Who to hire for a tree that needs removing

Short answer

A qualified arborist — and check your council's rules before you book, because most local governments control the removal of trees above a certain size or of listed species, and removing one without consent carries substantial penalties that fall on the owner, not the contractor.

Plan itThere is time to get more than one quote, which is where the money is.

When it is someone else

Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Arborist.

  • your local council

    before anything. Ask specifically whether a permit is required for this species at this size at this address, and get the answer in writing.

  • a gardener

    the job is pruning shrubs or small trees within the exempt size. That is gardening and it is cheaper.

  • your neighbour

    the tree is on or near the boundary, or the crown overhangs. Boundary trees have their own rules and a conversation now is better than one later.

What to do before anyone arrives

  1. Photograph the whole tree from several angles with something for scale, and identify the species if you can.
  2. Ring the council and ask about permits. Do it before quoting — several quotes for a job that cannot legally proceed is wasted effort.
  3. Check whether there are power lines anywhere near the fall zone. Work near live conductors requires specific accreditation and clearances and is not negotiable.
  4. Decide on the stump now. Grinding is usually quoted separately and it is much cheaper done in the same visit.
  5. Check access: what can get into the yard, and where can a chipper stand.

What to ask when you book

  • What is your arboricultural qualification, and do you carry public liability insurance — for how much?
  • Is there a permit required, and are you preparing the application or am I?
  • Is stump grinding included, and to what depth?
  • Is removal of all debris included, and do you leave mulch or take it?
  • Are you insured and accredited for work near power lines if that applies here?

What changes the price

No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.

  • Size, species and condition of the tree.
  • Access — whether machinery can reach it or it must be dismantled and carried out.
  • Proximity to buildings, fences and power lines, which turns felling into sectional dismantling.
  • Stump grinding and debris removal.
  • Traffic management if the tree overhangs a road.

What you can do yourself

Is this licensed work?

Arboriculture is not licensed in the way electrical work is; the meaningful credential is a qualification in arboriculture and, for anyone climbing or using a chainsaw commercially, the relevant competency units. What is regulated is the tree itself: local planning schemes, vegetation protection overlays and significant tree registers control removal, and state legislation protects some species and habitat.

There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.

Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.

Common questions

Who should I hire for a tree that needs removing
A qualified arborist — and check your council's rules before you book, because most local governments control the removal of trees above a certain size or of listed species, and removing one without consent carries substantial penalties that fall on the owner, not the contractor.
Do I need council permission to remove a tree on my own property?
In most Australian councils, for trees above a certain height or trunk circumference, or of listed species, or in a vegetation protection area — yes. The thresholds and the lists vary between councils on adjoining streets, so the only reliable answer comes from your own council. Penalties for removing a protected tree are significant and are directed at the owner.
What is the difference between an arborist and a tree lopper?
An arborist holds a qualification in arboriculture and can assess a tree's health, structure and risk, and write a report a council will accept. Anyone can call themselves a lopper. For removal of a healthy tree the practical difference is smaller; for pruning, for assessing whether a tree is dangerous, and for anything that needs a report, it is the whole thing.
How much of my neighbour's overhanging branch can I cut?
The common-law position across Australia is generally that you may prune back to the boundary at your own cost, and that the cut material belongs to the tree's owner. That general position is modified by council tree controls, which may protect the tree regardless of whose side the branch is on — so the council question comes first here too.

Find a Arborist near you

918 arborists in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.

Who to hire for

General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.