Branchline Know the band before you call around.
Tree quotes go wrong when one mob leaves out the report, the council fee, the clean-up or the stump. Here are honest Northern Rivers bands, what moves a job inside them, and how we itemise every quote so you can compare like for like.
Work out the scope, then ballpark the cost.
A guided tool that steers you between pruning, removal and a report, then gives a realistic range in under a minute. It runs in your browser and stores nothing. It is a guide, not a quote.
Removal, pruning, or a report?
An honest range in under a minute. Every job is assessed and quoted exactly on site, so treat this as a guide, not a quote.
Your estimate appears here.
Step through the questions on the left. As soon as you answer the last one, we point you to the honest scope and a realistic range for a job your size.
Typical bands, prune to complex removal.
| Cheap "lopper" job (Unqualified, uninsured, no permit check.) | Avoid |
| Pruning or maintenance (Crown thin, deadwood, clearance.) | $350 to $1,500 |
| Tree removal (Small to medium, reachable.) | $1,400 to $4,500 |
| Large or complex removal (Crane, rigging, over structures.) | $4,500 to $15,000+ |
Six things that decide where your quote lands.
None of them are secrets. Every one is named on your quote.
Six levers. One honest range.
Height and species
A 6m wattle and a 20m gum are different jobs. Hardwoods, dense canopies and big root systems all add time and equipment.
Proximity to structures
A tree in an open paddock can be felled in one. One over a house or pool has to come down piece by piece, roped and lowered.
Site access
Open driveway access is cheapest. Tight side gates, slopes, or a tree only reachable by crane move the price the most.
Council permit and report
Protected and significant trees need an application, and sometimes an arborist report. Real costs, named on the quote.
Stump and green waste
Grinding the stump and hauling the green waste are separate, optional lines, so you only pay for what you want done.
Risk and traffic control
Power lines, road frontage and emergency work bring extra risk control and traffic management that a paddock job never needs.
What an itemised tree quote names.
The assessment, the permit and report if needed, the work, the clean-up and the stump, each on its own line.
Seven lines. Every one in writing.
- 01On-site assessment
- 02Arborist report or permit, if required
- 03The removal or pruning
- 04Traffic and property protection
- 05Clean-up and green waste
- 06Stump grinding (optional)
- 07Public liability cover
“$4,500 the house” by text → seven lines, priced.
- 1 On-site assessment. Access, risk and proximity to structures checked in person, with whether council approval is needed confirmed up front.
- 2 Arborist report or permit, if required. Where the council needs paperwork, the report and the council fee are priced as their own lines, never hidden.
- 3 The removal or pruning. The felling, sectional dismantle or pruning itself, by AQF-qualified crews, with rope and rigging where access needs it.
- 4 Traffic and property protection. Traffic management, lawn and roof protection where the site calls for it, scoped before the day, not discovered on it.
- 5 Clean-up and green waste. Branches chipped, timber and debris removed, the site raked and left tidy.
- 6 Stump grinding (optional). Ground below grade and the grindings cleared or backfilled, priced separately so you choose.
- 7 Public liability cover. Every job carried out under $20M public liability insurance, with the AQF level of the arborist on the quote.
What you get from us
- ✓Work done or supervised by an AQF Level 5 arborist
- ✓Fully insured: public liability to $20M, WorkCover covered
- ✓Council approval confirmed before any work starts
- ✓An itemised quote: report, removal, clean-up and stump, each a line
- ✓Site left clean, green waste taken away
Cowboy tells
- ✕An unqualified "lopper" with a chainsaw and a ute
- ✕No insurance, so the risk lands on you if it goes wrong
- ✕Trees taken down with no check on whether it is legal
- ✕A vague all-in number that grows once the work starts
- ✕Branches and a stump left behind for you to deal with
An itemised quote. The price you see is the price you pay.
Every quote lists exactly what you get, line by line, before you commit to anything.
- On-site assessmentAccess, risk and proximity checked in person, never priced off a photo.
- Permit and report, if neededWe confirm whether council approval is required and price the report and fee separately.
- The work itselfRemoval or pruning by AQF-qualified crews, with traffic management where the site needs it.
- Clean-up and stumpGreen waste removed and the stump ground, each a clear line, not a vague allowance.
Anything found once work starts, like hidden rot or a new hazard, is quoted in writing before we proceed.
Itemised
Every line, before you commit
Removal, pruning, complex, or just a report?
Pruning and maintenance
Crown thinning, deadwooding and clearance to the AS 4373 standard. The right call when the tree is sound and just needs managing.
Wrong when: The tree is dead, dangerous or has to go: that is a removal.
Tree removal
Safe removal of a small to medium tree in a reachable spot, with the council step confirmed and the site cleaned up.
Wrong when: It is large and over the house or lines: that is complex removal.
Large or complex removal
Big trees over a house or power lines, or tight sites needing a crane, rigging and traffic management. The work cowboys will not touch.
Wrong when: A standard crew can reach it safely from the ground.
Arborist report or consult
Independent assessment for council, a development application or a dispute. Sometimes the paperwork comes before the chainsaw.
Wrong when: The tree is an obvious safety emergency: call us, do not wait on a report.
What people ask about the money.
Is the on-site assessment free?
Why do tree-removal quotes vary so much?
Do you charge for the stump and green waste?
What if you find a problem once you start?
Read deeper before you compare quotes
Get your exact figure from an on-site assessment.
Tell us about the tree. We book an on-site assessment, confirm whether council approval is needed, and quote the job line by line, so the number on the quote is the number you pay.