Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Croydon

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by our arboricultural team. By making a booking, accepting a quotation, or allowing work to begin, the client agrees to these terms in full. They are written to be clear, fair, and consistent with UK consumer and business law, while also reflecting the practical nature of tree work, which can involve changing site conditions, access limitations, weather disruption, and health and safety requirements.

In these terms, references to Tree Surgeons Croydon, we, us, and our mean the service provider carrying out the works. References to you and the client mean the person, company, landlord, managing agent, or property owner who requests the services. These terms apply to all services, including tree pruning, crown reduction, felling, stump grinding, hedge cutting, emergency call-outs, site clearance, and related arboricultural work.

We aim to operate with professionalism, care, and compliance. However, tree surgery is a specialist field, and every tree, garden, and site is different. The scope of work may need to be adjusted where safety concerns, hidden defects, wildlife protections, or unforeseen site constraints arise. Any changes to the original quotation or method of work will be discussed with the client where reasonably practicable.

1. Booking Process

Bookings may be made after an initial enquiry and site assessment, either from photographs, a remote discussion, or an on-site inspection where required. A quotation may be provided as an estimate or as a fixed price, depending on the information available at the time. A booking is only confirmed once the client accepts the quotation and, where requested, pays any agreed deposit or booking fee. Acceptance may be given verbally, in writing, or by electronic confirmation.

Before work starts, the client must provide accurate information about the property, access arrangements, tree ownership, any Tree Preservation Order status, conservation area controls, shared boundaries, underground services, overhead cables, and any known hazards. If any information is incorrect or incomplete, we may revise the quotation, pause the work, or decline to proceed. We are entitled to rely on the information supplied by the client when preparing our price and planning the task.

Where work depends on permissions or approvals, the client is responsible for obtaining all necessary consents before the scheduled date. This includes, where applicable, planning approval, landlord consent, freeholder approval, managing agent permission, party wall-related arrangements, or written authorisation from all relevant owners. If the client asks us to attend a site and permission has not been secured, we may charge a call-out or abortive attendance fee.

2. Scope of Services

Our services are defined by the written quotation or agreed work description. Any item not expressly included is excluded unless agreed in writing. This may include timber removal, stump grinding, waste clearance, hedge disposal, access equipment, traffic management, or additional labour. If we discover during the job that extra work is required, we will seek the client’s approval before carrying it out, unless immediate action is needed for safety reasons.

We will use reasonable skill and care in delivering arboricultural services in line with generally accepted industry practice. However, tree surgery is not an exact science, and natural variation in trees means that results cannot be guaranteed to be uniform. Factors such as growth habit, weather, structural defects, disease, and previous pruning history may affect the outcome. We do not guarantee that a tree will survive, remain stable indefinitely, or respond in a particular way after works have been completed.

3. Pricing and Payments

Prices will be set out in the quotation, together with any assumptions on which the price is based. Unless stated otherwise, quotations are valid for a limited period and may be withdrawn or revised after that time. Prices may be subject to change if the specification changes, access conditions differ from those described, or if unforeseen hazards require additional labour, equipment, or disposal arrangements.

Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due upon completion of the work and must be made by the method specified on the invoice. For larger projects, we may require a deposit before booking the work and staged payments during the course of the project. Deposits are used to secure a date, reserve labour, and cover planning or preparatory costs. They may be non-refundable where the client cancels late or fails to meet agreed conditions.

Invoices must be paid in full by the due date stated on the invoice. If payment is late, we reserve the right to charge interest and recovery costs in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 where applicable, or to pursue lawful recovery measures for consumer debts where permitted. Title to any goods supplied, including timber products or other materials specifically sold, does not pass until we have received full payment.

4. Cancellations, Rescheduling, and Delays

The client may cancel or reschedule a booking by giving reasonable notice. Because tree surgery is often planned around staff allocation, machinery, traffic arrangements, and waste transport, short-notice cancellation may result in a fee to cover losses and administrative costs. The amount charged will depend on the work reserved, the notice given, and any expenses already incurred. We will always act reasonably when assessing cancellation charges.

Where severe weather, unsafe ground conditions, equipment failure, illness, traffic disruption, or other events outside our control affect performance, we may postpone or rearrange the appointment. If we are unable to access the site safely, or if carrying out the work would create unacceptable risk, we may suspend the service until conditions improve. In such cases, we will try to offer a revised date within a reasonable time, but we are not responsible for losses arising from delay unless caused by our negligence.

5. Client Obligations

The client must ensure that the site is ready for work on the agreed date. This includes providing safe access, removing obstacles where reasonably possible, securing pets, and ensuring that any required parking permissions or access arrangements are in place. If gates, driveways, or communal areas are locked or obstructed, and this prevents completion of the work, we may charge for wasted attendance and any additional return visit.

The client is also responsible for informing us of any hidden hazards, including buried services, unstable structures, protected wildlife, pest infestations, contaminated ground, or known subsidence issues. If the client asks us to work near structures, glass, greenhouses, fences, sheds, or delicate surfaces, the client accepts the ordinary risk of minor cosmetic disturbance that may arise during standard tree operations, unless damage is caused by our negligence.

6. Liability and Insurance

We will take reasonable care to avoid damage and injury, and we carry insurance appropriate to the services we provide. However, tree surgery involves cutting, lowering, rigging, climbing, machinery use, and movement of heavy timber, which means some risk is unavoidable. We are not liable for damage caused by defects in the tree, hidden weaknesses, pre-existing deterioration, or matters outside our control, provided we have acted with reasonable skill and care.

Our liability for direct loss or damage arising from our negligence, breach of contract, or failure to use reasonable care will be limited to the amount paid or payable for the specific work giving rise to the claim, except where the law does not allow such limitation. We do not exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under UK law.

We are not responsible for indirect or consequential losses, including loss of profit, loss of enjoyment, business interruption, or delayed use of property, unless such liability cannot lawfully be excluded. The client should not assume that any work will resolve structural, disease, or growth issues permanently. Advice provided by our tree surgeons is based on the visible condition of the tree at the time of inspection and does not amount to a guarantee or a warranty of future performance.

7. Waste, Timber, and Environmental Regulations

Waste generated during tree surgery may include branches, leaves, woodchip, timber, stumps, and related organic material. We will handle and dispose of green waste in a lawful and environmentally responsible way, in line with applicable waste duty of care requirements and environmental regulations. Unless otherwise agreed, waste disposal is included or excluded according to the quotation. The client should not assume that all arisings will be removed unless this has been clearly stated.

Where timber is left on site at the client’s request, ownership of the timber passes only if the quotation or written agreement says so. If the client wants logs, woodchip, or other arisings retained for personal use, this must be agreed before work starts. We may need to separate waste streams for transport, recycling, composting, or disposal at approved facilities. Any contamination of waste, such as soil, household rubbish, plaster, or construction debris, may result in extra charges.

8. Wildlife, Tree Protection, and Legal Compliance

We aim to comply with all relevant UK laws relating to tree works, wildlife protection, health and safety, and waste management. If we identify evidence of nesting birds, bats, or other protected species, we may stop work and request further advice or inspection before continuing. The client accepts that such discoveries may cause delays, rescheduling, or changes to the planned method of work. We will not knowingly carry out work that would breach wildlife or conservation law.

For trees subject to legal protection, or where local authority consent is required, the client is responsible for ensuring that all necessary approvals have been obtained before work begins. If lawful permissions are later found to be absent, we may suspend the service and charge for costs already incurred. We will not be liable for penalties, enforcement action, or third-party claims arising from the client’s failure to secure permissions, unless we have expressly agreed in writing to handle that process and have acted negligently.

9. Complaints and Remedies

If the client believes that the service has not been delivered in accordance with the quotation or these terms, the client should raise the issue as soon as reasonably possible after completion. We may request photographs, site details, or access to inspect the matter. Where a complaint is justified, our first response may be to reattend and rectify the issue within a reasonable time, to the extent that this is practical and proportionate.

Any claim must be made within a reasonable time and, in any event, as soon as the issue becomes apparent. The client must take reasonable steps to prevent further loss or damage. We will not be responsible for problems made worse by delay in reporting, by interference from third parties, or by the client’s own attempts to alter or repair the affected area without our agreement.

10. Data and Privacy

We may collect and store limited personal data necessary to manage enquiries, bookings, invoicing, compliance, and service delivery. This may include names, addresses, email details, telephone numbers, property information, and payment records. Personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection law. We will not sell client data and will only share it where required for service delivery, legal compliance, or debt recovery.

11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them or in connection with them, shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where consumer law provides otherwise. Nothing in these terms affects statutory rights that cannot be waived or limited by agreement.

12. General Provisions

If any part of these terms is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force. A failure by us to enforce any right or provision at a particular time does not waive that right or provision. Any variation to these terms must be agreed in writing. These terms form the entire agreement between the client and Tree Surgeons Croydon in relation to the services supplied, unless a separate written contract says otherwise.

The client confirms that they have the authority to instruct the work and to permit access to the property. By proceeding with the booking, the client acknowledges that tree work can involve unavoidable variability, and that outcomes depend on natural conditions and lawful site access. We recommend that all clients review these terms carefully before confirming any service, so that expectations, responsibilities, and payment arrangements are understood from the outset.