Felling is priced by size, species and above all by how the tree has to come down. The size brackets are the starting point, not the answer.
Cost by size
MyJobQuote's June 2026 figures: under 25ft, £150 to £350. Between 25ft and 50ft, £400 to £700. Between 50ft and 75ft, £650 to £1,200. Over 75ft, £1,200 to £4,800 and beyond.
Timescales run alongside: half a day for a small tree, a day for a medium one, two days for a large one, and up to five days for the largest.
Felling whole versus sectional dismantling
This is the biggest single swing in the price and it is worth understanding before you read your quotes.
Felling whole means cutting the tree at the base and dropping it in one piece. It is fast and cheap, and it needs a clear area at least as long as the tree is tall, falling in a controlled direction.
Sectional dismantling means a climber works up the tree, cutting it down in pieces, each rigged and lowered on ropes so nothing falls freely. It is slow, highly skilled, and it is what almost every mature tree in a South London garden requires, because there is nowhere to drop it.
If one quote is dramatically cheaper than the others, check that it has not assumed a straight fell on a tree that plainly cannot be dropped.
The two extras that are usually separate
The stump. Felling leaves a stump at ground level. Grinding it out is a separate operation with a separate machine and costs £60 to £400 depending on diameter. Ask explicitly, because "removing the tree" means different things to different contractors.
The waste. A felled tree is a large volume of timber and brash. Chipping on site is cheapest but leaves you with chip. Taking everything away costs £90 to £500. Some firms will leave logs stacked if you want firewood, which reduces the price.
Permission comes first
Before any of this, establish whether the tree has a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area. A TPO requires written council consent; a conservation area requires six weeks' notice.
Felling a protected tree is a criminal offence and the liability sits with you as the owner, not the contractor. Councils in this part of London do prosecute, and the fines can be unlimited on conviction on indictment.
The South London subsidence question
Many homeowners here want a tree removed because an insurer has linked it to subsidence. London Clay shrinks as trees draw moisture out of it, and buildings move.
Removing the tree is not automatically the answer, and it can cause heave as the clay rehydrates and swells. Where a tree is protected, the council will want an arboricultural report and evidence connecting the tree to the damage before granting consent.
If subsidence is your reason, get the arboricultural report before you get felling quotes. It is the document that determines whether the work can happen at all.
Access and parking
Rear gardens on terraced streets, which is most of this area, mean everything is carried through the house or over a fence. Budget for that in time.
If the crew needs to suspend parking bays for a truck and chipper, the council charges for it and it takes days to arrange. Ask whose responsibility that is before you accept a quote.