressure either way.
We Handle the Council Side
A lot of trees in Surrey are protected, and it’s the most common thing that delays a removal.
We check before we quote.
If your tree has a Tree Preservation Order, sits in a conservation area, or is covered by a planning condition from a previous development, we’ll tell you and explain what it means for the job.
We write and submit the application.
With the arboricultural justification the tree officer actually needs, rather than a one-line request that gets refused or sat on. We do these regularly for Elmbridge, Kingston and Richmond.
What the rules actually say
Tree Preservation Orders.
Formal council consent is required before any work. Applications typically take eight weeks or longer. Carrying out work on a TPO tree without consent is a criminal offence. Felling or destroying one can mean an unlimited fine, and other unauthorised work, such as pruning, up to £2,500.
Our guide Do I Need Permission to Cut or Prune a Tree? goes through it step by step.
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Conservation areas.
Six weeks’ written notice to the council for any tree with a trunk over 75mm diameter measured at 1.5m from the ground. That includes pruning, not just felling. During those six weeks the council can respond by placing a TPO on the tree.
Planning conditions.
New-build and extension properties often carry tree retention conditions attached to the original permission. Removing a retained tree puts you in breach, which can hold up sign-off or trigger enforcement.
Boundary trees.
If the trunk straddles a boundary the tree is jointly owned, and you can’t remove it without your neighbour’s agreement, whichever side the branches are on.
Dangerous trees.
There is an exemption allowing urgent work on genuinely dangerous trees, but you still have to notify the council and you need evidence that the danger was real. Nobody should be telling you they’ll take a protected tree down now and deal with the paperwork later.
If you’re working to a deadline, start the conversation early. Six to eight weeks is the process, not the worst case.
Why Choose Treemedic?
- Fully qualified, insured, and working to BS3998 on every job
- We check the TPO and conservation area register before we quote, not after
- Timber and green waste recycled wherever we can, not sent to landfill
- Sectional dismantling and rigging for gardens where there’s no room to just fell it
- Free, no-obligation quotes with a fixed price in writing
Same standard whether it’s one tree in a back garden or a larger commercial site.
Recent Tree Removal Work
A few of the trees we’ve taken down lately, from big conifers to trees right next to houses.
Need a Tree Taken Down?
Give us a call and we’ll come out, take a look and give you a written quote. Free, with no obligation.
“He turned up when he said he was going to, cut down the trees, took everything away, cleared up after and left. No messing about, no bother or stress whatsoever.”
Or ring the office on 020 3488 8694. We cover Hersham, Esher, Cobham, Weybridge, Walton on Thames, Kingston, Richmond and across Surrey and South West London.
Tree Removal: Common Questions
How much does tree removal cost?
It’s difficult to give an exact price without first inspecting the tree. The cost of removal can vary depending on several factors, including the size and condition of the tree, ease of access for equipment, proximity to buildings, fences or power lines, and the amount of waste to be removed.
We’ll come out, look at all of this and give you a fixed written price, free and with no obligation.
Do I need permission to remove a tree in Surrey?
Some trees are protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or located in a Conservation Area. Treemedic can check this for you and handle any council applications on your behalf.
Do you recycle the timber or woodchip?
Yes. Where we can, the wood goes for logs or mulch.
Can you remove large trees near houses or power lines?
Yes. We take them down in sections, lowering pieces on ropes where there’s no room for the tree to come down whole. Close to power lines, we coordinate with the network operator before starting rather than working around a live line and hoping.
Do you remove the stump too?
Not automatically. It’s a separate operation with a different machine. We’ll quote it alongside the removal if you want it.
Can I keep the wood?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Tell us when we quote and we’ll cut it to length and stack it rather than take it away. Let it season before you burn it.
How long does it take?
Most domestic removals are a day. Large or awkward trees can run to two or three.
What happens to the waste?
It goes with us. Treemedic Ltd is a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency (CBDL644967), and all arisings are transferred only to appropriately licensed facilities in accordance with our Duty of Care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Related Services
Treemedic Ltd also provides:
Stump Grinding – stumps ground out below ground level after felling
Tree Pruning & Reductions – maintain shape and health of remaining trees
Emergency Tree Work – 24/7 response for storm-damaged or dangerous trees
Get in touch if you need any of the above alongside your tree removal. We can usually do it all in one visit.
For more guidance on responsible tree care, visit the Royal Horticultural Society Tree Advice page.