Choosing who does it
The tree industry has a wide spread of competence and a low barrier to entry. The things that separate the top from the bottom are not subtle.
Insurance. Ask for a certificate of currency for public liability, check the date, and check the business name matches the people turning up. A tree through a roof is a large claim.
Qualifications. Relevant arboriculture qualifications, at minimum for whoever is running the job and doing the cutting.
A written quote with a real scope. Not a number on the back of a card.
Willingness to say no. A contractor who tells you your tree does not need removing, or that they cannot do the job safely with the equipment they have, is worth more than one who says yes to everything.
This site is a referral service and does not verify contractor credentials on your behalf — see the disclaimer. Check them yourself.
Reading the quote
The quote should say which trees, unambiguously identified. What is being removed and what is being left. Whether the stump is included and to what depth. What happens to the brush — chipped and carted, or left. What happens to the hardwood — carted, or left as rounds for firewood. Who is arranging council approval. A date and what happens if weather moves it.
Missing items are where disputes come from. "I assumed the stump was included" is the single most common argument in domestic tree work. The cost guide sets out what the ranges should look like.
Before the day
Clear the access. Move cars, pot plants, bins and the trampoline. Open gates and, if there is a lock, sort the key out beforehand. Every minute the crew spends moving your things is a minute you are paying for.
Tell the neighbours. If the work involves rigging over a shared fence, or a crane on the street, or somebody needing to step onto their land, ask first. This is more than courtesy in the tight streets of Wollongong and the northern villages, where a truck and a chipper occupy most of the road.
Secure pets indoors, and keep children well away for the duration.
On the day
The crew sets up a drop zone and exclusion area, checks for overhead services and underground utilities, and works out where material will be processed. A climber ascends or an elevated platform goes up. Limbs come off in sections, rigged and lowered rather than dropped wherever there is anything below. The stem then comes down in blocks.
Brush goes through the chipper as it comes down, which is why the chipper's position matters so much on a tight block. Hardwood is cut into rounds and either barrowed out or, on a crane job, lifted over the roof to a truck.
Nobody should be inside the exclusion zone, including you. If you want to watch, watch from a window.
Afterwards
The site should be raked, blown down and left tidier than a working site normally looks. Check the fence, the lawn and the paving before the crew leaves, and raise anything then rather than a week later.
The stump is the remaining decision. Grinding for turf, garden or paving; full excavation if a slab, pool or footing is going over the top. Doing it in the same visit is cheaper than calling somebody back.
If it is an emergency instead
Storm work runs differently — triage first, make safe, clean up after. See how to approach cutting through the year for why so much emergency work is preventable.
Ring (02) 4210 5885 for a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare two tree removal quotes?
Put them side by side on scope, not price. Does each include the stump, and to what depth? Does each include carting the timber and the brush, or is one leaving the rounds? Is council approval included? Is public liability insurance current and in the right name? Two quotes a thousand dollars apart are usually two different jobs.
How long does a tree removal take?
A small open-access tree is a morning. A medium tree with climbing and rigging is most of a day. A large tree on a steep block with no machine access can run to several days, and a crane job is usually one intense shift plus a clean-up. The variable is almost never the cutting — it is moving the material off the property.
Do I need to be home on the day?
Not usually, provided access is arranged and the scope is agreed in writing. A great deal of Illawarra work — holiday houses, rental properties, absentee owners — happens with nobody there. Ask for photographs before and after. What you should not do is leave an unclear scope and hope it works out.