Money
What does tree removal cost in Wollongong? Between about 400 and 7,500 dollars, which is a wide range because access matters more than size. The cost guide breaks down the six factors that move it and gives indicative ranges by job type.
What about stumps? Roughly 150 to 600 dollars each, depending on diameter and whether the machine can reach it. Doing several in one visit is substantially cheaper per stump. Details are on the stump page.
Are quotes free? Yes, and there is no obligation. A ten per cent pensioner discount applies across the tree services on this site — mention it when you ring.
Why is my quote so different from my neighbour's? Almost always access. Their tree was on a flat front lawn next to the driveway. Yours is behind the house, downhill, with forty steps and a retaining wall. Same tree, several times the labour.
Council and the law
Do I need approval? Usually. See the council approval guide for how Wollongong City Council's process works and when an arborist report is required.
What about a council tree on the verge? It is council's, including the parts overhanging your property. Do not cut it. The council tree overhang guide explains what you can request and how.
My neighbour's tree hangs over my fence. NSW has a specific law for this — the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 — and it is not the same as the Queensland legislation frequently quoted online. Start with whose responsibility overhanging branches are and, before you do anything with the cuttings, read whether you can throw branches back.
A hedge is blocking my sunlight. That is a separate part of the same Act with its own tests. See the hedge height guide.
Roots have lifted my path. Liability is not obvious and depends on several things. The tree root damage guide covers it.
The work itself
Lopping or removal? If the tree is sound and simply too big or too close, lopping. If it is dead, failing or fundamentally in the wrong place, removal. If somebody quotes removal on a healthy tree without explaining why, get a second opinion.
Will you top my tree? No. Topping a mature eucalypt back to stubs makes it more dangerous within five years, not less. Proper crown reduction achieves the size change without the regrowth problem.
When is the best time of year? April to September for planned structural work. Deadwooding any time. Storm preparation finished before summer, not during it.
Do you supply firewood? Yes, seasoned local hardwood through winter — see the firewood page.
Still not answered
Ring (02) 4210 5885, or send the details through the contact page. The full list of what gets arranged is on the services page, and there are eighteen longer guides in the blog.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to remove a tree in the Illawarra?
In most cases yes, and which rules apply depends on which council you are in. Wollongong City, Shellharbour City and Kiama Municipal each run their own tree preservation controls with their own size thresholds. Exemptions generally exist for dead or dangerous trees, listed weed species and clearing under the Rural Fire Service 10/50 entitlement in mapped areas. Check before you cut.
Are you insured?
Contractors attending jobs arranged through this site are expected to hold current public liability insurance, and you should ask to see the certificate of currency before work starts. This is a referral site and does not verify contractor credentials on your behalf. Checking it yourself takes two minutes and is the single most useful thing you can do.
Can you remove green waste from my property?
Yes. Brush is chipped on site where access allows and taken away, and hardwood rounds are either removed or left stacked if you burn wood. The one to settle in advance is large-diameter timber, because leaving a couple of tonnes of rounds on a lawn is a very different job from carting them out, and the price reflects which you chose.
Do you do emergency work at night?
Emergency call-outs are taken by phone outside normal hours, and they are triaged by risk rather than by who rang first. A tree on a roof or across a driveway gets attention ahead of one leaning in a back yard. Nothing happens near a tree on power lines until the supply authority has made it safe.
Do you work with real estate and strata managers?
Yes, and it is steady work through the Illawarra. Rental properties, holiday houses, strata common areas and commercial sites are all regular jobs, including scheduled maintenance rather than reactive call-outs. Progress photographs for owners who are not on site are normal practice on holiday-home work.