Tree Felling & Dismantling
Safe, controlled removal of trees that are dead, dangerous or in the wrong place, including sectional dismantling in tight spaces near buildings.
Straight felling or sectional dismantling
If there is room to drop a tree in one piece, that is the quickest and cheapest way to do it. Most Worthing gardens do not have that room.
The alternative is sectional dismantling: a climber takes the tree down in pieces, roping each section out to a controlled landing point rather than letting it fall. It takes longer and costs more, and it is the only safe option over a conservatory, a greenhouse, a boundary wall or a neighbour's garden.
When felling is the right call
- The tree is dead, or declining past the point of recovery
- There is significant decay at the base or in a major union
- It has been undermined by root damage or is visibly leaning further
- Storm damage has left it structurally unsound
- It is genuinely in the wrong place and reduction will not fix it
We will say if we think felling is not warranted. A tree that can be managed is usually worth managing.
Do you need permission?
This is the part that catches people out.
- Tree Preservation Order, you need the council's consent before felling. Doing it without is a criminal offence and fines can be substantial. Applications take up to eight weeks.
- Conservation area, six weeks' written notice to the council before work on any tree over 75mm diameter, measured at 1.5m from the ground.
- Dead or dangerous trees are exempt from consent, but the notice requirements still apply. Photograph the tree before anyone touches it, that evidence is what protects you afterwards.
- Felling licence, required from the Forestry Commission above 5 cubic metres per calendar quarter. Domestic gardens are exempt, so this almost never applies to a house.
We make TPO and conservation-area applications for you as part of the job.
Trees near power lines
We do not work on trees touching or close to overhead power lines, and neither should anyone else without the network operator involved. If a tree is in contact with a line, call 105, the national power-cut number, which routes to UK Power Networks locally. It is free and they will make it safe.
What about the stump?
Felling leaves a stump at ground level. Grinding it out is a separate operation but much cheaper done at the same visit, while the machine and the crew are already on site. Worth deciding before we quote rather than after.
Wildlife and timing
Nesting birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the main season runs 1 March to 31 August. We check for active nests before starting. Cavities, splits and loose bark are checked for bats before any dismantling, they are protected year round.
What happens on the day
We need parking for the van and chipper and a route to get timber out. Cars off the drive, gates unlocked, and the neighbour warned if we are working near a shared boundary. We sheet lawns and beds where sections are landing. Everything is cleared and swept before we leave; logs stay if you want them for firewood.
How we quote
Free and on site. Felling prices vary enormously with access, a tree we can drop whole in an open garden and a tree we have to rope down in sections over a conservatory are completely different jobs, even if the trees look the same.
Recent work
Tree Felling & Dismantling we have carried out around Worthing and West Sussex.
Rigging a Heavy Stem
Ropes still set on a freshly cut stem. Sections are lowered under control rather than dropped.
Clearing Up On Site
Brash going through the chipper as the job runs. Everything is cleared and swept before we leave.
Conifer Removal
Tall conifers taken down in sections. Nothing here could be felled whole, so each piece came down on ropes.
Common questions
Do I need permission to fell a tree in my garden?
Only if it has a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area, then yes, and doing it without is a criminal offence. Otherwise a garden tree can normally be felled without consent. We check the register for you before quoting.
Do I need a felling licence?
Almost certainly not. Felling licences are required above 5 cubic metres per quarter, and domestic gardens are exempt. They matter for woodland, not for a tree in a back garden.
How do you fell a tree with nowhere to drop it?
Sectional dismantling. A climber takes it down in pieces and ropes each section to a controlled landing point. It is slower and costs more than straight felling, but it is how trees come out safely over conservatories and boundary walls.
What happens to the stump?
Felling leaves it at ground level. Grinding is separate, but it is noticeably cheaper if we do it on the same visit while the crew and machinery are already there, worth deciding before we quote.
Will you damage my lawn, patio or driveway?
We sheet and board where sections are landing or heavy kit is crossing. Some marking on soft ground in winter is unavoidable, and we will tell you honestly if we think that is likely before we start.
The tree is on the boundary and my neighbour objects, what now?
If the trunk is on your land the tree is yours, but it is worth talking to them first. If ownership is genuinely unclear, that needs settling before work starts, we will not fell a tree with a live dispute over it.
Can you fell a tree near power lines?
Not one in contact with them. Call 105, the free national power-cut number, and the network operator will make it safe. We can take on the work once the line is dealt with.