Tier 01
Small trees
$450-$950
Trees under 5 metres, good access, standard conditions.
- Section felling or directional drop
- Full cleanup and green-waste removal
- Council permit advice included
Tree removal
Professional tree removal across the North Shore.
Safe, efficient and council-approved tree removal delivered by AQF-qualified arborists — from single heritage specimens to full-site takedowns.
- AQF Level 5 Arborists
- $20M Public Liability
- 40+ Years Experience
- Free Quotes
Tree Removal — at a glance
Tree Removal on the North Shore, by the numbers.
- Typical cost range
- $450 – $8,500 per tree, depending on size and access
- Typical timeline
- On-site 2-5 business days after council approval
- Council approval
- Required in 8/8 North Shore councils for most mature trees
- Permit window
- 2-8 weeks depending on council and tree significance
- Emergency removal
- Available 24/7 for trees posing imminent risk
- Crew certification
- AQF Level 3-5 climbers, $20M public liability
Our practice
Removals handled with restraint and precision.
John's Tree Services North Shore removes trees across every North Shore suburb — from small garden specimens to mature eucalypts near heritage homes. Four decades of sectional takedowns on sensitive sites has taught us that a good removal is quiet, tidy, and leaves the surrounding canopy untouched.
Our AQF Level 5 arborists work with the latest rigging, traffic management where needed, and flag TPO requirements across every North Shore council. Safety is the starting point, not the afterthought.
What's included
Every removal, end to end.
- 01
Whole-tree removal
Safe felling of entire trees — directional drop or full sectional rigging, depending on clearance.
- 02
Sectional dismantling
Piece-by-piece takedown for trees in tight access sites near roofs, pools, and fence lines.
- 03
Emergency response
Rapid after-hours removal of hazardous or fallen trees following storms and westerlies.
- 04
Hazard assessment
Written arborist reports for insurance, DA submissions, or neighbour disputes.
- 05
Council advice
Council TPO requirements flagged on every quote — we advise on what's needed; you or a consulting arborist lodge the application.
- 06
Stump grinding add-on
Optional below-turf stump removal bundled with the same visit so the site is left clean.
- 07
Site protection
Ground boards, exclusion zones, and roof protection installed before work begins.
- 08
Wood recycling
Mulched on-site for your garden or removed for green-waste recycling — never landfill.
- 09
Neighbour notices
Courtesy door-knock letters to adjoining properties for noise-sensitive jobs.
How we work
Our tree removal process.
Step 01
On-site consultation
A senior arborist visits your property, assesses the tree, access, and any council considerations.
Step 02
Itemised quote
A firm, line-itemed quote within 24 hours — including any TPO requirements we've identified on the site walk.
Step 03
Council approvals
We'll flag whether a TPO application is required and point you to the lodgement pathway — the application itself stays with the property owner.
Step 04
Removal day
Site protection goes in first. Removal follows the agreed rigging plan. No surprises, no mess.
Step 05
Cleanup & sign-off
All green waste mulched or removed, site raked, ground boards lifted, final walk-through.
Every North Shore council has a Tree Preservation Order — Ku-ring-gai, Willoughby, Hornsby, Ryde, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove. We flag the TPO requirements on every quote and point you to the right lodgement pathway.
John's Tree Services — council liaison, four decades
Indicative pricing
Transparent tree removal pricing.
Pricing scales with tree size, access, and complexity. Every quote is free, on-site, and itemised.
Tier 02
Medium trees
$800-$1,800
Trees 5-10 metres in height, residential access.
- Controlled sectional dismantling
- Rigging where structures are nearby
- Mulch processing or full debris removal
Tier 03
Large trees
$1,600-$3,500
Trees 10-20 metres, complex rigging, near structures.
- Senior AQF Level 5 climber on site
- Traffic management where needed
- Full site protection (boards, exclusion zones)
Tier 04
Very large / complex
$3,000-$6,500+
Trees over 20 metres or requiring crane assistance.
- Crane-assisted removal where access allows
- Full arborist report + council liaison included
- Phased multi-day work for extreme cases
Pricing varies by tree size, access, species and complexity. Every quote is free and on-site.
Book a site visitClient voices
What tree removal clients say.
Three recent notes from North Shore families we worked with.
5 out of 5 stars
Had a huge gum leaning over the back of the house that we'd been worried about for ages. John came out, talked us through the options, and his crew had it down in a morning. Fair price and they swept the deck on the way out which was a nice touch.
Sarah T.
Chatswood
5 out of 5 stars
Storm took out half our liquidambar Thursday night. Called first thing Friday, they had someone here before lunch. Blocked the driveway off, cleared the debris, left it tidy. Sent the quote through before they started which I appreciated.
Michael C.
Gordon
5 out of 5 stars
Big job for us, had a few trees that needed sorting out and one that was half dead. John walked around the garden with me for a good half hour, explained what needed doing and what could wait. Didn't try to upsell. Crew were polite and knew what they were on about.
Dave F.
Mosman
Why clients return
Why North Shore families pick us for removal.
AQF-qualified climbers
Every climber holds AQF Level 5 Arboriculture and has worked the North Shore for 10+ years.
Same-week quotes
Standard enquiries get an on-site quote within five business days, urgent within 24 hours.
Clean-site guarantee
Every site raked, swept, and walked through before our team leaves.
Fixed, itemised pricing
What we quote is what you pay. No change orders on standard jobs.
Heritage-garden experience
Four decades working around heritage canopies, stone walls, and sensitive replanting zones.
Strata + commercial
COI paperwork, strata committee liaison, and out-of-hours removal for commercial sites.
Questions
Tree removal — frequently asked.
Small trees under 5m typically range $450–$950. Medium trees (5–10m) $800–$1,800. Large trees (10–20m) $1,600–$3,500. Crane-assisted or very large removals $3,000–$6,500+. Access, species, and proximity to structures all influence the final quote — every on-site assessment is free and the quote is itemised.
Most North Shore councils require a permit for trees over 3m tall or 30cm trunk diameter. Ku-ring-gai, Willoughby, Hornsby, Ryde, Lane Cove, and Hunters Hill all run Tree Preservation Orders with different thresholds. We'll flag the TPO requirements during quoting, but lodging the application is handled by the property owner or a consulting arborist.
Our after-hours team is on call 24/7 across the North Shore. We typically arrive within 1–2 hours of a call for urgent hazards such as fallen trees, storm-damaged limbs, or trees leaning on structures.
Every job mulches or green-waste recycles 100% of the tree. You can keep the mulch for your garden, keep the logs for firewood, or we remove everything in the truck. Nothing goes to landfill.
Every arborist holds AQF Level 5 in Arboriculture. We carry $20M public liability insurance, workers compensation, and current SafeWork NSW credentials. Certificates of Currency are provided on request for strata and commercial engagements.
By suburb
Tree removal across every North Shore suburb.
Pick your region for council-specific pricing, access notes, and local arborist availability.
01
Lower North Shore
The Lower North Shore spans harbour-side suburbs between North Sydney and Roseville, covering Mosman, Willoughby, Lane Cove and North Sydney council areas. It's one of Sydney's most established tree canopies with tight Tree Preservation Orders and heritage overlays.
25 suburbs
02
Upper North Shore
The Upper North Shore runs along the Pacific Highway ridge from Roseville to Wahroonga, all under Ku-ring-gai Council. The suburb is known for large leafy blocks, bushland interface zones, and some of the strictest tree-preservation rules in New South Wales.
17 suburbs
03
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire covers the northern end of the train line from Beecroft through Hornsby and up to Mount Kuring-Gai, bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. It's a high-canopy bushland interface council with extensive tree controls and asset protection zone requirements.
24 suburbs
04
Ryde District
The Ryde district straddles the Parramatta River from Gladesville through to North Ryde, all under City of Ryde Council. The area mixes mid-century residential with Macquarie Park commercial precincts and river-frontage properties.
14 suburbs
05
Hunters Hill & Lane Cove
Hunters Hill and Lane Cove councils cover peninsula suburbs between Lane Cove River and the Parramatta River. It's Sydney's oldest garden suburb area — Hunters Hill is the oldest garden-suburb municipality in Australia — with blanket heritage controls and significant tree canopy.
13 suburbs
Ready to start?
Ready to remove that tree?
Book a free on-site visit. Our senior arborist will walk the job, answer questions, and send a firm itemised quote within 24 hours.