Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Highbury

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeons Highbury and apply to all quotations, bookings, appointments, and works carried out for domestic and commercial clients. By requesting a quotation, confirming a booking, or allowing work to begin, the client agrees to be bound by these terms. They are intended to create clarity around the service process, payment obligations, cancellation rights, safety responsibilities, waste handling, and legal protections for both parties.

Tree surgeons in Highbury carry out work that can involve climbing, powered cutting equipment, heavy timber, and the management of live trees in changing site conditions. Because of this, the service is delivered with a focus on safety, professional standards, and compliance with UK law. These terms should be read together with any written quotation, job specification, or site survey notes issued before the works begin. If any part of the quotation conflicts with these terms, the written quotation will apply only to the extent of that conflict and only for the specific job in question.

All services are subject to reasonable access, suitable weather, and the client providing accurate information about the site and the trees involved. The scope of work may need to be adjusted if hidden defects, disease, structural instability, underground services, or other site conditions are discovered. In such cases, the team may recommend changes to the method, timing, or price of the work in order to complete the job safely and lawfully.

1. Booking Process

Bookings typically begin with an enquiry followed by an assessment of the requested tree work. A quotation may be prepared from photographs, written details, or a site visit, depending on the complexity of the job. For larger, technical, or higher-risk works, a site inspection may be necessary before any commitment is made. The quotation will usually describe the planned works, assumptions made, access requirements, and any exclusions such as permits, traffic management, or specialist machinery.

Once the client accepts the quotation, the booking is confirmed only when the date or approximate schedule has been agreed and, where required, any deposit has been received. Acceptance may be given in writing, by email, or by another clear recorded method. Tree surgeons Highbury may decline or postpone a booking if the site appears unsafe, if consent from relevant parties has not been obtained, or if the work would place people, property, or protected trees at unacceptable risk.

2. Site Information and Client Responsibilities

The client must provide accurate and complete information about ownership, access, tree location, nearby structures, underground or overhead services, conservation restrictions, tree preservation orders, and any known hazards. The client is responsible for ensuring that the team can lawfully and safely enter the site on the agreed date. If access is blocked, if vehicles cannot reach the working area, or if the site conditions differ materially from what was described, additional charges may apply or the appointment may need to be rearranged.

The client must also ensure that pets, children, and unrelated persons are kept away from active work areas. The team may suspend work if the environment becomes unsafe or if third-party interference creates risk. Any delays caused by inaccurate site information, failure to secure permissions, or failure to prepare the site may be charged as lost time where reasonable to do so.

3. Pricing and Payments

All prices will be confirmed in the quotation or job confirmation. Unless stated otherwise, prices are based on the scope of work, labour, equipment, access, waste handling, and the time required to complete the agreed service. Prices may change if the actual work differs from the original description, if additional hazards are identified, or if the client requests extra tasks during the visit. Any material variation will normally be discussed before proceeding, though urgent safety work may be undertaken immediately if needed to prevent injury or damage.

Payment terms will be stated on the quotation or invoice. In many cases, payment is due on completion of the works, although a deposit or staged payment may be required for larger projects, specialist operations, or works involving hired equipment. Accepted payment methods will be confirmed in advance. The client must pay all sums due by the stated deadline without set-off or deduction unless required by law.

Where payment is not made on time, Tree Surgeons Highbury reserves the right to charge reasonable late payment interest and any recovery costs permitted by applicable law. Ownership of any agreed deliverables may remain with the service provider until payment has been received in full, where such retention is lawful and appropriate to the arrangement. If non-payment continues, further work may be suspended.

4. Cancellations, Rescheduling, and Weather

Clients may cancel or reschedule a booking, but reasonable notice must be given. If cancellation occurs after the work has been scheduled and preparations have begun, the client may be charged for costs already incurred, including time spent surveying, planning, or arranging equipment, as well as any non-recoverable third-party charges. For urgent or highly specialised works, cancellation fees may be higher where loss has already been incurred.

The service provider may also need to reschedule due to severe weather, unsafe wind conditions, lightning, ground saturation, equipment failure, staff illness, or other circumstances beyond reasonable control. Tree surgery often depends on stable working conditions, and safety will always take precedence over convenience. If a booking is postponed for these reasons, a new date will usually be offered without additional charge, provided no extra costs have been caused by the client.

5. Work Standards and Limitations of Service

The works will be carried out using reasonable skill and care and in accordance with good arboricultural practice and relevant UK standards. However, tree surgery is not an exact science, and living trees may respond unpredictably to pruning, reductions, removals, or other interventions. The service provider cannot guarantee future growth patterns, resistance to storm damage, or the long-term health of a tree after work has been completed.

Any advice offered about tree condition, remedial work, or recommended future maintenance is based on the information available at the time of inspection. If the client chooses to reject recommendations, the resulting risk remains with the client unless the law provides otherwise. Unless expressly included in the quotation, services do not include planning approval, legal advice, or the preparation of specialist reports.

If a tree is found to be unsafe, diseased, or structurally compromised in a way that was not reasonably visible at quotation stage, additional works may be necessary. In such cases the team may recommend immediate action or suspension of the job. Tree surgeons in Highbury will not be obliged to continue work where doing so would be unsafe, unlawful, or likely to cause unreasonable damage.

6. Waste Regulations and Arisings

All green waste, timber, brash, and stump material produced during the works will be handled in accordance with applicable UK waste regulations. Unless the quotation states otherwise, removal and disposal of arisings will be included only to the extent described in the agreed scope. Waste will be transported, stored, processed, and disposed of using lawful methods, and the service provider will aim to follow the waste hierarchy where practicable, including reuse, recycling, and composting opportunities.

Where waste transfer notes, duty of care records, or similar documentation are required, these will be completed in line with legal obligations. The client must not request unlawful tipping, on-site burning, or disposal practices that would breach environmental law. If the client asks to retain timber, logs, or chip, this must be agreed in advance and may affect price, access, or removal time. Once waste has been removed from site, ownership and responsibility for its lawful processing passes in accordance with the agreed disposal arrangement.

Any protected species, nesting birds, or biosecurity concerns discovered during the works may affect disposal methods or work timing. The service provider may pause or amend operations where environmental protection requirements apply. This may include leaving material on site temporarily or arranging specialist handling if required by law.

7. Liability and Insurance

The service provider will maintain appropriate insurance cover for the nature of the works undertaken, including public liability cover where customary for the trade. Copies or confirmation of cover may be available on request where appropriate. However, insurance does not remove the need for the client to take reasonable care of their own property, boundaries, contents, and site conditions.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Tree Surgeons Highbury shall not be liable for indirect loss, consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of amenity, or any business interruption arising from the works, except where such liability cannot be excluded by law. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

If damage occurs as a direct result of negligent work, the service provider will investigate promptly and, where liability is established, will seek to resolve the matter fairly in accordance with insurance and legal requirements. The client must take reasonable steps to mitigate any loss. Claims should be reported without undue delay and accompanied by reasonable evidence, such as photographs or a written description of the issue.

8. Access, Property, and Third Parties

The client confirms that they have authority to authorise the works and to permit access to the relevant land or property. If another person has an interest in the tree, boundary, or access route, the client must obtain any necessary consent before the appointment. The service provider will not be responsible for disputes between neighbours, landlords, tenants, managing agents, or other third parties unless it has expressly agreed to handle such matters.

Reasonable care will be taken to protect lawns, paving, fences, and nearby features, but some disturbance may be unavoidable during tree surgery due to the nature of the work. The client acknowledges that heavy equipment, wood chips, timber lowering, and stump extraction can create marking or compaction even when care is exercised. Any special protection measures should be requested before the work begins and may affect the quotation.

9. Delays, Suspension, and Force Majeure

The service provider shall not be liable for delay or failure to perform where this results from events outside reasonable control, including extreme weather, accidents, fire, flood, transport disruption, supply shortages, industrial action, illness, utility failure, acts of government, or other unforeseeable events. In such circumstances the booking may be delayed, paused, or cancelled without liability beyond any refund rights that may apply under law or the specific quotation.

Where work must be suspended for safety or legal reasons, the client may be charged for completed work and any reasonable costs already incurred. If the work cannot be completed on the planned date, both parties will act reasonably to agree a revised schedule. No party will be treated as in breach of contract for non-performance caused by a force majeure event, provided that reasonable steps are taken to reduce disruption.

10. Complaints and Issues

If the client believes there is a problem with the service, they should notify the service provider as soon as reasonably possible and provide a clear description of the issue. This allows any concern to be assessed promptly and, where appropriate, for remedial action to be considered. Complaints raised long after completion may be harder to investigate because site conditions, weather, and tree response can change quickly.

The service provider aims to resolve disputes fairly and proportionately. Where a defect or shortfall is confirmed and is within the provider’s responsibility, the remedy may include revisiting the site, carrying out correction works, or agreeing another practical solution. This process does not affect statutory rights available to consumers under UK law.

11. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where consumer law provides otherwise.

These terms are intended to operate alongside all mandatory rights under UK law. If any part of these Terms and Conditions is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that part shall be severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remainder shall continue in full force. No waiver of any right or remedy shall be effective unless agreed in writing.

The client’s continued use of the service after any updated version of these terms is issued will be taken as acceptance of the revised version for future bookings, unless otherwise stated. The most current terms will apply to each separate quotation or confirmed job unless a different written agreement has been made.

12. Final Provisions

These terms form the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the work described, unless varied in writing. Any promises or representations not recorded in the quotation, invoice, or written correspondence should not be relied upon. Headings are included for convenience only and do not affect interpretation. The use of tree surgeons Highbury, Tree Surgeons Highbury, or similar wording refers to the service provider named in the quotation or booking confirmation.

By proceeding with a booking, the client confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions.