Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Shortlands

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which Tree Surgeons Shortlands provides arboricultural and related tree surgery services to domestic and commercial clients. By making a booking, accepting a quotation, or allowing works to commence, the customer agrees to be bound by these terms. These conditions are intended to create a clear, fair, and legally sound framework for the supply of services, including how jobs are booked, how payment is made, how cancellations are handled, and how responsibility is allocated for site conditions, waste handling, and legal compliance.

For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, references to tree surgery services include, without limitation, tree pruning, crown reduction, crown thinning, crown lifting, deadwood removal, hedge trimming, tree felling, stump grinding, site clearance, and associated arboricultural operations. The wording Tree Surgeons Shortlands is used throughout this document to refer to the service provider, regardless of the particular team member, subcontractor, or representative carrying out the work. These terms apply unless a separate written agreement expressly states otherwise.

By instructing Tree Surgeons Shortlands, the customer confirms that they are either the owner of the property or have obtained all necessary permissions from the owner, occupier, managing agent, landlord, freeholder, or other relevant party. The customer is responsible for ensuring that the requested work may lawfully proceed. If consent, licences, planning permission, or neighbour approval is required, the customer must obtain it before the scheduled date unless the parties have agreed in writing that the contractor will assist with the process as a separate service.

All quotations are based on the information provided at the time of inspection, enquiry, or request for pricing. Quotes from Tree Surgeons Shortlands may be amended if the scope of work changes, hidden defects are discovered, access conditions differ from those described, or legal requirements affect the works. Unless stated otherwise, quotations remain valid for a limited period and are subject to availability. A quotation does not guarantee a booking until it has been accepted and the appointment has been confirmed in writing or by another recorded method.

Booking process begins when the customer supplies relevant job details, including the address, access arrangements, type of trees or hedges involved, and any known hazards. The company may ask for photographs, maps, or a site visit before confirming the work. Once the customer accepts the quote, a provisional date or time window may be offered. A booking is only secured when any required deposit has been paid and any required information has been provided. The company reserves the right to decline or reschedule a booking where weather, safety, equipment requirements, or legal restrictions make attendance inappropriate.

Tree surgeons in Shortlands may need to revise the programme of works if conditions are not suitable on arrival. This can include blocked access, parked vehicles, adverse weather, nesting birds, unstable trees, boundary disputes, or unsafe overhead lines. If the customer is not present, the company may still undertake the work provided access has been authorised in advance and the site is safe. The customer should ensure that gates, driveways, and relevant areas are accessible, and that pets, vehicles, and vulnerable items are moved where necessary.

All prices are quoted in pounds sterling and are normally exclusive of VAT unless expressly stated. Payment terms will be confirmed in the quotation or invoice. In many cases, payment is due on completion of the service, although Tree Surgeons Shortlands may require a deposit for larger, scheduled, or specialist works. Where a deposit is requested, it secures time, labour, and equipment allocation and may be non-refundable in the circumstances described below. Late payments may result in administrative charges, recovery action, or the suspension of further services, subject always to applicable law.

The customer must pay by the agreed method and within the agreed time. If payment is not received when due, the company may charge interest on overdue sums at the statutory rate or at the maximum rate permitted by law, together with reasonable costs of recovery. Any bank charges incurred due to failed payments, chargebacks, or cancelled transfers may be passed on to the customer where lawful. Until full payment is received, any materials, timber, woodchip, logs, or equipment left on site remain subject to the company’s rights.

Where services are carried out for business customers, the same payment obligations apply, but the company may also enforce its rights under commercial debt legislation. No right of set-off applies unless expressly agreed in writing. Tree Surgery Shortlands services may include additional charges for waste loading, disposal, emergency attendance, difficult access, or work that becomes necessary due to inaccurate information given by the customer. Any such extras will normally be explained before they are incurred where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Customers may cancel a booking by providing notice in writing or by the agreed communication method. If a cancellation is made with sufficient notice, the company may offer an alternative date, retain only reasonable administrative costs, or refund sums paid, depending on the stage reached and the nature of the booking. If cancellation occurs after resources have been committed, materials ordered, staff allocated, or machinery scheduled, the company may deduct a proportionate amount to cover losses actually incurred. For urgent or bespoke works, a cancellation fee may apply.

Where the customer requests a postponement rather than a cancellation, Tree Surgeons Shortlands will try to accommodate a new date subject to availability. However, repeated rescheduling may require the booking to be treated as cancelled and re-booked. The company may cancel or suspend the service without liability if circumstances beyond its reasonable control make performance impossible or unsafe. Such circumstances include severe weather, accidents, equipment failure, staff illness, road closures, utility interference, acts of third parties, or legal restrictions affecting the works.

If the customer cancels after the team has arrived on site or after work has commenced, the customer may be liable for the full or partial contract price depending on the amount of work completed and the costs already incurred. In addition, if the site cannot be accessed, the customer is not ready to proceed, or required permissions are missing, the company may treat the booking as cancelled by the customer. This does not affect any statutory rights that a consumer may have under applicable law.

The company will use reasonable care and skill in the performance of all services. Liability is limited to losses that are direct, foreseeable, and caused by the company’s proven negligence or breach of contract. 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 lawfully be excluded under English law. The customer is responsible for removing or protecting fragile, valuable, or sentimental items before work begins.

Tree surgeon services often involve inherent risks, including the use of chainsaws, climbing systems, lowering ropes, stump grinders, wood chippers, and heavy vehicles. The customer acknowledges that some disturbance to lawns, paths, driveways, bark, turf, and surrounding planting may occur in the ordinary course of properly performed work. Unless otherwise agreed, the company does not accept liability for minor cosmetic damage that is reasonably unavoidable when carrying out tree surgery with due care and skill. Reasonable efforts will be made to minimise impact and to leave the site tidy.

The company is not responsible for pre-existing defects, hidden decay, unstable structures, underground services, weak root systems, or failures that occur because of the natural condition of the tree or surrounding land. Where a tree is diseased, hollow, storm damaged, or structurally compromised, removal or pruning may reveal conditions that could not reasonably have been identified in advance. Tree Surgeons Shortlands shall not be liable for consequences arising from such conditions unless they were known and negligently disregarded. The customer should inform the company of any known hazards, buried services, drains, sprinklers, or restricted areas.

The customer must take reasonable steps to protect adjoining property, including fencing, ornaments, paving, vehicles, sheds, conservatories, cables, and nearby structures. Where the customer requests work close to buildings or boundaries, the company will use appropriate care, but the customer accepts that some residual risk may remain. If the customer requires additional protection, such as ground boards, protective sheeting, traffic management, or specialist access controls, these should be agreed before the service date and may affect the price. The company may refuse to carry out unsafe or unlawful instructions.

Waste regulations are an important part of the service. Unless otherwise agreed, all green waste generated by the works will be handled in accordance with applicable environmental and waste management legislation. This may include branches, foliage, logs, woodchip, stump arisings, sawdust, and related organic material. The company will normally remove waste from site where this is part of the agreed quotation. If waste is left for the customer, it becomes the customer’s responsibility once the work has been completed and the material has been accepted or designated for retention.

Tree Surgeons Shortlands will transport and dispose of controlled waste only through lawful channels and authorised facilities where required. Waste transfer documentation may be used where applicable. The customer must not request that waste be dumped, burned unlawfully, or disposed of in breach of environmental rules. Any timber or arisings kept by the customer are stored at the customer’s risk after handover. The company is not responsible for subsequent decay, pests, staining, or movement of retained materials. If the customer asks for waste to be stacked, chipped, or left in a particular location, this should be agreed in advance.

All work is carried out subject to compliance with relevant legislation and industry practice. This may include health and safety duties, wildlife and nesting bird protections, tree preservation controls, conservation restrictions, highway rules, and any other applicable statutory requirements. The customer acknowledges that if protected species, nesting activity, or other legal constraints are discovered, the company may stop or delay the job until it can lawfully proceed. In such cases, any variation, postponement, or cancellation will be handled reasonably and in line with the booking and payment terms.

The company may rely on subcontractors or specialist partners to complete part of the service, but it remains responsible for ensuring that work is arranged and delivered with reasonable care. Any subcontractor engaged will be suitably competent for the task assigned. However, no guarantee is given that the precise same personnel will attend on every occasion. Tree surgery services may also require temporary changes to the method of work to accommodate safety conditions, equipment limitations, or legal obligations. Such changes do not automatically amount to a breach of contract.

Any complaint about the service should be raised as soon as reasonably possible after the issue is identified, so that the matter can be investigated and, where appropriate, remedied. The customer must give the company a fair opportunity to inspect the concern, revisit the site if necessary, and consider a proportionate resolution. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, the parties should first attempt to negotiate in good faith before pursuing formal proceedings. This does not remove any rights available under consumer law or other mandatory legal protections.

These Terms and Conditions may be updated from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or commercial changes. The version in force at the time of booking will normally apply to that contract unless a later written agreement states otherwise. If any term is found by a court or competent authority to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be treated as severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining terms shall continue in full force and effect. No delay or failure to enforce a right shall constitute a waiver of that right.

Governing law and jurisdiction: these Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them or their subject matter, 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, except where consumer law grants the customer the right to bring proceedings elsewhere. This legal framework ensures that the relationship between the customer and Tree Surgeons Shortlands is determined under a clear and consistent legal standard.

The customer confirms that they have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and agree that the contract will be formed on the basis of the quotation, booking confirmation, and these terms together. By proceeding, the customer acknowledges that tree work is often dependent on site-specific factors and legal compliance. Tree Surgeons Shortlands will act reasonably, safely, and professionally, and the customer agrees to cooperate in providing accurate information, lawful access, and prompt payment for the agreed service. These terms are intended to protect both parties and support a transparent, lawful service relationship.