Tree Lopping
Weight reduction and selective branch removal on overgrown marri, gum and peppermint.
Learn more →When removal is the right answer
Removal is warranted when a tree is dead, when the structural defect cannot be managed by pruning or cabling, when the root plate has lifted, when it is undermining a footing or a bore line, or when a building is going where it stands. Storm damage is the other common trigger — a marri that has shed a major limb and left a torn union is frequently not worth keeping.
It is not warranted just because the tree is big, drops leaves, or blocks a view. A mature tree on a South West block is shade, wind protection and value; where a reduction or a pruning plan solves the problem, that is what we will recommend.
How a removal is planned
Every removal starts with the same three questions: where can it go, how does the timber leave, and what is underneath.
On acreage out past Capel or in the Margaret River hinterland there is often room to fell the tree whole in a controlled direction, which is quick and cheap. On a suburban block in Bunbury, Eaton or central Busselton there rarely is. There the tree is climbed or reached with an elevated work platform and dismantled in sections, with limbs lowered on rigging rather than dropped. Sectional work is slower and costs more, and it is the only responsible method over a roof, a colorbond fence or a neighbour's shed.
Species changes the plan. Marri is brittle at branch unions and can fail early under rigging load, so sections get taken smaller. Jarrah is dense and heavy for its size — a piece that looks manageable is not. Karri gets tall enough that the climb itself is the job. Coastal peppermint is light but often multi-stemmed with a shallow plate in sand, which makes the base less predictable than the canopy suggests.
Ground conditions in the South West
The soil matters more here than most people expect. Sand and limestone through Dunsborough, Vasse and the Geographe coast mean a shallow root plate, easy grinding afterwards, and a real risk of bogging a tipper after winter rain. Gravel and clay loam inland around Donnybrook and Nannup hold a machine better but make stump work slower and harder on teeth. Either way, the crew should be telling you at quote time whether the truck is coming down the driveway or parking on the verge and barrowing.
What happens to the debris
Limbs are chipped on site. You can keep the chip as mulch or have it taken away. Trunk timber is cut to manageable rounds and removed, or left stacked if you want firewood — say so before the crew starts, because splitting it to firewood lengths on site is a different job from carting it out. The site gets raked. All of that is in the quoted price unless the quote says otherwise.
Getting it priced
Removal price is driven by height, access, the drop zone, the species and the volume of debris. The cost guide walks through each factor. If the stump matters to you, read stump grinding as well and get both quoted together. And before you book, check whether the tree is protected — the FAQ covers shire approvals.
Call (08) 9785 0207 or send the details and a crew who works your suburb will come and look.
More services
Explore our other services
Tree Pruning
Crown lifting, deadwooding and clearance pruning done to keep the tree, not just cut it back.
Learn more →Stump Grinding
Grinding the stump below ground level so you can turf, pave or plant over it.
Learn more →Stump Removal
Stump and root plate dug out entirely where footings, pipes or a new build need the ground clear.
Learn more →Land Clearing
Clearing house pads, paddock regrowth and overgrown lifestyle blocks, within the clearing rules.
Learn more →Firebreaks & Hazard Reduction
Firebreaks, fuel-load reduction and overhanging limb work to meet your shire's annual notice.
Learn more →Emergency Storm Work
Fallen limbs, split trunks and trees on roofs after a South West front comes through.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Can a big tree be removed without damaging my garden?
Usually, yes, but it changes the method. A sectional dismantle with the limbs lowered on rope takes longer than dropping the tree whole, and the price reflects that. Tell the crew what matters — the retic, the paving, a young orchard — before they quote, because protecting it is a decision made at quoting time, not on the day.
Do you remove trees that are close to power lines?
Work near the distribution network has statutory clearance distances and generally needs an accredited crew, and in some cases Western Power has to attend or de-energise the line. If the tree is touching or near a line, call Western Power on 13 13 51 first. We will tell you honestly whether the job is ours or theirs.
Is the stump included in a tree removal quote?
Not by default. Removal usually leaves the stump cut low. Grinding or full removal is quoted as a separate line because it uses a different machine. Have it quoted at the same visit anyway — doing both on one mobilisation is meaningfully cheaper than bringing a grinder back later.
How long does a tree removal take?
A straightforward suburban gum with room to drop it and good access is often a half day including clean-up. A large marri behind a Bunbury house with a single gate, rigged down piece by piece, can be a full day or two days with a crew of three. Access and drop-zone constraints drive the time far more than trunk diameter does.
Free, no-obligation