Chase Tree Care

FAQ’s

Over the years we have been asked the same questions by many different customers, we thought it might be handy to display these on our website for easy reference.  We have tried to sort these into some sort of category/topic for you (click each category to see it), they are:

• About Chase Tree Care – questions related to policies and what we do as a company
• Daily Work process – questions often asked when people book us to carry out work for them
• T.P.O.’s – common questions asked about the wonderful T.P.O.!
• Tree Stumps – regular questions all about…tree stumps!
• Other/General – this section is for the questions that didn’t quite fit anywhere else but we still get asked often

About Chase Tree Care

• How much will it cost to fell/reduce your tree?

If we had a penny for every time we had a call asking to answer this question over the phone…!!  In this modern age of web-based street-view mapping, it is very occasionally possible for us to give a rough approximation of the cost of the work to a tree.  However, a site visit is required for the majority of trees and definitely for an accurate price.

• Are we insured?

Yes, we carry full Public Liability Insurance up to £5 million and Employers Liability to £10 million.

• What forms of payment do we accept?

We accept cash payments and bank transfers made through the Faster Payments service.  We cannot accept cheques now due to previous fraud issues.  An insufficient uptake in the use of a card payment system we implemented for a time means we also no longer accept card payments either.  We ask that full payment is made once work is finished but before we leave your premises (unless other arrangements are requested and agreed before commencement of work).

• What Tree Surgery services do we offer?

As a professional Tree Surgery company we are to offer a full range of Arboricultural (Arb) services.  The services we can offer are as follows:

• Deadwooding
• Formative Pruning
• Crown lifting
• Thinning
• Crown Cleaning
• Crown reduction and reshaping
• Tree removal
• Hedge Trimming
• Pollarding
• Pruning of Fruit trees
• Stump Grinding
• Cabling & Bracing
• Storm Damage
• Site Clearance
• Scrub Clearance including Pesticide Application
• TPO & Conservation Applications including planning liaison with Tree Officers
• Emergency Tree Work services

• We remove trees regularly, does this mean we are not environmentally friendly?

As Tree Surgeon’s, rather than Tree Feller’s, we will always offer advice on the most appropriate course of action for your tree(s) or issue(s).  If we don’t believe that the removal of a tree is necessary we will advise as such.  However, we appreciate that we are not the homeowners and that removal of tree(s) are sometimes necessary for the home or immediate environment.  We try to offset the impact of the felling of any trees by ensuring that the waste wood is reused

• How do we keep our worksite safe?

If we are working within public areas, we are fully equipped with cones and signs to cordon off and restrict access to our working area. Working within private property, restricted access areas or back gardens for example, is slightly easier as all we need to ask then is that any humans or animals are kept out of our way whilst we are working.

• How long is our lead time?

The answer to this question can vary enormously and can change constantly.  The best thing to do is give us a call and we can let you know how things currently stand.  Bear in mind that this can change at any time but a rough guide is that it may only be a couple of days, in January for example, to 4 weeks in late summer early autumn.

• Will you be pressurised into making a decision about your trees?

No, absolutely not!  We understand that people are worried about being pressurised into making a decision whilst the “salesman” is present.  We do not work like that.  For starters, you will not get a “salesman” coming out to quote you.  Simon is the Tree Surgeon, owner of the company and the person who always comes to quote.  He is there as a Tree Surgeon to offer advice and the price for our service, not to “pitch” or “close” a sale.  In fact, we would rather give you the time to discuss any decisions with partners, spouses or family members before making a commitment to engage our services.  After all, it reduces risk to us of last-minute changes of heart!  One of our basic aims is that we always work to give a pressure-free no-obligation quote and to be fully transparent in who we are and what we do.  We work for a lot of older, retired people who we understand that family (whom may live at a distance) may feel at risk of being taken advantage of.  This is why we ensure that Simon’s picture can be found on both our website and our Best of Cannock profile page.  You can be assured of knowing exactly who is going to turn up on your doorstep and we are happy to speak to any concerned family, be it in person or on the phone, to give assurances as to our skills and experience, and to any answer any questions they may have.

• Do we only do domestic work or do we take on commercial work?

We carry out work for both homeowners (domestic) and commercial customers (business premises).  We are not VAT registered so cost savings can be found for both types of customer.

Daily Work Process

• How will we leave your garden?

Another of our basic aims in how we work is to not leave any sign that we have been in your garden – other than the tree work you have requested of course.  We respect that people spend a lot of time and money maintaining homes and gardens and we don’t wish to damage any hard work you may have done.  The result of this respect together with inclement weather may mean, occasionally, that we opt to postpone your work to avoid damage occurring.

• What happens to the waste wood from your trees? Can you have the wood?

All of our waste wood is recycled/re-used through various means.  We feed as much wood as we can through our wood chipper (which sprays the woodchip straight into the back of our truck), anything too big is left as logs.  Any resulting logs and woodchip is given away either to allotments for use on pathways etc; to garden centres who will bag and sell it; or to homeowners for use in gardens either as mulch or landscaping; horse menage’s or, as logs,for use in woodburners.  As the customer, if you have use for either the woodchip or any logs, we will happily leave it with you (even chipping up less and leaving more logs if you require).  Should you not have use for them, there is such a demand for our logs and woodchip that we easily find another home for it.  We do not have to pay to get rid of our waste or risk illegally tipping.  You can be 100% certain that it is all put to “green” uses!

• Can we replant a tree for you after removal of the old one?

Sadly no we do not replant.  We will happily suggest an appropriate replacement if you require one but, as Tree Surgeon’s, we leave the planting to the gardeners!

• You live on a busy road, what happens about traffic control should we need to work on or in proximity to the road?

Our knowledge of Chapter 8 Road Works and Safety, and our ownership of cones and signs, means we can safely and legally work on most busy roads.  Some roads may require traffic light control, we would be able to carry out works under this circumstance, but the additional cost of hire of traffic lights (which we don’t own) would need to be met by the customer.

• How much noise will we make and for how long?

Unfortunately, chainsaws and woodchippers are inherently noisy and there is little we can do about that.  What we can do though is try to minimise the length and impact of the noise of our operations.   We usually won’t start work until 9am at the earliest and should you, or your immediate neighbours, work nightshifts for example, we simply ask that you notify us and/or them as appropriate.  We will try to work around shifts where possible but, where this isn’t possible, we will ask that you give sufficient notice to anyone that may be impacted by our noise.  In that way we can try to ensure that we are not faced with grumpy neighbours in dressing gowns asking us to, not so politely, “go away”!

• What access do we need? Do we need the owner of the site/tree(s) on site whilst we work?

If you, as our customer, are the owner of the tree and we can access the tree(s) we need without you being there, as long as it is agreed beforehand, we can work without you there.  In this circumstance, we would simply need, ahead of the day of work, to get clear agreement on exactly what work is to be carried and how we are to be paid.  Should you be our customer, but not the owner of the tree(s), then two things would need to be organised.  Firstly, we would need to speak to the owner of the tree ourselves and get first-hand permission for work to be carried out.  Secondly, we would need to look at access to the tree – for example, can we access the tree(s) through your property and, therefore, would we need you on site for access?  All of this is taken into account when we come to quote (which is why we insist on a site visit to quote) and we, if necessary, can always make a return visit to firm up arrangements ahead of the agreed work date.

T.P.O.

• What is a T.P.O. and what is its purpose?

A T.P.O. is a Tree Preservation Order.  These are issued by the local Council or Planning Authority.  They are put in place to prevent damage or destruction to the tree(s) in question.  Certain species of tree, such as the British Oak, are nearly always covered by a T.P.O. to ensure the survival of that particular species.  Other reasons tree(s) could be covered by a T.P.O. could include, but not limited to, the age of the tree in question; if the Tree Officer believes it is has an amenity value to the area or if it is a habitat for wildlife.  Normally, unless a Woodland T.P.O. is proposed, only trees over 3.5m are considered for a T.P.O.

• How do you know if your tree is protected, i.e. covered by a Tree Preservation Order or covered by a Conservation Area?

When you purchased your property your solicitor’s searches would normally uncover any pre-existing T.P.O.’s within your boundary, or if your home lies within a Conservation Area.  However, a Tree Officer can put a T.P.O. in place at any time although they should give notice to the owner of the tree and to any immediate neighbour’s.  Very occasionally this part of the process can be missed by the tree owner, so it is always best to check with the Tree Officer [for T.P.O.’s or Conservation Area’s] if you have a larger or non-coniferous tree that you want work carrying out on.

• What happens if you are restricted by a T.P.O or Conservation Area?

If you are restricted by a T.P.O. and you wish to carry out work on the tree(s), then you need to obtain permission from your local Tree Officer.  This is done by completing a particular form (which we can point you in the direction of) and submitting it to his/her office for approval.  However, the work you can get permission for, to T.P.O. trees, can be quite limited.  We advise, instead, speaking to the Tree Officer and requesting a site visit to discuss what work (s)he would give permission for.  Having a professional Tree Surgeon, such as ourselves, present at this site visit can be useful for a couple of reasons: 1) Tree Officers know who the local reputable Tree Surgeons are and are more likely to give permission for works when they have confidence in the company carrying out the work; 2) we can talk on a technical level with the Tree Officer and we can, with you as our customer, negotiate permission with your needs (as the homeowner) in mind.

• Do you have to get permission to work on a protected tree? Why should you have to follow the proper process for permission?

Yes!  It is a criminal offence to cut down, lop, top, uproot or wilfully damage a protected tree in a manner likely to destroy it, without the consent of the Tree Officer and on summary conviction you could be fined up to £100,000 (and on conviction on indictment, to an unlimited fine ).  This criminal offence is not an empty threat; we know for certain that a number of the local councils have carried out recent prosecutions for this offence and the fines are not small!  Owning a tree or living in proximity to one covered by a T.P.O. can be a huge annoyance, we understand that.  However, T.P.O.’s are there for a reason and it simply isn’t worth ignoring the presence of a T.P.O.  If a Tree Surgeon tells you he is happy to work on a T.P.O’d tree without verifying written Council permission for work, then he isn’t professional or reputable.  The fine is imposed on not only the person or company who physically damaged or removed the tree, but the tree owner as well.  A possible 5-figure fine makes it more than worthwhile working with your Tree Officer, and a reputable Tree Surgery company, to come to a compromise.

Tree Stump

• Can we remove a tree stump in your garden?

Whilst we don’t, as a Company, own the equipment necessary to grind out a stump, we do have the facility to arrange this for you. 

• Is it worth removing a stump?

Whether a stump is worth removing it is down to whether the area would be reused for other purposes.  Again we can offer advice for this when quoting.

• If the stump is left will it regrow?

Whether a stump regrows will depend on what species the tree is.  Some will regrow very quickly, others will barely regrow at all. 

• Can we treat a stump to stop regrowth?

Yes we can treat it to prevent regrowth, however this kills the tree off entirely.  There is a new product on the market that is in a plug form that gets inserted into the stump.  The plug acts to kill the entire root system of the treated tree/stump without any detrimental effect on nearby plants.  As long as it is used correctly, this product is also pet-safe.

Other/General

• You think your tree may be diseased, what impact will this have on other trees in your area?

As there are many different diseases that can affect trees, it is difficult to offer a generalised answer to this question.  Each disease offers a different impact on the trees surrounding the affected tree, and the distance to which trees are at risk.  By carrying out a site visit and quote we can offer more accurate information on this.

• You are not sure what really needs doing to your tree or whether it is the best time of year to work on your tree. What should you do?

In short, give us a call!  A Tree Surgeon is called as such for a reason – after all, if you go to hospital and see a Surgeon you expect him to be able to explain symptoms and causes (the “why” if you like), not just the “how”.  It shouldn’t be any different with a Tree Surgeon.  We are not just Tree Feller’s or gardeners and we have the knowledge to back this up!

• You have trees restricting light into your garden but they aren’t your trees. What can you do?

Unfortunately, if you are not the owner of the trees you cannot legally do anything to affect the height without the permission of the owner.  What you can legally do, without requiring permission, is take any overhanging branches back to your boundary line.  If you are happy to pay for height to be removed, and you can get (and we can verify) the tree owner’s permission, then we will happily carry out the work.

• You don’t know who owns the trees that are affecting your garden, how do you find out who owns them or whether you can work on them?

You would need to get in touch with the Land Registry to establish Title or Property Boundaries.  There is a form that costs approximately £12 which you can complete and should return the information required to establish whose ground the trees sit on.  Permission for work can be taken forward from there.

• “I have a man who cuts my lawn who has given me a price for cutting my conifer hedge, but a friend has advised getting a quote from a Tree Surgeon. Won’t a Tree Surgeon be more expensive?  It’s only a conifer hedge, why do I need a Tree Surgeon just to cut a conifer hedge?”

Yes, sometimes, a Tree Surgeon can be more expensive than “the man who cuts my lawn”.  However, there is good reason for this.  A gardener will, more often than not, not be insured for chainsaw operations or covered for any accidents that may happen through the work being carried out.  With a Tree Surgeon you are paying for knowledge, insurance and experience: the knowledge of whether and when to do the work; the insurance of it being done safely and the experience of how to do it correctly and professionally.  Having said that, a large proportion of the gardeners who claim to do “Tree Surgery”, can actually be more expensive than us.  This is down to lack of professional Arb equipment, a lack of knowledge as to how to do it quickly and safely, and them having realised that there is a lot more work involved than they initially thought and then charging a premium for this fact.  If you still aren’t convinced, give us a call and ask us to quote.  Get our price, spend some time speaking to us to gain a knowledge of what we do and who we are and then make a comparison.  You have nothing to lose!