Tree Surgeons Lee Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which Tree Surgeons Lee provides tree surgery and related arboricultural services to domestic and commercial customers in the UK. By requesting a quotation, making a booking, or allowing work to begin, you agree that these terms will apply unless a separate written agreement states otherwise. The purpose of this page is to explain the service process clearly, including the booking process, payments, cancellations, liability, waste handling, and the law that applies to our services. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer where those rights cannot lawfully be excluded.
We aim to provide a professional, safe, and transparent service for all tree surgery work. This may include pruning, crown reduction, felling, stump grinding, hedge work, deadwood removal, emergency call-outs, site clearance, and associated arboricultural operations. Each job is assessed individually because trees, access, weather, ground conditions, underground services, and neighbouring property can all affect the method, timing, and cost of the work. Any quote or estimate is based on the information available at the time and may be revised if the scope of work changes or new hazards are identified.
These terms should be read alongside any quotation, estimate, or written job specification issued by Tree Surgeons Lee. If there is any inconsistency between this page and a written agreement that has been signed or confirmed in writing by us, the written agreement will take priority for that specific job. All customers are responsible for reviewing the final details of the service before the work begins, including access arrangements, permission to work, and any special conditions that may affect delivery.
Booking with us may be made after an enquiry and any initial discussion about the required tree surgery services. A booking is only confirmed when we have accepted the job, provided a quotation or estimate, and you have agreed to the proposed date, scope, and price. We may ask for photographs, site information, or a site visit before confirming a booking, especially where the work involves large trees, restricted access, or potential safety concerns. The customer must make sure that the person instructing us has authority to do so, particularly where the property is leasehold, managed, jointly owned, or part of a business premises.
Once a booking is agreed, you must ensure that the site is ready for work on the scheduled day. This includes providing safe access, notifying us of known hazards, securing permission from relevant parties, and confirming any parking or loading restrictions that may affect attendance. You must also tell us in advance about buried services, overhead cables, wildlife issues, preservation orders, conservation restrictions, shared boundaries, or any other matter that could affect the work. If the information you provide is incomplete or inaccurate, we may need to amend the service, change the price, or reschedule the appointment.
We will usually try to arrive within the agreed time window, but the nature of tree surgery means timings may vary due to traffic, weather, emergency work, equipment failures, or conditions on a previous site. Time estimates are not fixed guarantees unless expressly stated in writing. Where a delay or rescheduling is necessary, we will use reasonable efforts to contact you and arrange a new date. Tree Surgeons Lee is not responsible for indirect losses caused by reasonable delays, provided we have acted with due care and skill.
Payment terms will be stated on the quotation, invoice, or job confirmation. Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due in accordance with the invoice terms and may be required on completion of the work. For larger projects, specialist operations, or commercial instructions, we may ask for a deposit, staged payment, or part payment in advance. A deposit secures the booking and may be non-refundable where we have reserved labour, equipment, and time specifically for your job, to the extent permitted by law. We accept that customers need clarity on costs, so any additional charges must be connected to agreed variations, unforeseen risks, or extra services requested by the customer or reasonably required to complete the job safely.
If the scope of the work changes after acceptance, the price may change too. This can happen where additional trees are added, the amount of arisings is greater than expected, access becomes restricted, a more complex method is required, or waste disposal costs increase because of the actual volume or type of material. We will normally discuss such changes before proceeding where reasonably possible. If payment is overdue, we may suspend further work, withhold completion documentation, and charge reasonable recovery costs where permitted by law. Any dispute about a payment must be raised promptly and in good faith, with reference to the relevant invoice or estimate.
Where card payments, bank transfers, or other payment methods are used, the customer must ensure the payment details are accurate and that funds are available. We are not responsible for delays caused by third-party payment providers or banking systems outside our control. Interest or late charges may apply to unpaid business invoices where allowed under applicable legislation. For consumer work, any late payment terms will be applied fairly and in accordance with the law. We do not waive our right to recover sums properly due simply because a payment has been delayed or disputed.
Cancellations and postponements should be communicated as early as possible. If you cancel a booking, we may charge a cancellation fee where we have already incurred costs, committed staff, hired equipment, ordered materials, or turned away other work in reliance on the booking. The amount of any fee will be reasonable and proportionate to the stage reached and the losses actually suffered. If a cancellation occurs at very short notice, especially on the day of attendance, the customer may be liable for a greater proportion of the agreed price, subject always to the limits of applicable consumer law.
We may cancel, delay, or suspend work where weather conditions, unsafe access, equipment issues, legal restrictions, or unforeseen site hazards make it impractical or unsafe to proceed. Tree surgery often depends on conditions that cannot be fully controlled in advance, including wind, rain, frost, nesting birds, unstable timber, or hidden defects within the tree structure. If we cancel for reasons within our reasonable control, we will arrange a new date or refund any amount due for work not carried out. If cancellation is necessary because the customer has failed to obtain permission, failed to provide access, or misrepresented the job, the customer may remain liable for costs reasonably incurred.
Liability for loss or damage is limited to the extent permitted by law. We will use reasonable skill and care in performing all agreed services, and we carry out work in a way intended to protect people, property, and surrounding features. However, trees are natural, living structures and may contain hidden defects, decay, unstable limbs, or unpredictable movement. We cannot guarantee that every risk can be eliminated, particularly where a tree is already diseased, storm-damaged, or structurally compromised. Nothing in these terms excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded under UK law.
We are not responsible for pre-existing defects, latent structural issues, subsurface conditions, or damage caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control. This includes, for example, cracked paving, fragile fencing, unstable walls, poorly maintained structures, hidden pipes, private cabling, or underground services that are not clearly marked or disclosed. If you ask us to work near buildings, glass, vehicles, ornaments, boundaries, or utilities, you accept that there is an increased risk of incidental contact even when reasonable care is taken. Customers should remove or protect fragile items, move vehicles where requested, and disclose any special sensitivity of the site. We may decline or alter a job if the risk is excessive.
Where a third party, such as a neighbour, landlord, tenant, managing agent, or utility provider, is involved, the customer is responsible for obtaining the relevant consent or authority unless we have agreed in writing to obtain it on your behalf. Any instructions given by the customer are deemed to include confirmation that the customer has the right to authorise the work. If a claim is made against us because permission was not in place, the customer may be liable for resulting costs, losses, or reasonable legal expenses where permitted by law. Tree surgery services may also be affected by protected species, tree preservation rules, and planning controls, and it is the customer’s responsibility to ensure the necessary approvals are in place unless otherwise agreed.
Waste regulations are an important part of our service. Tree surgery creates green waste, timber, brash, stump material, and sometimes contaminated or mixed waste. We will handle, transport, and dispose of waste in accordance with applicable UK waste legislation and environmental requirements. Unless the quotation states otherwise, arisings removed by us remain our property until disposal, and we may choose to chip, recycle, repurpose, compost, or otherwise lawfully process them. If you ask to keep logs, woodchips, or timber, this must be agreed in advance and may affect the price or service method.
Customers must not ask us to dispose of waste in an unlawful manner, and we will not leave waste where doing so would breach regulations or create a nuisance. If the customer elects to retain waste on site, responsibility for its storage, movement, and ultimate disposal passes to the customer from the point of handover. Where waste is left for the customer, they are responsible for ensuring that its storage does not obstruct access, create hazards, or breach local environmental or property rules. We reserve the right to remove waste from site if it becomes unsafe or if the agreed disposal arrangement is not suitable in practice.
Any materials that are classed as hazardous, restricted, or unusual must be disclosed before the booking is confirmed. This may include invasive species, diseased material requiring special handling, contaminated soil, protected nesting habitats, or waste affected by chemicals or pollutants. Additional charges may apply if specialist handling, equipment, licences, or disposal routes are required. Customers should also understand that stump grindings, chipped material, and cut timber may settle, dry out, or change shape over time, and we are not responsible for natural changes after the work has been completed, unless a separate maintenance agreement says otherwise.
All intellectual property, written quotations, methods, and operational notes created by Tree Surgeons Lee remain our property unless we agree otherwise in writing. We may photograph completed work or site conditions for internal records, insurance purposes, training, and compliance evidence. Such images will be handled responsibly and in line with applicable data protection law where personal data is involved. Any personal information used to manage a booking, issue an invoice, or administer a complaint will be processed only for legitimate business purposes and in accordance with our privacy obligations. These terms do not create any partnership, agency, or employment relationship between the customer and Tree Surgeons Lee.
Any complaint about the service should be raised as soon as possible so that we can review the matter and, where appropriate, inspect the work or provide further explanation. A complaint does not automatically entitle the customer to withhold payment for undisputed work. We will act reasonably when considering concerns about workmanship, but natural variability in tree surgery means that outcomes may differ from purely cosmetic services. Tree response, seasonal growth, and site conditions can influence appearance after completion, especially following pruning or reduction work. Remedies, where appropriate, may include rectification, a partial refund, or another fair solution depending on the facts and the legal position.
If any part of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply. A failure by us to enforce a term immediately does not mean that term has been waived. No variation to these terms will be valid unless agreed in writing by an authorised representative of Tree Surgeons Lee. These terms are intended to be fair and workable for both parties, while reflecting the practical realities of arboricultural services, site-specific risk, and the need for responsible waste management. By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you understand the terms and agree to be bound by them.
The governing law of this agreement is the law of England and Wales, and any dispute arising from or in connection with these services will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If the customer is based elsewhere in the United Kingdom, these terms will still apply to the extent permitted by the relevant legal framework. Tree Surgeons Lee may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time, and the version in force at the time of booking will normally apply to that job unless a different written version has been agreed. Thank you for reading these terms before confirming your tree surgery booking.