What is the cheapest tree work on Teesside?

A small ornamental removal on open ground, £150 to £200, or a single stump grind at £60 to £80. The cheapest legitimate big-tree work comes from keeping the chip and timber, and booking outside the autumn storm rush.

Why did my two quotes differ by £400 for the same tree?

Almost always the access plan and the waste plan. One is rigging and removing everything; the other is felling and leaving you the chip. Compare the written line items, not the totals.

Does a dead tree cost less to remove?

Not always. Ash dieback makes wood brittle, so dead ash often cannot be climbed or rigged in the usual way and needs a platform or a slower sectional dismantle. Dead trees also get more dangerous over time, so waiting rarely saves money.

Is stump grinding worth paying for?

Usually yes. An unground stump resprouts (sycamore especially), trips people, and honey fungus can colonise it. At £60 to £250 it is the small line item that finishes the job properly.

How much does tree surgery cost in Teesside? (2026)

Most domestic tree jobs on Teesside cost £300 to £900 in 2026. Small removals £150 to £400, large dismantles £500 to £1,500, crown reductions £200 to £600, stump grinding £60 to £250 per stump, hedge cutting £80 to £300, emergency callouts £250 to £800. Access is the single biggest price driver, all covered below.

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Last updated: August 2026, prices reviewed quarterly.

Why access beats everything else

Two identical sycamores can price £400 apart, and the difference is almost never the tree. It is what the tree is standing over. A tree on an open lawn can often be felled in one piece and processed where it lands: an hour or two of cutting, then chipping. The same tree overhanging a conservatory in Acklam, with no side access, has to be climbed and dismantled in roped sections, every branch lowered by hand, and the timber carried out through the house. That is a full day for a two or three person crew with rigging kit, and it prices accordingly.

When your quote lands, look at the access story it tells. A cheap quote for a tree with bad access usually means one of two things: the plan is optimistic, or the corners being cut are yours.

What is actually in a tree surgery quote

A written quote should itemise: the work itself (fell, dismantle, reduce by a stated percentage), what happens to the arisings (the branches and timber), whether stump grinding is included or priced separately, and VAT. The arisings line matters more than people expect. Leaving you the chip for borders and the timber cut to log length can knock £100 or more off a job, because tipping fees and the diesel to get there are real costs. Taking everything away needs a licensed waste carrier, and the licence number belongs on the quote.

Per-job pricing, honestly assessed

Tree removal, £150 to £1,500

Small trees under 8m, most fruit trees and ornamentals, run £150 to £400 depending on whether they can be felled whole. Large removals and dismantles run £500 to £1,500, pushed higher by rigging over buildings, proximity to phone lines and poor access. Dead ash from dieback can cost more to remove than healthy trees, because brittle wood cannot be climbed or rigged conventionally.

Crown reduction and pruning, £200 to £600

Priced by tree size and the percentage coming off. A 20 to 30% reduction on a mature lime or sycamore is typically £300 to £500. Beware the word "topping" at a discount: lopping a tree flat is not a reduction, it regrows denser and weaker, and it halves the tree's life.

Stump grinding, £60 to £250 per stump

Priced by diameter and access for the grinder. Small stumps near a gate are cheap; a 90cm Leylandii stump at the bottom of a terraced yard, with the machine coming through the house, is at the top of the range. Multiple stumps in one visit always price better per stump.

Hedge cutting, £80 to £300

A short beech hedge, one visit a year, sits near the bottom. A 15-metre Leylandii screen needing both sides and the top sits near the top, mostly because of the waste volume: a big conifer cut fills a chipper for hours.

Emergency callout, £250 to £800

Storm work prices on danger, not size. A hung-up branch over a public path at Seaton Carew is urgent and priced as such; the same branch over open lawn can wait for a normal slot and a normal price. Out-of-hours and weekend work adds a premium everywhere on Teesside.

The extras that move quotes

TPO and conservation area checks: free, and should happen before quoting. Working a protected tree without consent is an unlimited fine, so any quote that skips the check is a red flag.
Waste removal: stated per job, not assumed. Keeping the chip is the cheapest option.
Traffic and parking: trees on busy Middlesbrough or Stockton frontages may need a chapter 8 setup or a parking suspension, which adds cost.
Power and phone lines: work near lines needs utility coordination and slows the job.

How to judge a quote properly

Get it in writing, itemised, and compare like for like: the exact work, the arisings plan, stump inclusion, insurance level (£5 million public liability as standard) and VAT. The cheapest number attached to a vague description is the most expensive way to buy tree work. Seasonal note for 2026: winter is the quiet season and prices keenest, though nesting checks still apply from March. Storm weeks in autumn book out fast, so a pre-winter inspection of anything you are unsure about is money well spent.

Teesside tree surgery prices by job type (2026)
Job	Typical price	Low end	High end
Small tree removal (under 8m)	£150 to £400	£150 open lawn fell	£400 sectioned over a shed
Large tree removal / dismantle	£500 to £1,500	£500 clear garden	£1,500+ rigging over buildings
Crown reduction or prune	£200 to £600	£200 small ornamental	£600 mature broadleaf
Stump grinding	£60 to £250 per stump	£60 small, open access	£250 large, tight access
Hedge cutting	£80 to £300	£80 short run, one side	£300 tall Leylandii screen
Emergency / storm callout	£250 to £800	£250 make-safe only	£800 full out-of-hours removal