Case study · Hawkhurst
A Silver Birch reduced from ladder, rope and Harness
A semi mature Silver Birch in a back garden, we've trimmed and shaped this before and well, it was that time again.
Read the case studyCrown reduction
Crown reduction is the standard answer when a tree is too big for the garden but you'd rather keep it than fell it. We take the height and spread down in small cuts, working to BS3998, so the tree keeps its form and carries on. NPTC qualified, fully insured, TPO and Section 211 paperwork handled for you.
The service
What it is, and what it isn't
Crown reduction is what we do when a tree has outgrown its spot but you want to keep it. We take the height and spread down in small cuts, working to the natural shape, so the tree keeps its form and carries on. Done properly, it should look like we haven't been there, just a bit tidier and a bit smaller.
A lot of people call this tree lopping or tree trimming. Those are the everyday words, but the proper job is a crown reduction, worked back to a growth point, not the top lopped off at a convenient height.
Done badly, you get a topped tree that grows back angry and costs you twice. A proper reduction works back to a growth point every time, keeping the branch structure intact. Topping is hacking the head off a tree at a convenient height and leaving stubs. They're not the same job, and BS3998 is clear on which is which.
When a reduction is the right call
- The tree is too close to a building and the crown is pushing into brickwork, gutters or windows.
- A large limb is reaching over a conservatory, greenhouse or garage roof.
- The crown has gone out of balance, usually after a previous bad cut or a storm.
- A neighbour's light or garden is being shaded by the side of the tree that's grown out.
- Storm damage has taken a section and the tree needs reshaping to keep its form.
- It's a thirsty species sat close to the house on clay. Cutting the leaf area cuts the water it draws, which is the sane answer where felling would risk heave. Our tree distance checker tells you whether yours is in that bracket.
How we work
How we do it
- Site visitWe come and look, agree the target reduction with you, and a quote follows.
- Nesting-bird check between March and AugustLegal duty, and we do it honestly. If there's an active nest, we wait or we work around it.
- Small cuts back to a growth point, to BS3998No stubs, no chopping. We always reduce back to growth points to keep the shape and vigour of the tree.
- Waste chipped on site, cleared on the truckLogs stacked where you want them, arisings chipped and away, drive blown clear before we leave.
When to do it
Timing depends on the species. Most reductions are best done in the dormant season, and fruit trees run to their own rules. Not sure when yours wants doing? Check any tree or hedge's window on the tree and hedge care calendar, or read up on when to prune apple trees and when to prune acers and magnolias.
What we won't do
We don't top trees. If someone's told you to top an oak or a lime, ask them whether they're NPTC qualified and what BS3998 says about it. Topping is a near-guaranteed way to shorten a tree's life and double the cost over ten years, and we won't do it. We'll offer a proper crown reduction instead, or we'll explain honestly if felling is the right answer.
TPOs and conservation areas
If your tree sits in a conservation area and is over 75mm in diameter at 1.5 metres off the ground, you generally need to file a Section 211 notice with the council before any work starts. The council then has six weeks to respond. A TPO'd tree is a separate process and needs a formal application, regardless of the conservation area status. We file the paperwork with your local council on your behalf, with the method, the species and the reason, and we wait the clock out before we put a saw in.
Pricing guide
What crown reduction costs
We have gathered publicly available pricing so you can see the range before we visit. Below is what the main UK cost guides publish for crown reduction, and then how we price yours.
What moves the price
- height and spread. A taller, wider crown is more climbing, more cuts and more brash.
- access for kit. If the chipper can't get near, everything is carried, and time is money.
- TPO paperwork. A protected tree needs an application before a saw starts. We file it.
- waste off site. Chipping and carting the arisings away is a real share of the day.
How we price it
Every tree is different, so we quote per tree after a site visit. Species, size, access, waste and whether the tree is TPO'd all change the number. We'll walk the job with you, agree the target reduction, and put a written quote in front of you within two working days.
See how we price every job, across tree surgery and fencing →
What customers say
Reviews from tree surgery work
5.0 across 12 Google reviews, all verifiable on our profile
★★★★★“Josh has done a variety of jobs for us on several occasions. This has included helping us to manage a small woodland addressing storm damage, logging, chipping, and tree management generally. Plus a bit of hard landscaping and groundwork too! His work is always first class; tidy, efficient, on time and on budget. We are a return customer. Highly recommended!”
★★★★★“We recently had JM Tree services to carry out work on a large Oak tree and we could not be more pleased with how the work was done and how tidy they left the site when the work was done. We would highly recommend them”
Related work
Related work
Recent tree surgery jobs that involved crown reduction.
Case study
Crown work on a mature oak above a working tea rooms.
A tall mature oak standing right over the roof of a small seaside tea rooms. The owners wanted weight off the limbs above the building without losing the tree's shape. Reduced and cleaned out, kept the canopy intact, no disruption to trade.
Read the case study
Case study · Hastings
A TPO'd oak reduced, not felled.
A mature English Oak in decline in a Hastings garden. They'd been told by another firm to fell it. We didn't think that was the answer this time. We reduced the crown right back, took out the dead wood, brought the sail in, and gave the tree another chance. On this occasion the client was happy not to be buying logs for a while.
Read the case study Where we work
Crown reduction across East Sussex
We cover about twenty miles around Heathfield, which takes in Hastings, Battle, Bexhill, Rye and the villages between. Each town page has what the ground and the trees are actually like there.
Common questions
Crown reduction questions
What's the difference between crown reduction and topping?
Crown reduction takes height and spread off a tree in small cuts back to a growth point, working to BS3998. The tree keeps its form and carries on. Topping is hacking the head off at a convenient height and leaving stubs. Topped trees grow back angry and cost you twice. We don't top.
Do you handle TPO and Section 211 paperwork?
Yes. If your tree sits in a conservation area or carries a Tree Preservation Order, we file the Section 211 notice or the TPO application with your local council on your behalf, and wait the six-week clock out before any cuts are made.
How much can you take off in one visit?
BS3998 limits a single reduction to about 30% of the canopy on most species, less on older or stressed trees. Anything more than that and we'd phase the work over two visits across two seasons, to keep the tree in good health.
When can I have the work done?
Most of the year. Between March and August we check for nesting birds before any cuts, and if there's an active nest we'll wait or work around it. Outside that window, anytime.
Why won't you give a price over the phone?
Because I would be guessing, and a guess helps nobody. A 12 metre beech over a greenhouse is a different job to the same beech over open lawn. I come and look, usually within a few days. Then you get a fixed written quote that does not change.
Is a very cheap quote a red flag?
Often, yes. The lowest numbers in the cost guides usually mean no insurance, no waste disposal, and topping instead of a proper reduction. A reduction to BS3998 keeps the tree healthy and the regrowth manageable.
What does your price include?
Everything. The climb, the cuts, chipping the brash, and taking the waste away. The lawn gets raked before we leave. £5m public liability insurance stands behind all of it. If the tree is protected, the TPO paperwork is part of the job.
Got a tree you're not sure about?
Fill in the quote form or give us a call and we'll come and have a look. No charge for the visit, no hard sell.