Tree Surgeons Richmond Service Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which tree surgery services are provided by Tree Surgeons Richmond. By making a booking, requesting a quotation, confirming an appointment, or allowing work to commence, the client agrees to be bound by these terms. They are intended to create a clear understanding of the service process, payment arrangements, cancellation rules, liability limits, waste handling obligations, and the law that applies to the contract. These terms apply to domestic and commercial customers unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.

The phrase Richmond tree surgeons is used throughout this document as a general description of the service provider. References to we, us, and our mean the tree surgery contractor delivering the works. References to you and your mean the customer, property owner, tenant, occupier, managing agent, or authorised representative placing the order. If you instruct us on behalf of another person or organisation, you confirm that you have authority to do so and that all relevant parties accept these terms.

These terms should be read together with any quotation, written specification, risk assessment notes, access instructions, permit requirements, or arboricultural recommendations issued for the job. If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and a signed written agreement, the signed agreement will take priority to the extent of the inconsistency. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer where those rights cannot legally be excluded.

1. Booking Process

Booking begins when you request an estimate or invite us to assess the trees, hedges, stumps, or related vegetation requiring attention. A quotation may be based on photographs, measurements, site notes, or an on-site inspection. For more complex work, including large tree removals, crown reductions, sectional dismantling, or work involving restricted access, an in-person survey may be required before any price is confirmed. A quotation is normally valid for a stated period and may be withdrawn or revised if site conditions change, access is restricted, or statutory requirements arise.

Once you accept a quotation, a booking date or indicative time slot may be offered. Acceptance may be given in writing, by email, by message, or verbally where followed by written confirmation. The booking is not secured until we confirm it. Any date provided is an estimate unless expressly agreed as fixed. Weather, emergency call-outs, equipment failure, staff illness, traffic delays, and permit issues may affect scheduling. We will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any change and arrange a revised appointment.

You must provide accurate information at the time of booking, including the correct site address, access arrangements, known hazards, underground services, boundary issues, tree ownership concerns, tree preservation orders, conservation restrictions, and whether any party other than you must approve the work. If consent from a landlord, neighbour, freeholder, local authority, or managing agent is needed, it is your responsibility to obtain it before work starts unless we have agreed in writing to do so on your behalf. Failure to secure necessary permissions may result in postponement or cancellation charges.

2. Scope of Work and Site Conditions

The scope of work is limited to the tasks described in the quotation or written job sheet. Any additional work requested on site will only be undertaken if it is safe, lawful, and agreed by both parties, with any extra charge confirmed before the additional work starts. If the site conditions differ materially from those described during booking, we may revise the specification, pause the work, or decline to proceed until the issue is resolved. Examples include concealed decay, unstable timber, excessive ivy, nesting wildlife, unsafe structures, ground contamination, or hidden obstructions.

You are responsible for ensuring the site is reasonably accessible and safe for our team, vehicles, and equipment. This includes keeping pets secured, providing suitable parking where possible, informing us of overhead cables, water features, underground utilities, fragile surfaces, and any other condition that may affect safe working. Where our work requires access through third-party land, shared driveways, communal areas, or neighbouring property, you must arrange the necessary permission unless we have agreed otherwise. We may refuse or suspend work if there is a material safety risk or if access is unlawfully obstructed.

We will take reasonable care to protect lawns, paths, flowerbeds, fences, sheds, and other nearby items, but tree surgery is a physical and often heavy-duty process. Minor scuffs, compaction, chipped bark, sawdust, or incidental surface disturbance may occur despite reasonable precautions. The customer should remove fragile items from the work area in advance. If items are left in place, we accept no responsibility for reasonable incidental disturbance unless caused by our negligence. Tree surgeons Richmond projects can involve chainsaws, climbing systems, lowering equipment, stump grinders, and wood chippers, and the customer accepts the ordinary risks associated with that type of work where properly carried out.

3. Payments and Charges

Prices will normally be quoted as fixed sums for the agreed scope of work, unless the quotation states that the pricing is estimated or subject to variation. Unless otherwise agreed, prices are exclusive of VAT where VAT is applicable. Any deposits required will be clearly stated before booking is confirmed. A deposit may be used to secure labour, equipment, and scheduling. If a deposit is required, the balance becomes due upon completion of the work unless the quotation or invoice states a different arrangement.

Payment must be made by the method stated on the invoice, which may include bank transfer, card payment, cheque, or other approved method. We may require payment on the day of completion for residential work, or within a stated credit period for business customers with approved credit terms. Late payment may result in interest, recovery costs, administrative charges, suspension of further work, or referral to debt recovery procedures, to the extent permitted by law. Any bank charges or failed payment fees caused by your chosen payment method may be passed on to you.

Where the work is priced on a provisional basis, the final charge may be adjusted to reflect additional time, waste volume, machinery use, traffic management, permit fees, access complications, or extra remedial work that was not reasonably foreseeable at the quotation stage. We will use reasonable efforts to explain any variation. If you disagree with a charge, you should raise the issue promptly after receiving the invoice. Disputed sums should not be withheld unless the disputed amount is genuinely and specifically contested in good faith.

4. Cancellations, Postponements, and Failed Attendance

You may cancel or postpone a booking by giving reasonable notice. If you cancel after work has been scheduled and we have reserved labour, plant, or disposal arrangements, we may charge for losses reasonably incurred, including a cancellation fee or the non-refundable portion of any deposit, provided that such charges are fair and proportionate. If you cancel at very short notice, or if access is unavailable when we attend, a failed attendance fee may apply. The amount will reflect the actual cost of the aborted visit, not a penalty.

We may cancel or rearrange a booking if weather conditions, safety considerations, legal restrictions, staff availability, equipment breakdown, or other events beyond our reasonable control make it impractical or unsafe to proceed. Where possible, we will offer an alternative date. We are not liable for indirect losses arising from a cancellation or delay caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control. If you need to reschedule due to illness, travel disruption, or an emergency, please inform us as soon as reasonably possible and we will try to accommodate the change.

If we arrive and find that the site is not as described, permissions are missing, the agreed work would be unlawful, or the customer is not present where attendance is required to confirm instructions, we may suspend the job and charge for the visit. In such cases, any deposit may be used to offset reasonable loss and administrative costs. This is particularly relevant where Richmond tree surgery appointments depend on strict access windows, parking arrangements, or prior consent from third parties. The customer remains responsible for ensuring readiness on the scheduled date.

5. Liability and Insurance

We will carry out our services with reasonable skill and care and in accordance with applicable industry standards and legal duties. We maintain appropriate insurance cover for the nature of the work we undertake. However, tree surgery involves inherent risks, and some outcomes may be outside our control. Except where the law states otherwise, we are not liable for losses resulting from inaccurate information supplied by the customer, concealed defects, unavoidable tree movement, subsurface conditions, weather events, third-party interference, or matters beyond our reasonable control.

Our liability for direct loss caused by our breach of contract or negligence is limited to the amount paid or payable for the specific work giving rise to the claim, except in cases where such limitation would be unlawful. We do not exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. We are not responsible for business interruption, loss of profit, loss of opportunity, or consequential losses unless required by law.

You must notify us of any alleged defect or damage within a reasonable time after discovery and, where practicable, allow us the opportunity to inspect and, if appropriate, remedy the issue. You should not arrange third-party repairs to an alleged issue caused by our work without giving us reasonable notice and a chance to investigate, except where urgent action is needed to prevent further damage or danger. Any claim may be reduced or rejected where your own acts, omissions, or failure to mitigate loss have contributed to the problem. Tree surgeons Richmond will not accept liability for pre-existing defects or normal wear and tear.

6. Waste Regulations and Site Clearance

Tree surgery generates green waste, timber, brash, wood chips, sawdust, and, in some cases, stump grindings or contaminated material. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, waste created by our works will be removed from site or processed as stated in the quotation. Any retained timber, firewood, or chip mulch becomes your responsibility once handed over. If you ask us to leave timber on site, you accept responsibility for storage, use, and any future handling of that material.

Waste management will be carried out in accordance with applicable UK waste regulations and duty of care requirements. We will take reasonable steps to ensure waste is transported, transferred, and disposed of lawfully through suitable facilities and licensed carriers where required. If hazardous or unusual waste is discovered, such as diseased material, chemically contaminated vegetation, or invasive species subject to special controls, additional handling procedures and charges may apply. The customer must disclose any known contamination or biosecurity concern before work begins.

You must not request unlawful disposal methods, including tipping waste on unauthorised land or mixing controlled waste with ordinary refuse where this would breach environmental rules. Where waste transfer notes, site records, or other documentation are needed, we may retain records for compliance purposes. If you choose to keep arisings on site, we are not responsible for their condition after handover, including changes caused by weather, decay, pests, or moisture. For avoidance of doubt, a request for tree surgery Richmond services does not include any obligation to remove unrelated household waste or debris unless specifically agreed.

7. Customer Responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring that the trees or vegetation to be worked on are owned by you or that you have lawful authority to instruct the work. You must tell us about any preservation order, conservation area control, lease restriction, planning condition, covenant, or neighbour dispute that may affect the project. You should also disclose known nesting birds, bats, protected species, or other ecological constraints. Where specialist surveys or licences are required, the work may need to be deferred until the correct approvals are in place.

You must ensure that children, pets, residents, visitors, and unauthorised persons keep clear of the work area while the job is underway. You agree not to interfere with equipment, climbing lines, timber stacks, or machinery. If you ask us to stop work temporarily, we may charge for downtime if the interruption is caused by your actions or by factors within your control. Any instructions given during the job should be clear and authorised. If several people on the site give conflicting instructions, we may suspend work until the matter is resolved.

If adverse weather makes the site slippery, windy, icy, or otherwise unsafe, we may alter the method of working, trim back operations, or postpone completion. We are entitled to prioritise safety over speed. Richmond tree surgeons may also decline to undertake work that would be technically possible but unsafe under the conditions presented. Your cooperation with access, scheduling, and safety arrangements is part of the contract and may affect whether the service can be completed on time and on budget.

8. Complaints, Notices, and General Terms

Any complaint should be raised promptly and in writing so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, take corrective action. We aim to deal with issues fairly and within a reasonable timeframe. If part of these Terms and Conditions is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that part will be treated as deleted to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining terms will continue in force. No failure or delay by us in exercising a right will operate as a waiver of that right.

We may update these terms from time to time for legal, operational, or business reasons. The version in force at the time of your booking will usually apply to that booking unless a later version has been agreed in writing. Nothing in these terms creates a partnership, agency, or employment relationship between the parties. You may not transfer your rights or obligations under the contract without our written consent, unless the law allows otherwise.

Governing Law: These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with the services, quotation, or contract will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. By engaging Tree Surgeons Richmond, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and that the work will proceed on that basis.