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Site and land clearance

Clearing overgrown land, scrub and unwanted trees before building work, a new garden or bringing a field back into use. Most of the risk is in the legal checks, not the cutting.

Aerial view of a worker in a helmet feeding cut branches into a wood chipper
Photo: Daniel Miksha on Unsplash

Firms that do site & land clearance, by town

Services are as each firm describes them on its own website. 24/7 firms are listed first; the order isn't a ranking.

What site clearance covers

  • Felling and removing unwanted trees, saplings and self-sown growth.
  • Cutting back scrub, brambles and overgrown hedges, often with tracked mulchers or flails.
  • Grinding out stumps so the ground can be levelled, built on or replanted.
  • Chipping or removing the waste. Chipping on site is usually cheaper and leaves mulch you can use.

Checks before clearing

Protected trees. Trees on development sites are often covered by Tree Preservation Orders or by planning conditions requiring them to be kept and protected. Check your planning permission and with the council before anything is cut. See the TPO guide.

Wildlife. It's an offence to damage an active bird's nest, and dense scrub and hedges are prime nesting habitat, mainly from March to August. Bats, badgers and great crested newts are strictly protected, and common reptiles are protected from being killed or injured. On larger sites, or where planning conditions require it, an ecologist should check before clearance starts.

Felling licences. Felling more than 5 cubic metres of timber in a calendar quarter can need a felling licence from the Forestry Commission, unless an exemption such as planning permission applies.

Invasive plants. Japanese knotweed and similar plants need specialist treatment and are treated as controlled waste. It's an offence to cause them to spread in the wild, so they mustn't be chipped or tipped with the rest.

Waste: your duty of care

If you pay someone to take away green waste, you have a legal duty to make sure it goes to a legitimate place. Check that the firm is registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency and ask where the waste will go. If waste is fly-tipped, the person who produced it can be held responsible.

What to ask for in a quote

  • The area and what will be cleared, and what will be kept and protected.
  • Whether stumps will be ground out, and to what depth.
  • What happens to the waste, and the firm's waste carrier registration number.
  • Who is responsible for wildlife checks and any felling licence.

Questions

Do I need permission to clear trees from my land?

Not usually for a small amount of unprotected trees and scrub, but trees may be protected by a TPO, a conservation area or planning conditions, and felling more than 5 cubic metres of timber a quarter can need a felling licence. Check before you start.

Can I clear land during bird nesting season?

Only if you are sure there are no active nests. It is an offence to damage or destroy a nest in use. Most clearance of scrub and hedges is best done between September and February, but still check for nests and reptiles first.

What happens to the waste from site clearance?

Most is chipped on site and either left as mulch or taken away. Make sure the firm is a registered waste carrier and ask where the waste goes, because you share responsibility for it.

Does land clearance include stump removal?

Not always. Ask whether stumps will be ground out and to what depth, especially if you plan to build, lay paths or replant.

How to choose a tree surgeon

  • Insurance: ask to see a public liability certificate (the Arboricultural Association recommends at least £5m), and employers' liability, which is a legal requirement if they have staff.
  • Qualifications: chainsaw and climbing work should be done by people holding NPTC (City & Guilds) or Lantra certificates. Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor status is a stronger check.
  • A written quote: it should say exactly what will be cut, whether the stump is ground out, and whether waste and logs are taken away.
  • Standards: ask whether the work will follow BS 3998, the British Standard for tree work.
  • Protected trees: a good firm will check for a TPO or conservation area and can make the application. See our TPO guide.

Listings show what each firm says it offers. We don't check insurance or qualifications, so ask for proof before you hire. How we list firms.