Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeon Richmond upon Thames
These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeon Richmond upon Thames and apply to all quotations, bookings, appointments, and works carried out for domestic and commercial clients. By instructing us, you agree to be bound by these terms, which are designed to create clarity around the service, payment, cancellations, responsibilities, and legal protections for both parties. If any part of these terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
Throughout this document, references to we, us, and our mean the service provider, and references to you and your mean the customer, client, or any authorised representative acting on behalf of the property owner or occupier. These terms apply to all forms of arboricultural work, including pruning, crown reduction, tree removal, stump grinding, hedge cutting, deadwood removal, inspection support, and related clearance services, whether the instruction is made verbally, in writing, or through an accepted quotation.
Important: the customer is responsible for ensuring they have the authority to request the work and that any necessary permissions, consents, or approvals are in place before the job starts. 
Where works involve protected trees, conservation area controls, shared boundaries, or third-party land, you must disclose this before booking. We may decline or postpone work if relevant permissions have not been secured.
1. Booking Process
Bookings are subject to availability and are only confirmed once a quotation has been accepted and, where requested, any deposit has been received. A booking may be made after an initial enquiry, site assessment, or review of photographs and information supplied by you. We may rely on the accuracy of the information provided by you when preparing a quotation, and if the actual site conditions differ materially from those described, the quotation may need to be revised.Acceptance of a quotation confirms your agreement to these Terms and Conditions and authorises us to schedule the work on an agreed date or within an agreed timeframe. Time slots, start dates, and completion estimates are given in good faith but are not guaranteed unless expressly stated in writing. Tree surgery is weather-dependent and may be affected by access issues, seasonal constraints, equipment failure, traffic, permit restrictions, or unexpected arboricultural risks.
Site access must be available on the agreed day and suitable for the planned work. 
You must ensure that driveways, gates, paths, utility access points, and work areas are clear of obstacles unless otherwise agreed. If parking permits, keys, alarms, or access codes are required, you must provide them in advance. Delays caused by restricted access or inaccurate information may result in extra charges or rescheduling.
2. Scope of Services
We will carry out the agreed services with reasonable skill and care, using competent staff and appropriate equipment. The exact scope of the work will be set out in the quotation or written acceptance and may include one or more of the following: tree pruning, shaping, crown lifting, crown thinning, tree felling, sectional dismantling, stump treatment, stump removal, hedge maintenance, site clearance, and removal of arising green waste unless otherwise specified.If a quotation is described as provisional, estimate-based, or subject to inspection, it may change if hidden defects, decay, deadwood volume, storm damage, root instability, fungal activity, nesting activity, underground services, or access limitations are identified before or during the work. Any additional work will only be undertaken with your approval where reasonably practicable. We may suspend work if continuing would be unsafe, unlawful, or likely to cause damage beyond the agreed scope.
We are entitled to make practical decisions on site where immediate judgment is required for safety, tree health, or legal compliance. 
This may include modifying a pruning cut, changing the order of operations, restricting access beneath the working area, or stopping work due to adverse conditions. Such decisions do not amount to a breach of contract where they are made reasonably and in good faith.
3. Payments
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, invoices are due for payment in full upon completion of the work. For larger projects, staged payments, advance deposits, or part payments may be required before commencement or at key milestones. All prices are stated in pounds sterling and may be subject to VAT where applicable. The quotation will normally specify whether VAT is included or excluded.Payment methods accepted will be set out on the invoice or quotation. If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to charge interest and reasonable recovery costs in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 where applicable, or to take lawful steps to recover unpaid sums. Any bank charges, failed payment fees, chargeback losses, or collection expenses caused by delayed or failed payment may be added to the outstanding balance.
Late payment may also result in future bookings being suspended, cancelled, or made subject to advance payment only. 
No title in waste, timber, felled material, or other items removed from site will pass to you until all sums due have been paid in full, unless expressly agreed otherwise. We may retain or dispose of material if payment remains outstanding, subject to applicable law.
4. Cancellations and Rescheduling
You may request to cancel or reschedule a booking, but any such request should be made as soon as possible. If you cancel more than a reasonable period before the agreed start date, we will usually not charge a cancellation fee, unless we have already incurred direct costs such as equipment hire, permits, staffing commitments, or waste disposal arrangements. If cancellation occurs close to the start date, we reserve the right to recover losses or apply a fair cancellation charge.Where work is postponed because of weather, access problems, incomplete permissions, or circumstances beyond our control, we will use reasonable efforts to offer a new date. We are not responsible for any indirect loss arising from a cancellation or delay, including inconvenience, loss of use of garden areas, or rearranged appointments with third parties. If you are a consumer, any statutory cooling-off rights that apply to off-premises or distance contracts will be honoured in accordance with the law.
We may cancel or suspend the booking if we believe continuing would create a safety risk, breach legal requirements, or expose us to unreasonable danger. This includes, without limitation, severe weather, unstable trees, hidden services, aggressive behaviour, or failure by you to provide access or essential information. In such cases, any deposit may be retained to cover costs already incurred, subject always to applicable consumer law.
5. Liability and Risk
Tree surgery is inherently hazardous and can involve falling branches, flying debris, heavy machinery, noise, dust, and temporary restrictions around the work zone. We will take reasonable precautions to reduce these risks, but you agree that some residual risk remains even when work is carried out carefully. You should remove or protect vulnerable items such as vehicles, ornaments, furniture, and sensitive planting if advised to do so.We shall not be liable for pre-existing defects, hidden decay, unstable structures, subsurface obstructions, or damage caused by conditions that could not reasonably have been identified before work began. We are not responsible for loss caused by your failure to disclose relevant information, including service lines, drainage, boundary disputes, nesting birds, protected species concerns, or recent structural movement.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded. Subject to that, our total liability for any claim arising out of a contract shall be limited to the amount paid or payable for the relevant service, except where a different limit is required by law. We do not accept liability for indirect or consequential losses, including loss of profit, business interruption, or distress, where such exclusion is lawful.
6. Waste Handling and Regulations
All green waste, timber, branches, brash, and similar arising material will be handled in accordance with applicable waste legislation and industry practice. Where waste removal is included, we will transport and dispose of material responsibly through authorised routes and in compliance with environmental requirements. Waste transfer notes, disposal records, or carrier details may be retained where necessary for compliance purposes.If you request that material is left on site, we may stack, chip, or place it in a designated area agreed in advance. Once material has been left at your request, it becomes your responsibility unless the law provides otherwise. You must not instruct us to dispose of waste unlawfully, burn material without permission, or deposit arising waste on land not authorised for that purpose. We may refuse any instruction that would breach waste, environmental, or nuisance regulations.
Where work involves the removal of diseased timber, invasive species, or potentially contaminated green waste, special handling may be required and additional charges may apply. We may separate, contain, or treat certain waste streams differently if necessary to comply with biosecurity or environmental obligations. If a customer later asks for evidence of lawful disposal, reasonable proof may be provided where records are available and where disclosure is lawful.
7. Customer Responsibilities
You must ensure the property is safe and suitable for the planned work. This includes notifying us of any known hazards, such as underground cables, concealed services, fragile structures, roof fragility, livestock, water features, asbestos, or any other condition that may affect the work. You are also responsible for obtaining consent from landlords, tenants, neighbours, managing agents, or other relevant parties where required.If the work could affect boundary trees, shared trees, overhanging branches, or neighbouring land, you should resolve any disputes or permissions before the agreed start date. We are not responsible for legal disagreements between property owners, neighbours, or third parties. If our attendance is delayed or prevented because such matters are unresolved, you may still be charged for time spent, survey time, or abortive attendance where reasonable.
Where you ask us to work close to structures, utilities, or valuable features, you accept that careful arboricultural work still carries some risk even when undertaken professionally. You should move valuables, fragile items, and vehicles away from the working area before we arrive unless we have agreed to help with protection measures. Failure to do so may reduce or remove any claim for avoidable damage.
8. Complaints and Service Issues
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service, you should notify us as soon as reasonably possible so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, remedy the issue. Claims made after an unreasonable delay may be harder to assess and may be reduced if evidence has been lost or conditions have changed. We may request photographs, access to the site, or supporting information to consider the matter properly.Where a genuine fault in workmanship is identified, we may, at our discretion and subject to legal obligations, offer to return and correct the issue, provide a partial refund, or make another reasonable adjustment. This does not apply where the outcome complained of was due to natural tree response, seasonal growth, weather, pest activity, disease progression, or site conditions beyond our control.
Any dispute should first be attempted to be resolved informally and in good faith. If a matter cannot be resolved, either party may pursue their legal rights through the appropriate court or dispute resolution process. Nothing in this section prevents a customer from relying on mandatory consumer rights where applicable.
9. Force Majeure
We shall not be liable for delay or failure to perform our obligations where such delay or failure is caused by events beyond our reasonable control. These may include extreme weather, storms, flooding, fire, pandemic restrictions, industrial action, road closures, power failures, acts of terrorism, accidental damage to equipment, or the failure of suppliers or subcontractors to perform.In the event of force majeure, we may postpone, amend, or cancel the booking without liability for consequential loss, provided we act reasonably and communicate the situation as soon as practicable. If part of the work has already been completed, payment may still be due for the completed portion and for costs properly incurred up to the point of interruption.
10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from or in connection with these terms, the quotation, or the services provided, except where mandatory consumer legislation provides otherwise.If any term is interpreted differently by a court or competent authority, it will be applied only to the extent necessary, and the remainder of the terms will continue to apply.11. General Provisions
No variation of these Terms and Conditions will be valid unless agreed in writing by an authorised representative of the service provider. Any failure or delay in exercising a right shall not operate as a waiver of that right. The contract between us may not be assigned by you without our prior written consent, though we may use competent employees, agents, or subcontractors to perform the work.These Terms and Conditions, together with the quotation or invoice that describes the agreed work, form the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the services supplied. If there is any inconsistency between a written quotation and these terms, the quotation will prevail only to the extent of the inconsistency and only where expressly stated. Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.
By accepting a quotation or booking the service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with any part of them, you should not proceed with the booking. These terms are intended to support a professional, lawful, and transparent service for all customers of Tree Surgeon Richmond upon Thames.