Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Ealing
These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeons Ealing. They apply to all quotations, bookings, site visits, and works carried out for domestic and commercial customers. By requesting a quotation, confirming a booking, or allowing work to proceed, the customer agrees to be bound by these terms. Please read them carefully before any tree surgery, pruning, felling, hedge work, stump grinding, or related service is scheduled.
For the purposes of these terms, references to we, us, and our mean the service provider, while you and your mean the customer, property owner, tenant with authority, managing agent, or other person responsible for instructing the work. These terms are intended to be clear and fair, and they are designed to protect both parties by setting expectations about the scope of work, pricing, safety, and legal compliance.
All services are subject to a written or verbal quotation based on the information available at the time of assessment. Because trees, access routes, underground services, and site conditions can vary, quotations are typically estimates unless expressly confirmed as fixed. If the scope changes after a quote has been accepted, including due to hidden decay, storm damage, restricted access, or changes requested by the customer, the price and timetable may need to be revised.
1. Booking Process
Bookings are usually made after an initial enquiry and, where necessary, a site assessment. We may ask for photographs, details of the tree species, approximate height, access conditions, and any known hazards. This helps us provide an accurate quotation and schedule suitable staff, equipment, and waste disposal arrangements. A booking is not confirmed until we have accepted the job in writing or by other clear confirmation and, where required, any deposit has been received.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the person placing the order has authority to do so. If you are booking as a tenant, managing agent, contractor, or on behalf of a third party, you warrant that you have permission from the relevant property owner or decision-maker. We may refuse or postpone work if permission is unclear, access is unsafe, or the work could breach planning, conservation, or tree protection requirements.
Where consent, permission, or notices are required from a local authority, landlord, freeholder, utility provider, or other body, it is the customer’s responsibility to obtain them unless we have expressly agreed otherwise in writing. We may provide general information, but this does not amount to legal advice. If the works are subject to Tree Preservation Orders, conservation area controls, or other restrictions, work will not proceed until the necessary approvals are in place.
2. Scope of Services
Our tree surgery services may include pruning, crown thinning, crown reduction, deadwood removal, sectional dismantling, felling, stump grinding, hedge trimming, site clearance, and related arboricultural works. The exact scope will be agreed before work starts. Any additional tasks requested on the day are subject to availability, a revised quotation if needed, and confirmation that the work can be carried out safely and lawfully.
We will use reasonable skill and care and will aim to complete works in accordance with accepted arboricultural practice. However, trees are living organisms, and outcomes can depend on factors beyond our control, including prior pruning history, disease, weather, structural weakness, and ground conditions. No guarantee is given that a tree will continue to survive, remain stable, or respond in a particular way after work unless specifically stated in writing.
Customers must inform us of any known hazards, including unstable ground, concealed utilities, pest infestations, protected wildlife, aggressive vegetation, asbestos, contaminated land, or any site conditions that may affect the safe delivery of the service. If such conditions are discovered during the works, we may suspend the job, alter the method, or charge additional sums if extra time or equipment is required.
3. Payments
Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due in full upon completion of the works and before final clearance of the site, or within the period stated on the invoice for commercial accounts. We accept the payment methods notified at the time of booking or invoicing. All prices are quoted in pounds sterling and may be subject to VAT where applicable. Any deposit requested secures time in the schedule and may be non-refundable in line with the cancellation terms below.
If a quotation is based on an estimated amount of waste, labour hours, or machine time, and the actual requirements exceed the estimate due to the condition of the site or customer-requested changes, we may issue an additional invoice for the difference. Late payments may incur interest and recovery costs to the extent permitted by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation or other applicable law. We reserve the right to suspend further work or withhold documentation until outstanding sums are paid.
Any discounts, promotional offers, or special rates are offered at our discretion and may be withdrawn at any time before booking confirmation. Quotes are valid for the period stated on the quotation; if no period is stated, they should be treated as valid for a reasonable time only, taking account of market conditions, disposal costs, and seasonal changes. We may adjust pricing if there is a material delay between quotation and service delivery.
4. Cancellations and Rescheduling
If you need to cancel or reschedule, you must tell us as soon as possible. Cancellations made with sufficient notice may not incur a charge, but short-notice cancellations may result in a fee to cover reserved labour, vehicle costs, and lost work opportunities. If a deposit has been paid, it may be retained partly or in full to reflect costs already incurred and the notice given.
We may also cancel or postpone a booking where weather, wind, ice, disease outbreaks, access problems, safety concerns, equipment failure, or legal restrictions make it impractical or unsafe to proceed. Tree surgery is often weather-dependent, and we will act reasonably in deciding whether conditions are suitable. If we reschedule due to reasons within our control, we will arrange a new date as soon as reasonably practicable.
If you are not present at the arranged time and access has not been properly arranged, we may treat the visit as a cancellation or failed attendance and charge accordingly. Where work cannot begin because the site is not ready, utilities have not been isolated, neighbours have not moved vehicles, or required permissions are missing, any associated costs may still be payable. We do not accept responsibility for delays caused by matters outside our reasonable control.
5. Liability and Insurance
We maintain insurance cover that is appropriate to the nature of our business, but nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation. Subject to that, our liability is limited to the total price paid or payable for the specific work giving rise to the claim, except where a different limit is required by law.
We are not liable for damage that arises from pre-existing defects, hidden decay, unstable structures, faulty fencing, underground services not disclosed to us, or other conditions that were not reasonably discoverable before or during the work. We are also not responsible for damage caused by unavoidable access requirements, third-party interference, or the natural shedding of trees and vegetation before, during, or after the service.
You must take reasonable steps to protect valuables, ornaments, vehicles, garden furniture, paving, structures, and vulnerable items near the work area. Although we will take care to minimise disruption, tree surgery can generate sawdust, wood chips, falling branches, and heavy traffic on lawns or driveways. Unless agreed otherwise, we do not accept responsibility for pre-existing wear, fragile surfaces, or minor cosmetic marks that are consistent with normal site operations.
6. Waste, Arisings, and Environmental Regulations
All branches, logs, timber, woodchip, leaves, and other arisings remain our property unless the quotation states otherwise. We may remove waste from site, leave agreed materials for the customer, or stack timber for firewood if specifically requested. Any request to retain or redistribute arisings should be made before work starts so that arrangements can be reflected in the quotation and in the disposal plan.
We will manage green waste in accordance with applicable waste transfer and environmental regulations. This includes transporting waste only through lawful routes and ensuring that disposal, recycling, or reuse occurs at authorised facilities or through approved methods. We aim to follow the principles of waste hierarchy, using reuse and recycling where practical and disposing of waste responsibly where recovery is not possible.
Customers must not ask us to deposit waste unlawfully, burn waste contrary to local or environmental rules, or leave materials in a manner that would create a nuisance, obstruction, or pollution risk. If hazardous or contaminated materials are discovered, we may refuse to handle them and may require specialist arrangements. Any additional disposal charge arising from unusual waste streams, contaminated vegetation, or large volumes beyond the agreed scope may be added to the final invoice.
7. Customer Responsibilities
You must ensure that the site is accessible and that any obvious obstructions are removed before the agreed start time. This includes moving vehicles, securing pets, notifying neighbours if necessary, and ensuring gates, pathways, and work areas can be reached. Where our team needs to work near roads, utilities, or shared access areas, you must cooperate with any reasonable safety measures we put in place.
You are responsible for informing us about underground pipes, cables, drains, septic systems, irrigation systems, or other hidden installations that may be affected by stump grinding, dismantling, or heavy machinery. If this information is not supplied and damage occurs as a result, we may not be responsible. You should also tell us about tree preservation status, legal restrictions, or disputes over ownership or boundary lines before the work starts.
If we consider that the site is unsafe, unlawfully restricted, or materially different from the description provided, we may stop work and either renegotiate the terms or cancel the booking. In such circumstances, any costs already incurred may still be payable. We reserve the right to refuse works that would breach health and safety requirements, environmental law, or any other legal obligation.
8. Complaints and Disputes
If you have a concern about the service, you should raise it promptly so that we can investigate while the facts are fresh. We may ask for photographs, descriptions of the issue, and an opportunity to inspect the site. We will use reasonable efforts to resolve disputes in a fair and practical way, which may include explanation, remedial work, or a partial adjustment if appropriate.
No dispute gives you the right to withhold payment for the undisputed part of the invoice. If an agreed remedy is offered, you must allow us a reasonable opportunity to carry it out before instructing another contractor to intervene. Any third-party remedial work undertaken without our prior consent may affect our ability to assess liability or to resolve the matter efficiently.
Nothing in this section affects your statutory rights as a consumer under applicable UK law. However, where the customer is a business, the contract will be interpreted in accordance with ordinary commercial principles and the parties agree to act reasonably and promptly in resolving operational issues, billing queries, or documentation requests.
9. Governing Law
These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them or in connection with them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where mandatory legal rules provide otherwise. If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remainder shall continue in full force and effect.
We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in law, insurance requirements, operational practice, or payment methods. The version in force at the time of booking will normally apply to that job, unless a change is required by law or is made with your agreement. Continued use of our services after a revision is treated as acceptance of the updated terms.
By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Ealing. These terms are intended to create a transparent working relationship and to ensure that tree surgery services are delivered safely, lawfully, and with clear expectations for all parties.