Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Barking

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeons Barking to residential and commercial clients. By making a booking, requesting a quotation, or confirming an instruction for work, the client agrees to be bound by these terms. For the purposes of this document, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the service provider, and “you” refers to the client, customer, or person placing the booking. These terms apply to all tree work, pruning, dismantling, felling, stump-related services, hedge work, and associated arboricultural services, unless agreed otherwise in writing.

These terms are intended to provide clear expectations about the way tree surgeon services are arranged, carried out, paid for, and completed. They are designed to support a professional working relationship and to reduce misunderstandings about access, safety, waste removal, weather delays, and legal responsibilities. Any variation to these terms must be agreed in advance and confirmed in writing. If any part of these terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

By proceeding with a booking, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these terms. If you are booking on behalf of a landlord, managing agent, business, or other organisation, you confirm that you have the authority to do so and that the organisation will be responsible for all fees, instructions, and obligations arising from the work. Where a conflict exists between a quotation and these terms, these terms will apply unless the quotation expressly states otherwise.

1. Booking Process

Bookings for tree surgeons in Barking are usually made after an initial enquiry and, where required, a site assessment. We may provide an estimated price based on photographs, plans, written descriptions, or a site visit. However, any quotation is based on the information available at the time and may be revised if the actual conditions differ from those initially described. Examples include unexpected root spread, hidden decay, restricted access, utility lines, nesting birds, or the presence of protected species.

Once a quotation is accepted, a booking is considered provisional until we confirm a date or time window. Acceptance may be given by email, text message, signed quotation, verbal instruction, or any other reasonable means. You are responsible for ensuring that the details provided at the time of booking are accurate, including the property address, scope of works, access arrangements, and any known hazards. If you require approval from a landlord, freeholder, neighbours, local authority, or another party, it is your responsibility to obtain that approval before the work begins.

We may ask for photographs, tree locations, access instructions, or other relevant information before confirming a booking. For some jobs, a site inspection may be necessary before we can give a fixed price or agree a date. Although we aim to work efficiently, scheduled times are estimates rather than guarantees unless we expressly state otherwise. Delays caused by traffic, weather, equipment issues, or earlier jobs may occasionally occur. We will make reasonable efforts to inform you if the planned start time changes.

2. Scope of Services and Site Conditions

All tree surgeon services are carried out with reasonable skill and care and in line with industry practice. The scope of work will normally be described in the quotation or booking confirmation. Any work not specifically included may be treated as additional work and charged separately if requested or required. If you ask us to change the work once it has started, we may amend the price and schedule accordingly.

You must ensure that the site is reasonably safe and accessible on the agreed date. This includes clear access for staff, vehicles, machinery, and removal equipment. You must tell us in advance about underground services, overhead cables, fragile structures, ponds, greenhouses, hidden boundaries, or anything else that may affect the work. We are entitled to refuse or suspend work if site conditions are unsafe, unlawful, or unsuitable. In such cases, any wasted attendance costs or reasonable preparatory expenses may still be chargeable.

We reserve the right to stop work if weather conditions, ground conditions, wildlife activity, or any other factor creates a safety concern. In the tree surgery sector, safety is central to how services are delivered. If we believe the job cannot be completed safely on the day, we may postpone it, alter the method of work, or decline to continue. This includes situations where there is inadequate space for lowering operations, insufficient clearance, or unforeseen structural instability.

3. Payments and Charges

All prices are quoted in pounds sterling unless stated otherwise. Unless a quotation specifically says that VAT is included, it will be added where applicable. Payment terms will be stated in the quotation or invoice. In many cases, payment is due on completion of the work, although we may require a deposit for larger projects, repeat visits, or materials ordered in advance. If staged payments are agreed, each stage must be paid by the due date.

You agree to pay the full amount invoiced without set-off, deduction, or withholding unless required by law. Where an invoice remains unpaid after the due date, we may charge statutory interest and reasonable recovery costs in line with applicable UK legislation. We also reserve the right to suspend further services, withhold final paperwork where lawful, or cancel future bookings until outstanding balances have been settled.

If additional work becomes necessary due to circumstances not apparent at the time of quotation, we will normally discuss the matter with you before proceeding where reasonably practicable. Examples may include removal of concealed waste, extra dismantling time, traffic management needs, or the use of specialist equipment. If immediate action is required for safety reasons, you authorise us to take reasonable steps to secure the site and complete the necessary work, and you agree to pay for those additional services.

4. Cancellations, Postponements, and Rescheduling

If you wish to cancel or reschedule a booking, you must notify us as soon as possible. We understand that plans can change, but late cancellations may cause loss of earnings, travel costs, and staff downtime. For this reason, we may charge a cancellation fee where a booking is cancelled with limited notice, especially if plant, labour, permits, or waste arrangements have already been scheduled. The amount of any fee will be reasonable and may depend on how much work has already been undertaken.

We may cancel or postpone a booking if weather, safety, access, legal restrictions, or circumstances beyond our control make it impractical or unsafe to proceed. This may include storms, high winds, heavy rain, frozen ground, emergency service activity, or a local restriction affecting the work. In such cases, we will try to rearrange the work for another suitable date. We are not responsible for indirect losses caused by a cancellation or postponement, such as missed business activity or inconvenience, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

If you are not present on the agreed date and no safe access has been provided, we may treat the visit as a wasted journey or failed attendance. In that event, you may be charged for our time, travel, and reasonable preparation costs. Likewise, if we arrive and find that consent has not been granted, access has been withdrawn, or the work would breach legal requirements, we may leave the site and charge proportionately for the attendance.

5. Liability, Risk, and Client Responsibilities

We carry out tree surgery work with appropriate care and professionalism, but you acknowledge that arboricultural services involve inherent risks. Trees can behave unpredictably, timber may split or fall unexpectedly, and root or stem defects may not be visible before work starts. We are not responsible for damage caused by hidden defects, unstable structures, third-party interference, or inaccurate information supplied by you, provided we have acted with reasonable care.

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 be excluded under UK law. Subject to that, our liability for loss or damage arising from our services will be limited to the amount paid or payable for the relevant job, except where a higher limit is expressly agreed in writing. We do not accept liability for indirect, consequential, or purely economic loss unless required by law.

You are responsible for removing or securing items that could be damaged during the work, including garden furniture, ornaments, vehicles, play equipment, and valuables. You should also ensure that pets, children, and unauthorised persons remain away from the work area. Where necessary, we may isolate or cordon off sections of the site, and you agree to respect those safety measures. If you ask us to work close to fences, sheds, boundaries, or fragile structures, you accept the increased risk associated with that instruction.

6. Waste Removal, Timber, and Environmental Compliance

Tree surgery often produces branches, trunks, brushwood, stump grindings, and other green waste. Unless the quotation states otherwise, we will decide how waste is removed, processed, or disposed of in line with applicable waste regulations. Waste produced during the job remains subject to legal controls, and we will handle it in a way that is consistent with environmental obligations and responsible arboricultural practice. Where the waste is left on site at your request, ownership and responsibility for that material may transfer to you once the work is complete, subject to any legal restrictions.

We aim to operate in accordance with UK waste law and relevant duty of care requirements. This means that waste will be transferred, stored, transported, and disposed of through lawful and appropriate methods. If logs, mulch, woodchip, or brash are left for your use, you must ensure that their storage and later handling comply with applicable rules and that they do not create hazards, nuisance, or block access. We are not responsible for the later condition, movement, or use of waste left on site after completion.

If we are required to remove waste from site, the price may include disposal, transport, labour, and any necessary compliance costs. If you request that waste be segregated, retained, or moved to a particular area, we will do so where reasonably practical, but may charge extra for the additional handling. We may refuse requests that would create environmental risk, breach regulations, or make it unsafe to complete the job. Any timber, chip, or green waste not expressly retained by you may be treated as our responsibility to remove or process.

7. Permits, Permissions, and Legal Compliance

You are responsible for obtaining any permissions, consents, or permits required for the work, unless we specifically agree in writing to handle part of that process. This may include planning consent, tree preservation order consent, landlord permission, highway permissions, or any approvals needed because of shared ownership or boundary issues. If the work cannot lawfully proceed because permission has not been obtained, we may postpone or cancel the job and charge for reasonable wasted costs.

We will not knowingly carry out work that would place us in breach of applicable law, including wildlife protections, tree protection controls, health and safety rules, or traffic management obligations. If we believe that the work may affect nesting birds, bats, protected habitats, or other sensitive environmental matters, we may halt the job until the issue has been reviewed. You agree to provide accurate information about any known restrictions affecting the trees or site.

Where notices, approvals, or third-party consent are required, timescales may be affected. A quotation does not guarantee that work can be carried out immediately. We will not be liable for delays caused by legal or regulatory requirements, provided we have acted reasonably and in good faith. Any instructions given by you that conflict with the law will be disregarded.

8. Complaints, Variations, and Final Provisions

If you believe that work has not been completed in accordance with the quotation or these terms, you should notify us within a reasonable time after completion. We may ask for photographs, a description of the issue, or a chance to inspect the site before deciding how to respond. Where a legitimate issue exists, we may offer to return, correct the work, provide a partial adjustment, or take another reasonable step depending on the circumstances.

No waiver of any term will be effective unless we agree to it in writing. If we do not enforce a right or remedy immediately, that does not mean we have waived it. These terms, together with the accepted quotation or written confirmation, form the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the relevant work and replace any previous discussions or representations, whether written or oral.

These terms may be updated from time to time. The version in force at the time of your booking will apply to that booking unless a later written agreement states otherwise. You are encouraged to keep a copy of the quotation and terms for your records. By instructing Tree Surgeons Barking, you confirm that you accept these conditions as the governing basis for the service relationship.

9. Governing Law

This agreement and any dispute or claim arising from it shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute unless mandatory law provides otherwise. If any term is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest of the agreement will continue in full force.

These terms are written to provide a fair and practical framework for professional tree surgery services, while protecting both the client and the service provider.

By booking or instructing work, you agree to these Terms and Conditions in full.