You manage a site with trees on it. An industrial estate. A business park. A school. A retail unit with a car park and a line of mature poplars along the boundary. Someone has to look after the trees, because they do not stop growing just because you have other things to do.
It is not the same as domestic tree work. The trees are bigger. The insurance requirements are higher. The paperwork is different. And the person making the decision usually has a dozen other things to manage before the trees.
This is what you need to know before you call.
How commercial tree work is different
Domestic tree surgery is one homeowner, one garden, one afternoon. Commercial work operates on a different level.
1. Insurance. Commercial sites often require £10 million public liability. Most domestic tree surgeons carry £5 million. If your site contract specifies £10 million, check before you book. We carry it.
2. Method statements. Every commercial job needs a site-specific risk assessment and method statement. Not a template. Written for your site. It covers access, plant, overhead cables, underground services, neighbouring properties, traffic management, and waste disposal. You get it before work starts.
3. Programme. A domestic job fits around the homeowner's day. A commercial job fits around your site operations. We work evenings, weekends, bank holidays. Whatever causes the least disruption to your business. The programme is agreed before anyone starts cutting.
4. Scale. A domestic garden might have three trees. A commercial site might have thirty. Each with its own constraints. Buildings, car parks, footpaths, roads, boundaries, services. A tree 2 metres from a warehouse loading bay is not treated the same as a tree in an open field.
What to have ready before you call
The more you can send before we visit, the faster you get a price and a programme.
Site plan. A drawing showing the site boundaries, buildings, roads, footpaths, and the trees that need work. Marked up if you have it. Even a Google Maps screenshot with circles round the trees helps.
Tree survey. If your site has had a BS5837 survey, send it. If not, we can look at the trees during the site visit and tell you what needs doing.
TPO or Conservation Area status. Protected trees need consent before work starts. If you know a tree is protected, tell us upfront. If you do not know, we check.
Service drawings. Underground services near the trees. Gas, water, electric. If the tree is next to a main road, overhead cables matter too. We cannot dig a stump out if a gas main runs right under it.
Access restrictions. Gate widths. Weight limits. Height limits. Opening hours. Anything that affects what equipment we can bring. A 3-tonne chipper will not get through a standard pedestrian gate.
Your contact on site. Someone who can let us in and sign off the work. If that is you, fine. If it is the security guard, tell us. We need to know who to talk to on the morning.
What a commercial programme looks like
Every site is different. But here is a typical commercial programme for a business park with 15 to 20 trees needing varied work.
Day 0. Site visit. We walk the site with you. You point at trees. We tell you what needs doing and why.
Within 3 days. Written quote. Fixed price. RAMS included.
Agreed date. Work starts. Usually within 2 to 4 weeks of quote acceptance. Sooner for dead or dangerous trees.
During work. We work around your site operations. Car parks stay open. Deliveries continue. The site stays live. If a tree is blocking a fire escape, we deal with that first.
After work. All waste removed. Site left clean. You get a completion note listing what was done and when. If a tree needs revisiting in 12 months, we tell you.
What you do not need to worry about
You do not need to arrange traffic management. We handle it.
You do not need to arrange waste disposal. We take everything.
You do not need to close the site. We work around you.
You do not need to know what a crown reduction is. If the tree needs one, we tell you. In plain English. With a price.
Ongoing maintenance
Most commercial sites benefit from a maintenance visit every 12 months. Trees grow. Deadwood appears. Hedges get shaggy. An annual check catches problems before they become expensive emergencies or insurance claims.
We offer scheduled maintenance visits. Fixed price per visit. No contract. We call when it is due. If you want us to come, we book it. If you do not, fine.
Good maintenance is invisible. The trees are tidy. The car park is clear. Nobody notices until it is not done.
See also: After the BS5837 tree survey: what happens next — how tree categories drive the work. And Site clearance for construction — the practical sequence when trees need to come out before building starts.
Common questions
- How is commercial tree surgery different from domestic?
- Four things set it apart. Insurance: commercial sites typically require £10 million public liability cover. RAMS: every job needs a site-specific risk assessment and method statement before work starts. Programme: we work around your site operations — evenings, weekends, bank holidays. Scale: a commercial site might have 30 trees with different constraints, not 3 trees in a back garden.
- What should a site manager have ready before calling a tree surgeon?
- A site plan showing boundaries, buildings, and trees that need work. Any existing tree survey (BS5837 or similar). TPO or Conservation Area status for protected trees. Service drawings for underground gas, water, and electric. Access restrictions — gate widths, weight limits, height limits, opening hours. And a named contact on site who can let us in and sign off the work.
- What does a typical commercial tree surgery programme look like?
- Day 0: site visit where we walk the site with you. Within 3 days: written fixed-price quote with RAMS included. Agreed date: work starts within 2-4 weeks of quote acceptance, sooner for dead or dangerous trees. During work: we work around site operations — car parks stay open, deliveries continue. After work: all waste removed, site left clean, completion note provided.
- Does the site need to close during commercial tree work?
- No. We work around your operations. Car parks stay open. Deliveries continue. The site stays live. If a tree is blocking a fire escape or access route, we deal with that first. We also do not need you to arrange traffic management or waste disposal — we handle both.
- What ongoing tree maintenance do commercial sites need?
- Most commercial sites benefit from an annual maintenance visit. Trees grow, deadwood appears, hedges get overgrown. A yearly check catches problems before they become expensive emergencies or insurance claims. We offer scheduled visits at a fixed price per visit. No contract. We call when it is due.
Got a site that needs tree work?
We visit the site. We give you a fixed quote. No hidden costs. What we quote, you pay.