The day rate is useful for sanity-checking a quote rather than predicting one, because almost all tree work is priced per job.
The figures
MyJobQuote gives £180 to £250 a day for a tree surgeon working alone, and £350 to £500 a day once labourers are included. The estimated hourly equivalent is £25 to £35. London adds £50 to £100 a day.
The second figure is the one that matters. Tree work is almost never a one-person job.
Why the crew rate is the real rate
Any tree that has to be dismantled rather than felled whole needs a minimum of two people and usually three: a climber in the tree, a groundsman managing ropes and receiving lowered sections, and someone feeding the chipper and keeping the site safe.
That is not padding. A climber working at height with a chainsaw needs someone on the ground who can respond if something goes wrong, and rigging a section of trunk down through a garden safely is a two-person operation at minimum.
So when you compare a tree surgeon's day rate against, say, a plasterer's, you are not comparing like with like. One is a person; the other is a team with a chipper, a truck, climbing kit and rigging gear.
Why per-job pricing dominates
Tree work is priced on risk and access, and neither scales with hours in a predictable way.
A crew might spend a full day on a tree that looks small because it overhangs a conservatory and every branch has to be roped. Another tree twice the size in an open garden might take two hours. Quoting per day would mean quoting blind.
Fixed pricing also puts the risk where it belongs. If the job takes longer than the contractor expected, that is their assessment that was wrong, not your problem.
Using the day rate to check a quote
Take the quote, divide by the number of days quoted, and see whether the result is plausible for a crew rather than an individual.
A three-person crew in London working at the upper end is realistically £500 to £600 a day once the London premium and equipment are accounted for. A two-day job at £1,100 is therefore normal, not excessive.
The same £1,100 for half a day's work on an accessible tree is worth a question.
What the rate covers
A tree surgery day rate carries costs most trades do not. Chippers, stump grinders and climbing equipment are expensive to buy and maintain. Chainsaw and aerial rescue certification has to be renewed. Public liability insurance for tree work is substantially more expensive than for most trades, because the potential for serious damage is real.
Waste disposal is a genuine cost too, since green waste has to go somewhere and tip charges apply.
The cheapest quote in tree surgery is the one to scrutinise most carefully. Uninsured operators with a chainsaw and no climbing certification do exist, and the consequences of a badly dismantled tree landing on a roof, a car or a person are not recoverable from someone with no insurance.