From the lake to the bay
Tree removal in Newcastle
Most trees on a suburban block come down in pieces, each one lowered past the roof and the fence, and the council question gets answered before the saw comes out.
Tree removal
What sets the price of a removal
Two trees of the same size can be quoted a long way apart, and the reason is nearly always what surrounds them.
What is under it
A roof, a pool, a shed or the neighbour's yard means the tree comes down in short sections, each one tied off and lowered rather than dropped.
Slope, lanes and stairs
Steep drives, rear lanes and terrace yards decide whether a machine can reach the tree or the whole job is climbed and carried out by hand.
Where the timber goes
The City of Newcastle does not pick up green waste cut from trees situated on private property, so cartage or chipping on site is written into the quote.
How it works
From the first message to a written quote
The council question is settled before any price, and nothing is booked until you have said yes to a quote in writing.
- 1
Tell us what the tree is doing
Where it stands, what it hangs over and what you would like done about it.
- 2
A contractor comes to see it
A tree contractor who covers your suburb looks at the tree, the access and what is underneath it.
- 3
The council question is answered
Your council, the tree's height and trunk, its distance from the house and the species decide whether a permit or an exemption applies.
- 4
You get it in writing
Scope, timber, stump and date on one page, and nothing is booked until you have said yes.
Removal questions
The stump, the timber and the neighbours
Is the stump part of the removal?
Only if the quote says so. Grinding is priced on its own, because nobody knows what is under a stump until the tree is off it.
Where does the green waste end up?
Often at Summerhill, where the City of Newcastle says green waste is processed, in a separate area on-site, into mulch for landscaping. In Lake Macquarie, Awaba takes garden waste and charges according to the weight and type of waste.
Do the neighbours need to know?
It helps to tell them, especially if sections have to be lowered over their side. Anything on their side of the fence needs their agreement first.
