Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Hampstead

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which Tree Surgeons Hampstead provides arboricultural and related services to domestic and commercial customers. By making a booking, confirming a quotation, allowing work to proceed, or otherwise instructing us, you agree to be bound by these terms. They are intended to create clarity around the booking process, payment arrangements, cancellations, liability, waste handling, and the legal framework applying to our services. For the avoidance of doubt, these terms apply to all works carried out by our tree surgery team unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.

In these terms, references to “we”, “us”, and “our” mean the service provider trading as tree surgeons in Hampstead, and references to “you” mean the customer, occupier, landlord, managing agent, business, or other party requesting the services. These terms are designed to be practical and fair, while reflecting standard UK service practices. If any clause is found to be unenforceable, the remaining clauses will continue in full force and effect.

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in law, safety practice, insurance arrangements, or the nature of our services. The version in force at the time your booking is confirmed will generally apply to that work, unless we notify you in writing of a change that must apply for legal or operational reasons.

1. Scope of Services

We provide a range of arboricultural services, which may include tree pruning, crown reduction, crown thinning, deadwood removal, tree felling, stump grinding, hedge work, emergency tree work, site clearance, and related inspections or advice. The exact service to be carried out will be described in the quotation, estimate, or written acceptance. Any additional works requested on site may be treated as a variation and charged separately if agreed.

All work is carried out with reasonable skill and care, in accordance with applicable UK legislation, industry practice, and relevant health and safety obligations. However, trees are living structures and may present hidden defects, decay, structural weakness, subsurface constraints, or other conditions that are not visible during a preliminary assessment. Because of that, our recommendations may be limited by access, weather, equipment feasibility, conservation restrictions, and the information provided by you.

Any advice given by our tree surgeons Hampstead team is based on the condition of the tree at the time of inspection and the information available to us. If circumstances change before the work date, we reserve the right to amend the method, price, timing, or scope of work. Where necessary, we may decline to proceed if conditions are unsafe, unlawful, or materially different from what was originally described.

2. Booking Process

A booking may be made by telephone, email, messaging, or any other method we make available from time to time. A booking is not confirmed until we have provided acceptance of the quotation or estimate, and, where relevant, received any required deposit or written approval. The booking process may also include a site visit, photographs, or other information gathering to allow us to prepare an accurate proposal.

2.1 Quotations and estimates

Any quotation is normally based on the information available at the time and may be subject to clarification if access, tree condition, waste volumes, traffic management, climbing requirements, or other factors differ from what was initially understood. An estimate is indicative only and may change when the final scope is known. We will usually notify you if a material adjustment is required before carrying out any extra work.

2.2 Customer responsibilities before work starts

You must ensure that you have the legal right to instruct the works, that the site can be accessed safely, and that any relevant permissions, consents, or notifications have been obtained where required. This may include landlord approval, managing agent consent, planning permission, tree preservation consent, conservation area permission, or any other statutory approval. If permissions are needed and not in place, we may suspend or cancel the booking.

You are also responsible for informing us of any underground services, overhead cables, fragile structures, hidden hazards, protected wildlife concerns, shared boundaries, or other site-specific issues that may affect the work. If you fail to provide accurate or complete information, we may alter the price, revise the method, or refuse to continue where safety or legal compliance would be compromised.

3. Payments

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment terms will be set out in the quotation or invoice. For many residential and commercial tree surgery services, payment is due on completion of the work or within the stated payment period on the invoice. We may request a deposit, staged payment, or advance payment for larger projects, specialist equipment, emergency attendance, or works involving significant materials and disposal costs.

All prices are stated in pounds sterling and may be subject to VAT where applicable. If VAT applies, this will be shown separately or included in the quoted price, depending on the format of the quotation. We reserve the right to correct obvious pricing errors before a booking is accepted. Payment may be made by bank transfer or any other payment method we expressly accept.

Late or overdue payments may result in the suspension of further services, recovery action, or the addition of reasonable debt recovery and administrative costs where permitted by law. If you dispute an invoice, you must notify us promptly and explain the basis of the dispute. You must still pay any undisputed amount by the due date.

Where a customer cancels after materials, labour, waste arrangements, or subcontractor commitments have been made, we may retain any deposit to cover our reasonable losses. Nothing in these terms limits any statutory rights you may have as a consumer regarding services not carried out with reasonable care and skill.

4. Cancellations, Rescheduling, and Delays

You may request cancellation or rescheduling by notifying us as soon as possible. Because tree work often involves planning, labour allocation, equipment hire, and disposal arrangements, short-notice cancellations may result in a charge reflecting our actual losses. Where a cancellation occurs after we have arrived on site and are ready to begin, we may charge the full call-out or a reasonable portion of the quoted amount.

If you are a consumer arranging services away from our business premises, you may have rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 in certain circumstances. Where those rights apply, we will provide any required pre-contract information and cancellation details. However, if you specifically ask us to start work within the cancellation period, you may be required to pay for work already carried out even if you later decide to cancel.

We may need to reschedule due to adverse weather, unsafe site conditions, equipment failure, staff illness, access issues, legal restrictions, or other events beyond our reasonable control. In such cases, we will aim to rearrange the work within a reasonable time. We are not liable for any indirect losses caused by a delay where the delay is outside our reasonable control.

5. Liability and Limitations

We will use reasonable care and skill in carrying out all work. If we fail to do so, we will usually seek to put matters right by re-performing the service, offering a correction, or providing another fair remedy in line with applicable law. Our liability for foreseeable loss or damage caused by our negligence or breach of contract will not be excluded, but it will be limited to the extent permitted by law.

We are not responsible for pre-existing defects, hidden decay, structural weakness, or damage arising from the natural condition of the tree, unless such damage is caused by our negligence. We are also not responsible for damage resulting from inaccurate instructions, undisclosed underground or overhead services, unstable structures, third-party interference, or defects that could not reasonably have been identified before work began.

5.1 Property, access, and third-party matters

You should remove or protect fragile items, ornaments, vehicles, furniture, cables, and valuables from the work area unless we have expressly agreed in writing to take additional precautions. We may create a reasonable working zone and may need to move equipment, timber, or waste through gardens, driveways, paths, or similar areas. Although we will take care, minor disturbance to lawns, borders, or surfaces may occur as a normal consequence of arboricultural work.

If neighbouring property, public areas, or third-party structures are affected by the work, you must ensure that you have authority to permit access or action where required. We are not liable for losses arising from a failure to obtain such authority. Any claim for damage must be supported by evidence and reported to us within a reasonable period after the work is completed, or as soon as the issue reasonably becomes apparent.

6. Waste Regulations and Site Clearance

All green waste, woodchip, timber, brash, stump arisings, and related materials removed from site will be handled in accordance with applicable waste legislation and duty of care obligations. We will transport, store, and dispose of waste only through lawful means and, where required, use authorised facilities or licensed waste carriers. We may reuse certain materials such as woodchip or timber where this is lawful and appropriate, unless you instruct us otherwise and we agree to that arrangement.

Unless expressly agreed, waste produced by the works becomes our responsibility once removed from the site. However, if you ask us to leave timber, logs, branches, or chip on site, you accept responsibility for any storage, future handling, or additional disposal associated with those materials. We may refuse to leave waste where doing so would create a safety risk, block access, breach environmental rules, or conflict with local waste handling requirements.

You must not request that waste be disposed of unlawfully or in any way that breaches environmental protection rules. We reserve the right to stop work if we believe any waste instruction would be unlawful or unsafe. If a waste transfer note, invoice description, or other compliance document is required, you agree to provide the information reasonably necessary to complete it accurately.

7. Permits, Legal Compliance, and Site Conditions

Where tree work requires consent from a local authority, property owner, management company, or other body, it is your responsibility to ensure that consent is in place unless we have agreed in writing to handle that process. We may provide supporting information, but we do not guarantee the grant of any permission. If work is restricted by tree preservation rules, conservation controls, tenancy terms, or planning conditions, we may need to postpone or adapt the service.

We reserve the right to withdraw from a job if site conditions differ materially from those described, if the tree is more hazardous than expected, if access is inadequate, or if continuing would place people, property, wildlife, or utilities at unreasonable risk. We may also stop work where the presence of nesting birds, bats, or other protected species requires a pause or additional assessment. Any such interruption will be handled in accordance with law and reasonable practice.

These terms and conditions are intended to support safe, lawful, and professional service delivery. They do not prevent us from exercising professional judgment or taking additional precautions where necessary. If specific conditions are identified during the job, we may recommend changes to the original plan, including a different pruning method, reduced scope, additional access equipment, or a revised completion time.

8. Force Majeure

We are not liable for failure or delay in performing our obligations where the failure or delay results from events beyond our reasonable control. These may include severe weather, storms, flooding, fire, industrial action, civil disturbance, power failure, equipment shortages, road closures, pandemic-related restrictions, or emergency safety concerns. In such circumstances, we will use reasonable efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable.

9. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with them, including any non-contractual dispute or claim, will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If you are a consumer, nothing in this clause affects any rights you may have under mandatory consumer protection law.

10. General Provisions

If we choose not to enforce any part of these terms on one occasion, that does not waive our right to enforce it later. No person other than the parties to the contract has any right to enforce these terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. Headings are included for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.

These terms, together with any quotation, estimate, invoice, or written variation, form the entire agreement between us and you in relation to the relevant service, subject always to statutory rights. By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these conditions as the basis for the services provided by Tree Surgeons Hampstead.