A tree surgeon looks after trees by pruning, reducing, thinning and felling them safely, usually by climbing with ropes and a harness or working from a lifting platform. They also clear away the waste, make dangerous or storm-damaged trees safe, and tell you honestly whether a tree needs work at all.
It is skilled, physical work at height with chainsaws, so it is very different from general gardening. Here is what the job covers and what to look for when you hire someone.
What a tree surgeon does day to day
Most jobs fall into a handful of standard types of work:
- Crown reduction. Bringing down the height and spread of a tree by cutting back to suitable growth points, so it keeps a natural shape.
- Crown thinning. Taking out a proportion of the smaller branches through the crown to let more light and wind through, without changing the overall size.
- Crown lifting. Removing the lower branches to give clearance over a lawn, path, drive or road.
- Deadwooding. Removing dead, dying or broken branches before they fall.
- Formative pruning. Shaping young trees so they grow a sound structure and need less work later.
- Felling. Taking a tree down in one piece where there is room for it to land.
- Sectional dismantling. Climbing the tree and taking it down piece by piece, lowering each section on ropes, where there is no room to fell it.
- Hedge work. Cutting and reducing tall or overgrown hedges.
- Emergency work. Making safe trees or limbs that have split or come down in a storm.
Good pruning follows BS 3998, the British Standard for tree work. It sets out where and how cuts should be made so the tree can seal over and stay healthy. At New Leaf Arb, domestic pruning, crown reduction, thinning and hedge work is carried out to BS 3998.
How the work is done safely
A tree surgeon reaches the canopy in one of two ways. The first is climbing, using ropes, a harness and a top-handled chainsaw. Branches are tied off and lowered under control, which is called rigging, so nothing drops onto the roof, fence or flower beds below.
The second is a MEWP, a mobile elevating work platform, often called a cherry picker. It lets the arborist work at height with both hands free. New Leaf Arb runs a 23m tracked spider MEWP that fits through a standard gateway and works on soft ground, and a 13m 4x4 MEWP for fields and rough access.
Once the cutting is done, branches go through a chipper and the timber is cut into manageable lengths. Work near overhead power lines is a separate skill again and should only be done by arborists trained in utility arboriculture. Will and John are both qualified for it.
Tree surgeon, arborist or gardener: what is the difference?
The names get mixed up, so here is a simple way to think about it:
- Arborist or arboriculturist. The wider term for anyone trained to work with trees. It includes tree surgeons, but also consultants who survey trees and write reports for planning, mortgages or insurance, and who may never pick up a chainsaw.
- Tree surgeon. An arborist who does the practical work: climbing, pruning, dismantling and felling.
- Gardener. Looks after lawns, borders, shrubs and light hedge trimming from the ground. Many gardeners are not trained or insured to use a chainsaw up a tree or to fell one.
If the job needs a chainsaw, a ladder or rope, or anything near the house, you want a tree surgeon.
What qualifications should a tree surgeon have?
There is no single licence for tree surgery in the UK, so it is worth asking. Look for:
- NPTC chainsaw certificates. NPTC is part of City & Guilds. Separate certificates cover chainsaw use on the ground, felling, tree climbing and aerial rescue, and using a chainsaw from a rope and harness. Ask which ones match the work being quoted.
- Public liability insurance. Ask to see the certificate and check the cover is a sensible level for work near your house.
- A clear written quote. It should say exactly what will be done to which tree, and what happens to the waste.
- Working to BS 3998. A good firm will be happy to explain how it prunes and why.
Will and John are both NPTC qualified in utility arboriculture and domestic tree surgery, and New Leaf Arb carries £10 million public liability insurance. Certificates are available on request.
Tree Preservation Orders and conservation areas
Some trees are protected by law, and it is up to the owner to check before work starts.
- Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). If a tree has a TPO, you need written consent from the council before pruning or felling it. Cutting a protected tree without consent can lead to a heavy fine.
- Conservation areas. In a conservation area, trees with a trunk more than 7.5cm across, measured 1.5m above the ground, are protected even without a TPO. You normally have to give the council six weeks' notice before the work.
- Nesting birds and bats. Wildlife law protects nesting birds and roosting bats. Hedge and tree work in the main nesting season, roughly March to August, needs a careful check first.
- Countryside hedgerows. Removing a hedgerow on or next to farmland can need permission under the Hedgerow Regulations. Garden hedges are not covered.
Around Horncastle, Woodhall Spa, Coningsby, Tattershall, Spilsby and Wragby, the council to ask is East Lindsey District Council. Check with them before any work if you are not sure whether your tree is protected.
Tree work in Horncastle and nearby
If you have a tree you are unsure about, New Leaf Arb can come and take a look. Read more about domestic tree surgery, tree felling and removal and tree climbing and dismantling, or see tree work in Horncastle and Woodhall Spa. Wondering about price? See how much a tree surgeon costs, or read about tree preservation orders in East Lindsey. Site visits are free and quotes are no obligation.
Published 11 October 2026 by Will, New Leaf Arb Tree Surgeons, Horncastle.