Start With the Paperwork, Not the Chainsaw

A large tree is rarely just a tree. Before anyone climbs it, cuts it or feeds it through a chipper, you need to be certain you have the right to remove it. The starting point is ownership: a tree belongs to whoever owns the land its trunk grows on, regardless of how far the branches stretch into next door's garden. Where a trunk sits exactly on a boundary, you may jointly own it, and that means you need your neighbour's written agreement before work begins.

Check the title deeds and any boundary plans you hold, then move on to the legal protections:

• Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Contact your local planning authority before doing anything. Removing a protected tree without written consent can lead to an unlimited fine, and you will usually wait around eight weeks for a decision.
• Conservation areas. You must give the council six weeks' written notice before felling or heavy pruning, even where no TPO exists.
• Felling licences. In woodland, felling more than five cubic metres in a calendar quarter generally needs a licence from the forestry authority, though there are exemptions for dangerous trees and small-scale work.
• Planning conditions. On newer developments, landscaping conditions or a Tree Protection Plan may restrict what you can remove.

Check for Wildlife Before You Book Anything

This is the part most homeowners overlook, and it is the part that carries the heaviest legal weight. All British bats and their roosts are protected, and a mature tree with holes, splits, loose bark or dense ivy is exactly the sort of place a bat will settle. If a roost is present, you need a licensed ecologist to survey and, if necessary, obtain a licence from the relevant statutory body before any disturbance.

Birds are the other common obstacle. Wild birds, their nests and their eggs are protected while in use, which in practice means avoiding tree work between March and August. Other species worth a moment's thought include red squirrels, dormice and, in the case of veteran trees with deadwood, a whole community of invertebrates and fungi. The ideal window for most large removals is late autumn and winter, when nesting has finished and the tree's structure is easy to read without leaves — but even then, a roost check is sensible.

Ask Whether Removal Is Really the Only Option

A sound arboriculturist will often talk you out of felling. Crown reduction, thinning, deadwood removal, cable bracing, pollarding or simply managing the ground beneath a tree can solve many of the problems people assume need a stump. Subsidence, blocked light and falling debris are all worth investigating properly rather than treating with a saw.

Commission a written tree survey from someone suitably qualified — look for a Professional Member of the Arboricultural Association or a Chartered Arboriculturist — and ask them to explain their reasoning. There are cases where removal is clearly right: a tree with advanced ash dieback, significant decay at the base, a failed root plate or one that has become genuinely dangerous in a public space. Ask for that judgement in writing, with photographs, so you have a record.

Getting Quotes You Can Actually Compare

Never accept a price over the phone for a large tree. Insist on a site visit and at least three written quotes. When comparing them, check the following:

• Insurance. Public liability of at least £5 million, plus employers' liability if they have staff. Ask to see the certificate.
• Competence. NPTC or Lantra City & Guilds certificates for chainsaw and aerial work.
• Waste. A registered waste carrier certificate if they are taking arisings away.
• Scope. Is stump grinding, VAT and site clearance included? Where will the timber and chip go?
• Documentation. A method statement and risk assessment, particularly for anything near a road or power line.

Be wary of anyone who turns up uninvited offering to deal with a tree on the spot.

Neighbours, Access and Ground Protection

Talk to your neighbours early, even if you do not strictly need their permission. Let them know dates, explain what machinery will be used and warn them about noise. If access runs across their land or if a road needs closing, you may need their consent or a parking suspension from the council.

Protect everything else on site. Other trees are easily damaged by machinery compacting the soil over their roots, so fence off root protection areas and keep the chipper, timber and vehicles away from them. Agree working hours — typically 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays — and stick to them.

After the Tree Has Gone

Decide what happens to the stump. Grinding to around 250–300mm below ground is usual if you plan to replant or lay a lawn, though some people prefer to leave a stump as a wildlife feature. If a TPO consent included a condition to replant, choose a species suited to your soil and to a changing climate: field maple, hornbeam, lime, wild cherry and oak are all solid choices for most UK gardens.

Water new trees properly for their first two or three summers and mulch them well, keeping mulch clear of the trunk. Finally, update your records — write down what was removed, when, and why. If anyone ever questions the decision, that note, along with your survey and consents, will tell the whole story.