Can I cut down a tree in my own Edinburgh garden?

Not always. Trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and most trees in a conservation area, need council notification or consent before work. The council's tree officer confirms the position for a specific address.

What insurance should a tree surgeon carry?

Public liability of £5 million is common for tree work given the risk to buildings, cars and passers-by. Ask to see the certificate and check it is current.

Who is liable when a neighbour's tree overhangs my property?

In Scotland you may generally cut back growth to the boundary, but the cuttings and any fruit belong to the tree's owner, and TPO or conservation-area protection still applies. Speaking to the neighbour first avoids most disputes.

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Property services

Tree surgeons in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Pruning, felling, deadwood removal and stump grinding.

Tree work covers crown reduction, thinning, deadwood removal, felling and stump grinding. It is the most dangerous domestic trade on this site, and also the one where uninsured operators are most common.

The legal position matters as much as the arboriculture. Trees in conservation areas and trees with a Tree Preservation Order are protected, and cutting one without permission is a criminal offence with a substantial fine.

When Edinburgh owners call tree surgeons

A tree is overhanging a neighbour's roof or dropping deadwood onto a path.
A Home Report or buyer's surveyor has raised a tree close to the building.
Light into a rear room is being blocked and a crown reduction would help.
Storm damage has left a hanging limb, which is an emergency, not a quote job.

Local context: Edinburgh and the Lothians

Much of central Edinburgh sits within a conservation area, so six weeks' written notice to the City of Edinburgh Council is generally required before working on a tree, even in your own garden. A competent tree surgeon will confirm the status before quoting and will not start until the notice period has run.

Mature limes, sycamores and beeches in Victorian gardens sit close to sandstone boundary walls and Victorian drains. Root damage claims and subsidence questions come up regularly in Home Reports, so a written arboricultural opinion is often more useful than immediate felling.

What this work typically costs

Published ranges are market context gathered from local jobs, not a quotation. We do not price work, arrange it or take a cut of it — always get your own written quotes.

Job	Typical range	What moves the price
Crown reduction, medium garden tree	£400-£1,200	Access, drop zone and waste volume.
Deadwood removal	£250-£600	Cheaper combined with other work on the same visit.
Fell a large tree in a confined garden	£900-£3,000	Sectional dismantling with rope lowering costs far more than a straight fell.
Stump grinding	£150-£500	Diameter and machine access through the property.
Arboricultural report	£300-£700	Useful where a mortgage lender or buyer has raised a concern.

Tenements and common repairs

Trees in a shared rear green belong to all the owners collectively, so one flat cannot instruct felling. Where a tree is genuinely dangerous, urgent works can be instructed, but keep the evidence — photographs, the arborist's written opinion — to justify the shared cost.

Branches overhanging from a neighbour's garden may be cut back to the boundary at your own cost, but the material remains theirs and the tree may still be protected. Check the conservation-area position first.

More on shared repairs and selling a tenement flat

What to check before you instruct

Arboricultural Association membership where claimed
£5m public liability is common for tree work
Tree Preservation Order and conservation-area checks

£5m public liability: Tree work commonly requires £5m cover. Ask for the certificate and check the date, every time.
Arboricultural Association membership: Where claimed, verify it on the Arboricultural Association's approved contractor list.
TPO and conservation check: Ask the contractor to confirm in writing whether council notice or consent is required and who submits it.
Qualified climbers: Ask about NPTC or equivalent chainsaw and aerial rescue tickets for the people actually climbing.

We publish factual detail supplied by each business. We do not rate, rank, endorse or guarantee anyone listed, and no business pays for placement. Checking registration, insurance and references is always your decision.

Questions to ask before you instruct

Is this tree protected, and have you checked with the council?
What is your public liability cover and can I see the certificate?
Who removes the arisings and is chipping included?
Will you need access through a neighbour's garden?
What is your method for lowering limbs over the greenhouse or shed?
Can you provide a written report I can give a buyer's surveyor?

Businesses listed

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Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.

Read our guide on tree surgeons

Tree surgeons: common questions

Can I cut down a tree in my own Edinburgh garden?: Not always. Trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and most trees in a conservation area, need council notification or consent before work. The council's tree officer confirms the position for a specific address.
What insurance should a tree surgeon carry?: Public liability of £5 million is common for tree work given the risk to buildings, cars and passers-by. Ask to see the certificate and check it is current.
Who is liable when a neighbour's tree overhangs my property?: In Scotland you may generally cut back growth to the boundary, but the cuttings and any fruit belong to the tree's owner, and TPO or conservation-area protection still applies. Speaking to the neighbour first avoids most disputes.