Terms and Conditions for Tree Surgeons Belmont

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgeons in Belmont provide arboricultural services to domestic and commercial customers. By making a booking, accepting a quotation, or allowing works to proceed, you agree to these terms. They are intended to create a clear and fair framework for both parties, covering the booking process, payment, cancellations, liability, waste handling, and the law that applies to the contract. For the avoidance of doubt, these terms relate to the supply of tree surgery services only and should be read alongside any written quotation, specification, or schedule of works issued before the job begins.

In these terms, references to “we,” “us,” and “our” mean the service provider carrying out the tree surgery, and references to “you” and “your” mean the customer, client, or person instructing the work. The service may include tree felling, pruning, crown reduction, dead wooding, stump removal, hedge work, site clearance, emergency call-outs, and related arboricultural operations. Any variation from the agreed scope must be confirmed in writing or otherwise clearly accepted before additional work is carried out.

1. Booking Process

All bookings are subject to availability and to a preliminary assessment of the proposed works. A booking may be made following an enquiry, site visit, photographs, or other information supplied by you. We may request details about tree species, access, location, size, condition, nearby structures, overhead lines, boundaries, and any hazards that could affect safe working. A quotation, estimate, or proposal is not a binding obligation until accepted and confirmed by both parties, and we may decline a job where the site conditions, legal constraints, or safety concerns make the work unsuitable.

When you accept a quotation, you are confirming that the information you have provided is accurate to the best of your knowledge. If the actual conditions differ from the information supplied, we may revise the price, method, timing, or scope of work. In particular, hidden defects, unstable ground, wildlife constraints, restricted access, or additional waste volumes can require changes once work has started. Any date or time provided is an estimate unless expressly stated otherwise. Weather, equipment issues, staff illness, emergency call-outs, or permit-related delays may result in rescheduling.

By confirming a booking, you also confirm that you have authority to instruct the works and that you either own the property or have obtained the necessary permission from the owner, landlord, managing agent, or relevant decision-maker. If consent from a third party is required, it is your responsibility to obtain it in advance. We are not responsible for delays or losses caused by a lack of authority, incomplete instructions, or failure to secure necessary approvals.

2. Payment Terms

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment is due in accordance with the quotation or invoice issued for the work. We may require a deposit, staged payments, or full payment in advance for larger or specialist jobs. For standard works, payment is usually due on completion or within the stated invoice period. Accepted payment methods may include bank transfer, card payment, cheque, or other agreed method, but we reserve the right to decline cash or other forms of payment where appropriate.

All prices are quoted on the basis of the information available at the time. Unless stated, prices are exclusive of any tax, permits, traffic management, specialist disposal fees, or additional charges arising from unforeseen circumstances. If we agree to carry out extra work, remove more waste than expected, or return to site for follow-up tasks, those additional services will be chargeable. Where payment is not made by the due date, we may suspend further services, withhold paperwork, and recover reasonable costs incurred in pursuing the debt, including interest and administrative charges permitted by law.

If a customer disputes an invoice, they must notify us promptly and provide clear reasons. Undisputed amounts remain payable on time. A complaint about part of the work does not entitle you to withhold the full amount if the remainder has been completed in accordance with the agreement. We may retain title to materials or waste removed from site until all sums due have been received in full, to the extent permitted by law.

3. Cancellations, Changes, and Delays

If you wish to cancel or amend a booking, you must notify us as soon as possible. Cancellations made before work has been scheduled may not attract a charge, but where we have already committed labour, equipment, vehicles, permits, or subcontractors, we may charge a reasonable cancellation fee reflecting our losses. If materials have been ordered or specialist arrangements made, those costs may also be recoverable.

We reserve the right to cancel, postpone, or reschedule a job where weather conditions, safety risks, access issues, legal restrictions, or circumstances beyond our control make it impractical or unsafe to proceed. If we cancel for a reason within our control, we will offer an alternative date or refund any sum paid in advance for work not performed. We are not liable for delay caused by events outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, transport disruption, accidents, civil emergencies, or utility-related issues.

4. Scope of Works and Customer Responsibilities

You must ensure that the site is reasonably accessible and that we can work safely. This includes keeping children, pets, vehicles, and obstacles away from the working area. You should inform us of any underground services, overhead cables, irrigation systems, drains, private pathways, fragile structures, or protected features that could be affected by the work. Unless we have expressly agreed to do so, we are not responsible for locating hidden services or checking for concealed defects.

Where the work requires permission from neighbours, landowners, local authorities, or other parties, you are responsible for obtaining it unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. We may pause or stop work if we believe continuing would create an unreasonable risk or would breach planning controls, tree protection rules, conservation restrictions, wildlife legislation, or other applicable requirements. Any change to the scope during the job must be agreed before further work is carried out.

5. Liability and Limitations

We will carry out services with reasonable skill and care and in line with accepted arboricultural practice. However, tree work is inherently risky and trees are living organisms that may react unpredictably to pruning, felling, disease, decay, or environmental conditions. We do not guarantee specific outcomes such as regrowth pattern, long-term stability, leaf coverage, fruiting, or future health unless a written guarantee is expressly provided.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as loss of profit, loss of business, loss of enjoyment, or loss arising from delay, unless caused by our negligence and recoverable under applicable law. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded.

If damage occurs because of our proven negligence, our liability will be limited, where permitted by law, to the reasonable cost of repair or replacement of the directly affected item, subject to any applicable insurance recovery and the circumstances of the claim. We are not liable for pre-existing defects, hidden decay, structural weakness, normal wear and tear, or damage caused by factors outside our control. You must notify us of any alleged damage or issue as soon as reasonably possible and allow us a fair opportunity to inspect the matter before repair, disposal, or alteration.

6. Waste Handling and Regulations

All green waste arising from our work will be handled in accordance with applicable waste management legislation and duty of care requirements. Unless otherwise agreed, we will arrange the removal and lawful disposal or recycling of waste generated by the works. Waste may include branches, timber, chips, leaves, stump arisings, soil, and related organic material. We will use reasonable care to segregate, transport, and dispose of waste through appropriate channels.

If you ask to keep timber, chips, logs, or other material on site, this must be agreed in advance. Any material left on your property after the job is completed becomes your responsibility unless we have agreed to remove it later. Where waste remains on site at your request, you accept responsibility for its storage, use, and compliance with local rules, and we are not responsible for deterioration, theft, movement, or third-party use of that material after handover.

We may charge extra for disposal where waste volumes exceed the original allowance, where access requires additional labour, or where specialist handling is required for contaminated, heavy, or unusual materials. We do not knowingly transport prohibited waste in breach of environmental law. If the site contains Japanese knotweed, diseased timber, asbestos, chemicals, or other hazardous substances, you must tell us in advance, as separate procedures and costs may apply.

7. Insurance, Risk, and Site Conditions

We maintain insurance appropriate to the services we provide, but insurance does not remove your duty to disclose known risks or to secure the site properly. You are responsible for removing or protecting items that could be damaged by tree work, including ornaments, garden furniture, vehicles, fencing, sheds, greenhouses, buried services, and delicate planting. Where you ask us to work close to structures, we may require additional precautions or refuse the work if the risk is too high.

Any risk to nearby property, vehicles, or persons caused by third-party actions, inadequate warnings, or inaccessible site conditions remains your responsibility unless it arises directly from our negligence. If work must stop because the site becomes unsafe, we may charge for time spent attending the site, making safe, or returning later. We are entitled to rely on reasonable instructions given by you or your authorised representative unless we have reason to believe they are incorrect or unsafe.

8. Complaints and Remedies

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service, you should notify us promptly and provide sufficient detail to allow us to investigate. We may request photographs, a site visit, or additional information. If we agree that rectification is required and the issue falls within our responsibility, we will normally seek to put it right within a reasonable time. This may be the only remedy available, subject to your statutory rights and the terms of the contract.

9. Data, Records, and Communications

We may keep records of quotations, instructions, invoices, site notes, photographs, and correspondence for operational, legal, and accounting purposes. Any personal data supplied in connection with the service will be processed in line with applicable data protection law and used only as needed to administer the contract, manage the work, and meet legal obligations. Communications may be made by email, telephone, text message, or written notice, and any message sent by us to the contact details you provide will be treated as received in the ordinary course of business.

10. Governing Law

These terms and any dispute or claim arising from them are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where consumer law provides otherwise. If any clause in these terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that clause shall be treated as removed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining clauses will continue to apply in full force.

By proceeding with a booking for tree surgeons Belmont, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and conditions. The intention is to keep the service clear, lawful, and professionally managed from the first enquiry through to completion and invoicing. Where a quotation, contract, or written instruction contains different wording for a specific job, that wording will take priority to the extent of any inconsistency. These terms are designed to support a safe, efficient, and transparent service while respecting the rights and obligations of both parties.