Tree Surgeons Millhill Service Terms and Conditions

These service terms and conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeons Millhill. They apply to all bookings, quotations, instructions, and works carried out for domestic and commercial customers unless otherwise agreed in writing. By requesting services, the customer confirms that they have read and understood these terms. For clarity, references to tree surgery services, arboricultural works, and tree maintenance include pruning, reductions, removals, stump-related works, hedge work, site clearance, and associated waste handling where relevant.

These terms are intended to create a fair, practical, and legally compliant framework for the provision of tree surgeon services. They do not affect any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under UK consumer legislation. Where a written quotation, proposal, or order form includes additional conditions, those conditions shall apply only if they are consistent with these terms or expressly state that they vary them. In the event of inconsistency, the more specific written agreement will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.

Throughout this document, words such as “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to the service provider, while “you” and “your” refer to the customer. The terms are written to be suitable for a legal page and are not a guide. They are designed to govern the relationship between the parties in a clear and professional manner. Tree surgery can involve significant physical risk, property risk, and environmental obligations, so both parties should take care to ensure all instructions and information are accurate and complete.

1. Booking process

All bookings for Tree Surgeons Millhill services begin with a request from the customer and may be followed by an inspection, remote assessment, or other information gathering as needed. We may ask for photographs, videos, measurements, access details, tree location, boundary information, and any relevant history about the trees or site. A booking is only confirmed when we have accepted the instruction and, where applicable, issued a quotation or written confirmation. Any estimate provided before inspection is indicative only unless clearly stated otherwise.

The customer must ensure that the information supplied during booking is complete and accurate. If circumstances differ from those described at the time of enquiry, we may revise the quotation, the timing, the scope of work, or the equipment required. This is especially important where tree surgery works are affected by hidden defects, root instability, utility services, access restrictions, protected species, boundary issues, or nearby structures. We may decline a booking if, in our reasonable opinion, the works are unsafe, unlawful, or outside the scope of our available resources.

2. Scope of works and changes

Our tree surgeon services will be limited to the works set out in the accepted quotation or written instruction. Unless expressly included, the service does not cover arboricultural reports, planning applications, ecological surveys, stump grinding, landscaping, or repair works to fences, paving, lawns, walls, or other surfaces. Any change requested by the customer after booking may result in an amended price, revised timetable, or updated risk assessment. We are not obliged to proceed with additional work unless it is agreed in writing or verbally confirmed on site by an authorised representative of ours.

If, during the course of the works, we discover a material issue that affects safety, legality, or the practicability of completing the work as originally instructed, we may suspend or modify the work until the issue is resolved. This may include discovering decay, structural weakness, storm damage, concealed decay, bee or wasp activity, nesting birds, cable strike risk, or unexpected ground conditions. We will use reasonable skill and care in deciding how to proceed, but we cannot guarantee that all risks can be identified before work begins.

Where work is carried out in stages, each stage may be treated as a separate element for pricing and completion purposes. Delays caused by weather, access problems, third-party interference, or safety concerns may require rescheduling. We may also postpone work where conditions are unsuitable for safe tree surgery, including high winds, heavy rain, ice, lightning, or excessive ground saturation. Our decision on safe working conditions is final for the purposes of site safety.

3. Payments

Payment terms will be confirmed in the quotation or invoice. Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due in full upon completion of the works or within the stated invoice period. We may require a deposit for larger projects, repeat visits, specialist equipment, or materials ordered in advance. Deposits are used to reserve labour, time, and resources and may be non-refundable to the extent permitted by law, particularly where costs have already been incurred on your behalf.

We accept payment by the methods stated at the point of booking or invoicing. If payment is not made on time, we reserve the right to charge interest and reasonable recovery costs in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation where applicable, or otherwise to the extent allowed by law. In addition, we may suspend further work, withhold any optional documentation not yet issued, or decline future services until overdue sums are settled. Time for payment is of the essence where expressly stated.

All quoted prices are based on the information available at the time of quotation and may exclude unforeseen additional work, permit-related costs, traffic management, waste transfer adjustments, or access-related complications. Unless stated otherwise, prices are exclusive of VAT where VAT is applicable. In the event of a pricing error that is obvious and material, we reserve the right to correct the price or withdraw the quotation before acceptance. A quotation does not become binding until it is accepted by both parties or work has commenced with our agreement.

4. Cancellations, postponements, and waiting time

If you wish to cancel or postpone a booking, you must notify us as soon as reasonably possible. Cancellations made with sufficient notice may not attract a charge, but we reserve the right to recover reasonable costs already incurred, including materials, subcontractor costs, permit costs, and administrative expenses. Where a cancellation occurs at short notice, on the day of attendance, or after we have mobilised staff and equipment, a cancellation fee may apply to cover loss of time and committed resources.

If adverse weather, unsafe site conditions, emergencies, or other circumstances beyond our control prevent completion, we may reschedule the work without liability for any indirect losses. If we attend site and cannot gain access, cannot safely complete the work, or are prevented from doing so by the customer, a representative, a neighbour, a third party, or any obstruction not reasonably foreseeable, we may charge a call-out or waiting-time fee. We will act reasonably when applying any such fee and will consider the circumstances of the visit.

The customer remains responsible for ensuring that the site is available at the agreed time and that any required permissions are in place. This includes permissions from freeholders, landlords, managing agents, neighbours where relevant, and any other person with an interest in the property or trees. If permission is not obtained and work cannot legally or safely proceed, we are entitled to treat the booking as cancelled or postponed by the customer, subject to any applicable charges.

5. Customer responsibilities

The customer must provide safe, reasonable access to the site and must inform us of any known hazards, including underground services, overhead lines, weak structures, contaminated ground, nesting activity, or hidden obstacles. You must ensure that pets, children, vehicles, and personal property are kept clear of the work area unless specifically agreed otherwise. You must also remove or protect items that could be damaged by debris, machinery, dust, or falling wood. We are entitled to refuse to begin or continue work if access or safety is compromised.

The customer is responsible for confirming that the requested tree surgery is lawful and properly authorised where permissions or consents may be required. This may include planning consent, conservation controls, tree preservation restrictions, leasehold permission, or permission from other parties with legal rights over the land or trees. Unless we agree in writing to obtain such permission on your behalf, responsibility remains with you. Any advice we provide on this issue is given in good faith but should not be treated as a substitute for formal legal or professional advice.

Where the customer instructs us to leave timber, arisings, logs, or chips on site, it is the customer’s responsibility to identify a suitable storage area and ensure it is acceptable for the intended use. If you request that material be stacked, cut to a particular size, or left in a specified location, we will do our best to comply, but the final arrangement may be affected by safety, access, or practicality. The customer must inspect the site after completion and notify us promptly of any concerns.

6. Liability and insurance

We will carry out tree surgery with reasonable skill and care. However, due to the nature of arboricultural work, some risk remains even when best practices are followed. We shall not be liable for loss or damage arising from information supplied by the customer that is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. We are also not liable for pre-existing defects, hidden decay, latent structural weakness, or issues that could not reasonably have been discovered without specialist investigation beyond the agreed scope of work.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded under English law. Subject to that, we shall not be responsible for indirect, consequential, or economic losses such as loss of profit, loss of opportunity, loss of use, or business interruption unless such liability cannot be excluded by law. Our total liability in connection with a booking shall be limited to the amount paid or payable for the specific works giving rise to the claim, except where a different limit is required by law.

We will maintain insurance cover that is appropriate to the nature of our tree surgeon operations. Evidence of insurance may be made available on request. Where damage is alleged, the customer must take reasonable steps to mitigate loss and must notify us promptly with supporting details and photographs where possible. We may inspect the site, investigate the cause, and require reasonable cooperation before admitting liability or agreeing a remedy. No admission of liability shall be inferred from attendance, investigation, or goodwill assistance.

7. Waste regulations and environmental compliance

All waste generated during our tree surgeon services will be handled in accordance with applicable UK waste regulations and environmental requirements. This may include wood, brush, leaves, woodchip, stumps, soil adherent to roots, and other organic arisings. Where we remove waste from site, we will do so using appropriate transport arrangements and lawful disposal or recovery methods. Waste will be transferred only to authorised facilities or through routes compliant with relevant duty-of-care obligations.

Unless otherwise agreed, we remain the waste holder for material we collect and remove. If waste is left on site at your request, ownership and responsibility may pass to you once the work is complete and the material has been safely placed in the agreed location, subject to any contrary written agreement. The customer must not allow removed waste to be fly-tipped, burned unlawfully, or used in a manner that breaches environmental law. If you request a specific disposal method, we may refuse if it is unsafe, impractical, or non-compliant with legal obligations.

We may also need to follow wildlife, habitat, and biosecurity considerations. If we identify nesting birds, protected species, invasive pests, or diseased material, we may pause or adapt the works as required by law and good practice. Any delay arising from such compliance will not constitute a breach by us. Where applicable, the customer must cooperate with reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of disease or contamination between sites.

8. Completion of works and retention of materials

Completion occurs when the agreed works have been substantially performed in accordance with the accepted scope, even if minor site tidying or follow-up actions remain. We will aim to leave the site in a neat and safe condition, but natural debris, sawdust, minor scuffing, and ground marks may still occur as part of normal tree work. We do not guarantee restoration of lawns, soil, bark chips, or hardstanding unless explicitly included in the contract.

If timber, brash, or chips are left on site, any later movement, shrinkage, staining, decay, insect activity, or weathering is outside our responsibility unless we have expressly undertaken to remove or treat that material. You should inspect the completed works promptly. If you consider that any part of the service has not been carried out in accordance with the agreement, you must notify us within a reasonable time so that the issue can be assessed. Our opportunity to inspect and remedy any genuine defect may affect the handling of any complaint or claim.

Photographs or site notes taken by our team may be used to record the condition of the site before, during, and after completion. This information may assist in confirming the scope of work, addressing queries, and managing any dispute. You agree that routine photographs taken for operational purposes may be relied upon as evidence of what was done, subject to any legal rights you may have to challenge such evidence.

9. Force majeure

We shall not be liable for delay or failure to perform our obligations where such delay or failure results from events beyond our reasonable control. These may include severe weather, fire, flood, storm, accident, illness, staff shortage caused by events outside our control, industrial action, equipment failure, road closures, utility strikes, acts of government, war, terrorism, or restrictions imposed by law or public authority. In such cases, our obligations will be suspended for the duration of the event and resumed as soon as reasonably practicable.

If a force majeure event continues for an extended period, either party may seek to reschedule or, where appropriate, terminate the affected booking on reasonable notice. Any reasonable costs incurred up to the point of suspension may still be payable. We will act fairly and proportionately when assessing the effect of such events and will keep the customer informed where practical. However, we are not responsible for losses that flow from circumstances we could not reasonably prevent.

10. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, whether contractual or non-contractual, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where consumer law requires otherwise. If any provision of these terms is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

11. General provisions

Any failure or delay by us in enforcing a right or remedy under these terms shall not operate as a waiver of that right or remedy. No person other than the customer and us shall have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 unless expressly stated in writing. The customer may not assign or transfer their rights or obligations without our prior written consent. We may assign or subcontract any part of the work where reasonably necessary, provided that we remain responsible for the agreed service to the extent required by law.

These terms, together with the accepted quotation and any written variations, constitute the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the relevant works. Any verbal statement or prior discussion that is not incorporated in writing shall not form part of the contract unless required by law. The purpose of this clause is to provide certainty for both parties and to ensure that Tree Surgeons Millhill services are delivered on a clear contractual basis.

By proceeding with a booking, you acknowledge that you have authority to instruct the works and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions for all tree surgeon and tree surgery services provided.