Tree Surgeons Forestgate Service Terms and Conditions

These Tree Surgeons Forestgate Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery and related arboricultural services are provided to domestic and commercial customers. By making a booking, confirming an estimate, or allowing work to proceed, you agree to these terms. They are designed to create a clear understanding between the customer and the service provider so that the works can be carried out safely, lawfully, and with appropriate expectations on both sides.

For the purposes of this document, references to “we”, “us”, and “our” mean the service provider, and references to “you” and “your” mean the customer, property owner, occupier, or authorised representative instructing the works. These terms apply to all services supplied under the Tree Surgeons Forestgate name, including tree pruning, felling, crown reduction, stump grinding, hedge management, site clearance, emergency work, and associated arboricultural tasks. They should be read alongside any written quotation, scope of works, or service confirmation issued for a particular job.

Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights where you are a consumer. Where you instruct us as a business customer, you acknowledge that additional or different obligations may apply under commercial law. In all cases, our aim is to provide a professional tree surgery service with transparent booking arrangements, fair payment terms, and clear limits on liability.

1. Booking Process

All bookings begin with an enquiry and a review of the proposed works. Depending on the nature of the job, we may request photographs, access details, tree location information, or a site visit before confirming the scope. A quotation or estimate may be provided verbally or in writing, but the exact services included will only be fixed once the booking is accepted and the work is scheduled. Acceptance of a quote does not in itself guarantee a start date unless explicitly stated.

To secure a booking, we may require confirmation by email, message, written instruction, or another recorded method. In some cases, especially where specialist machinery, traffic management, permit-sensitive work, or high-demand scheduling is involved, a deposit may be requested before the appointment is reserved. You are responsible for ensuring that you have authority to instruct the work, including consent from freeholders, landlords, managing agents, neighbours where relevant, or any other interested parties whose approval may be needed.

Before work begins, you must provide accurate information about site conditions and any known hazards. This includes underground services, overhead cables, restricted access, protected trees, nesting birds, wildlife concerns, unstable ground, and any other matter that may affect the safety or legality of the works. If the information supplied is incomplete or incorrect, we may revise the price, postpone the job, or decline to continue if it would be unsafe or unlawful to proceed.

2. Scope of Services and Customer Responsibilities

Our services are performed in line with reasonable professional standards for arboricultural operations. However, the exact outcome of tree surgery can vary depending on tree species, health, location, weather, previous pruning history, and site constraints. Any description of the work should be understood as a practical scope rather than a guarantee of a particular aesthetic result or biological response from the tree. We may adapt the method if needed to maintain safety or to reflect unforeseen site conditions.

You must ensure that the work area is accessible and that obstructions are removed where reasonably possible before the agreed start time. This includes moving vehicles, securing pets, clearing access routes, and ensuring gates, keys, or permits are available if required. If our operatives are unable to start or complete the work because access has not been provided or because the site is unsafe due to your failure to prepare it, we may charge a call-out fee, waiting time, or abortive visit fee.

Where tree works are subject to local authority permission, tree preservation orders, conservation area restrictions, landlord approval, or other statutory control, you are responsible for obtaining the required consents unless we have expressly agreed in writing to assist. We may offer practical guidance, but unless otherwise agreed, we do not act as your legal representative. You remain responsible for compliance with all permissions, notices, and pre-conditions relating to the works.

3. Payments and Charges

Prices are usually based on the quotation issued at the time of booking, provided the work matches the agreed description and site conditions remain materially unchanged. Where the quotation is an estimate rather than a fixed price, the final cost may vary according to the actual time spent, equipment used, waste volume, access difficulty, additional labour, or changes requested by you. Any significant variation will normally be explained before extra work is undertaken, where reasonably practicable.

Unless stated otherwise, payment becomes due immediately on completion of the work. We may accept bank transfer, card payment, or another agreed method, but cash or alternative arrangements are only valid if expressly accepted by us. For larger projects or commercial instructions, we may require staged payments, a deposit, or payment terms set out in the quotation. Late payment may result in administration charges, interest, suspension of future bookings, or referral for recovery action where lawful.

Discounts, promotional rates, or special offers apply only during the stated period and only to the services specified. They cannot usually be combined unless we agree otherwise. If you ask us to carry out additional tasks on the day, such work may be charged separately at the applicable rate. All prices are subject to change before confirmation of booking, and any revised pricing will be communicated as soon as reasonably possible.

4. Cancellations, Rescheduling, and Delays

If you wish to cancel or reschedule, you should notify us as soon as possible. The amount of notice required may depend on the size and complexity of the job. For standard domestic tree surgery, reasonable notice is expected; for larger or multi-day operations, longer notice may be required. Where cancellation is made at short notice, we may charge a cancellation fee to reflect losses already incurred, including staffing, materials, machinery allocation, and lost booking opportunity.

If we must cancel or reschedule because of severe weather, unsafe conditions, equipment failure, illness, access problems, legal restrictions, or any other event outside our reasonable control, we will aim to rearrange the work at the earliest available opportunity. We are not responsible for indirect losses arising from such changes, including inconvenience, missed appointments with third parties, or related project delays. However, where a deposit has been paid for work not yet delivered, we will handle any refund or transfer in accordance with the circumstances and any applicable law.

We may also postpone or stop work if, in our reasonable opinion, continuing would create a risk to health, property, wildlife, or legal compliance. This may occur where conditions change unexpectedly on site, such as deteriorating weather, unstable branches, hidden hazards, or unauthorised interference by others. In such cases, you agree that the work may need to be rescheduled and that additional charges may apply for work already completed.

5. Liability and Insurance

We will take reasonable care when carrying out tree surgery services, but you acknowledge that arboricultural work involves inherent risks. Trees can fail unpredictably, hidden defects can be present, and surrounding structures, fences, lawns, paving, or planting may be affected despite careful working methods. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for loss or damage arising from matters outside our reasonable control or from risks that are inherent in the nature of the work.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under UK law. Subject to that, our total liability for any claim arising from the services shall be limited to the amount paid or payable for the specific work giving rise to the claim, unless a different limit is required by law. We do not accept liability for indirect or consequential losses such as loss of profit, loss of business, or loss of enjoyment.

You are responsible for protecting valuables, fragile items, and sensitive surfaces located near the work area. We will take reasonable steps to avoid unnecessary damage, but you should remove or secure anything that could be harmed by debris, vibration, timber movement, or access by machinery. If you request that certain items remain in place, that request will be at your own risk unless we have expressly agreed to protect them in writing.

6. Waste, Timber, and Environmental Compliance

All green waste, timber, arisings, and stump material are handled in accordance with applicable waste regulations and environmental requirements. Unless otherwise agreed, waste removed from site becomes our responsibility once collected, and we may recycle, process, or dispose of it through lawful channels. If you request to retain logs, mulch, woodchip, or other material, this must be agreed in advance and may affect pricing, labour, or cleanup arrangements.

We operate with due regard to the Waste Duty of Care and associated regulations. This means waste is transported and handled only in a lawful and responsible manner, and transferred where appropriate to authorised facilities or bona fide reuse routes. You agree not to ask us to dispose of prohibited materials, contaminated waste, or items unrelated to the agreed arboricultural service unless we have confirmed in writing that we can do so. Any additional waste discovered during the job may be charged separately if removal is lawful and agreed.

We may refuse to carry out work that would require us to breach environmental legislation, tree protection controls, nesting bird restrictions, habitat protections, or other statutory obligations. If work is interrupted because protected species, nesting activity, or other environmental concerns are identified, we may suspend the job and advise that it be rescheduled or adapted. You remain responsible for ensuring that the site is suitable for the lawful execution of the works.

7. Access, Property, and Site Conditions

Where vehicles, chipper machinery, cranes, stump grinders, or climbing equipment are required, you must ensure the site can accommodate safe access and operation. We may need firm ground, adequate width, turning space, and appropriate clearance. If access is limited, manual handling may be necessary and the job may take longer or cost more than originally expected. We are not liable for delays caused by unsuitable site conditions that were not disclosed before booking.

You authorise us to enter the property at the agreed time for the purpose of completing the work and making the site safe on completion. Unless otherwise agreed, we will decide the order in which trees, branches, or sections are removed. We may use barriers, ropes, warning signs, and temporary exclusion zones to maintain safety. You and any other occupants must keep clear of restricted areas while work is in progress.

In the event that we discover a condition requiring immediate attention, such as decay, structural instability, or a dangerous hanging branch, we may take reasonable emergency measures to reduce the risk. Such measures do not amount to a guarantee that all hazards have been eliminated. Follow-up work may be required and may be quoted separately.

8. Complaints, Changes, and Records

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service, you should raise the matter promptly so that it can be reviewed while the details are still fresh. We may ask for photographs, written notes, or a site inspection to assess the issue. Any agreed remedial work may be offered at our discretion and without admission of liability unless liability is established under these terms or by law. Complaints made long after completion may be more difficult to investigate fairly.

Any change to the agreed scope must be confirmed before it is carried out wherever reasonably possible. This includes altering the number of trees, changing the pruning specification, adding stump grinding, altering waste removal expectations, or requesting a different finish. If the change affects cost or timing, we will inform you before proceeding. Oral instructions given on site may be treated as binding if accepted by us and recorded appropriately.

We may keep records relating to quotations, bookings, work completed, waste transfer, and communications for business, compliance, and accounting purposes. These records are used to manage the service responsibly and to evidence completion where needed. By instructing us, you consent to reasonable record keeping in line with our legal and operational obligations.

9. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them or in connection with the services, shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. If you are a consumer, you may benefit from mandatory rights and remedies available under applicable UK consumer legislation. If you are a business customer, the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales unless otherwise required by law.

If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, the remaining provisions will continue in full force. No failure or delay by us in enforcing any right under these terms shall be treated as a waiver of that right. Any waiver must be confirmed in writing to be effective. These terms may be updated from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or service changes, and the version in force at the time of booking will usually apply to the work concerned.

By proceeding with a booking for Tree Surgeons Forestgate services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions. We recommend keeping a copy for your records. If a quotation or service confirmation contains specific terms that differ from this document, the specific terms will take precedence for that job only to the extent of any inconsistency.