Interleaved, in practice. Clear enough to see and work safely, do the heavy work, then finish the clearance.
Neither strictly first. Clear enough ground to move safely and see the hazards, then do the tree and hedge work, then finish the clearance — one visit with the stages interleaved rather than separate jobs.
What should not happen is tree work last, after new fencing, turf or planting exist to be damaged.
| Step | Why |
|---|---|
| 1. Cut back enough to move safely | Access and visibility |
| 2. Identify hazards | Wells, ponds, dumped material, cables |
| 3. Tree and hedge work | With clear drop zones and known ground |
| 4. Clear the remainder | Including everything the tree work dropped |
| 5. Stumps | While machinery is on site |
| 6. Load and remove | One waste stream, not three |
| 7. Reassess together | Before anything is built or planted |
Tell us what you need and we will arrange a free quotation.
Where a garden has been left a long time, the trees and hedges are usually the reason it looks the way it does. Self-seeded saplings have become trees, a canopy has closed over, a hedge has doubled in width and the ground beneath all of it has been in shade for years. Clearing the undergrowth without addressing any of that produces a garden that is tidier and still dark — and everything you plant afterwards is planted into the same conditions that failed before.
This matters more on a clearance than people realise, because trees hidden in an overgrown garden are easy to treat as undergrowth. A self-seeded sycamore is one thing; a protected mature tree that has disappeared into a thicket is quite another, and clearing it without consent is still an offence.
See what our garden clearance service covers in Fishponds, or read more about the service across the areas we work in.
Neither strictly first. Clear enough ground to move safely and see hazards, then do the tree and hedge work, then finish the clearance.
Because you cannot safely reach or fell a tree into dense undergrowth, drop zones need to be visible, and hazards like wells and drain covers need identifying first.
Because tree work then drops material onto ground you have just cleared, access is churned twice and chipping happens twice.
Yes — one set-up, one chipper on site, one waste removal, and the tree arisings leave with the clearance rather than in a separate load.
Because the trees and hedges are usually why the garden looks as it does. Clearing undergrowth alone leaves it tidier and still dark, and anything planted goes into the same failing conditions.
Yes. Nesting birds restrict tree and hedge work from around March to August, conifers are best cut in the growing season, and deciduous tree work suits winter.
Yes, with Bristol City Council. A tree hidden in a thicket is easy to treat as undergrowth, and clearing a protected one is still an offence.
Yes, and it is worth it while machinery is on site — and before any levelling, or you level twice.
Need tree surgery, hedge maintenance, fencing, garden clearance, turfing or power washing? Complete the form and tell us what work you require.
