All work carried out by us shall be covered by a £10,000,000 Public Liability Insurance policy.  

All work shall be completed in line with BS3998 (Recommendations for Tree Work) where appropriate, unless instructed otherwise by the customer. We shall undertake the work in a competent manner in compliance to the specification and price contained in our quotation.

All measurements mentioned in any correspondence are to be treated as approximate.

When you accept the quotation we will start the work planning process which may include dealing with permissions from the Local Authority. We will advise you of the estimated completion date for your work. All customers are entitled to a 14 day cooling off period following acceptance of the quotation and after this period, in the event of a cancellation at short notice, we may charge a percentage of the quotation to cover any preparatory work already undertaken and any costs already incurred. Amendments to the contract must be made in writing.

The trees within this contract specification may be in a Conservation Area or be subject to a Tree Preservation Order. Upon acceptance of our quotation, we shall check for the presence of legislative protection. We would be happy to make an application on your behalf but would advise that a charge may be made for this service but no additional charges shall be applied to this work without first seeking your acceptance. Investigation of Private Covenants shall be the responsibility of the Owner and no liability shall attach to Chartfords Trees Limited for a breach any such Covenant.

Most jobs are completed efficiently and on time. However, occasionally a job will over-run or the weather will prevent us from working to time. The earliest time the team will arrive is 08.00hrs. However, in the case of smaller contracts, we are not able to estimate an arrival time until late afternoon of the previous day and can only then advise either am or pm arrival. We will of course make every effort to please clients who particularly require a morning or afternoon visit.

Most customers these days require removal of all arising waste material from site and this will normally be specified in the quotation. Woodchips make useful garden mulch and we are increasingly finding clients requesting that the chips are left for their own use. Timber may also be left for firewood but it is not normally left in sizes ‘ready for the fire’ unless specified in the quotation.

Sometimes it is necessary to have access to a neighbouring property, particularly when branches overhang. It would be very helpful if you could inform them of your intention to carry out work and the date on which it will take place.

Whilst our staff will operate with care and diligence often our work entails the carrying of large amount of material over lawns and past features. Please make sure that vulnerable surfaces (such as white walls) are adequately protected (builder’s polythene is a good method) and that fragile objects are moved (such as pots etc.). Our staff will be more than happy to move heavier objects for elderly or disabled clients. Lawns tend to recover rapidly but wet weather can give rise to muddy conditions. We are able to provide boards to protect the lawn. However, this is not a standard procedure and may incur an additional cost. If in doubt, please discuss with our office.

When the job is completed, the team leader will ask you to sign the job sheet to confirm your satisfaction. Please only sign this when you are satisfied that all items are completed. Please raise any queries with the team leader or the office before signing the job off. The office will invoice ‘signed off’ jobs within 7 days. All contracts and instructions are accepted on the basis of payment of full invoice price within 14 days of the date of invoice. Where applicable, value added tax (VAT) shall be charged at the current rate.

In the unlikely event that you have any cause for complaint please contact the office within 7 days and we will endeavour to correct the situation in a timely manner.

We endeavour to obtain good quality plants that comply to BS3936 (Nursery Stock – Specification for Trees and Shrubs) which are handled with care and planted to industry standard. It is important however that you look after your new plantings and ensure that they are regularly watered and maintained. Trees and shrubs that fail due to circumstances beyond our control shall not be replaced. Please ask our staff for guidance on how to look after new plantings if in doubt.

The majority of conifers will cease to grow following felling and will decay naturally. Some deciduous species will send up shoots. We can provide advice on products that can be bought from garden centres that can be used to treat stumps to prevent re-growth. No guarantee can be given as to the efficiency of a pesticide after application, due to conditions beyond our control.

Stump grinding is normally carried out within a few days of the felling rather than on the same day. We will call you to arrange a convenient time to undertake this work. Stump grindings will be used to backfill the resulting hole as they decompose rapidly. The chippings can be removed from site but this would incur an additional cost. We will grind the main stump and any large lateral roots in the main area of the stump. We will not chase every root back from the stump unless by prior costed arrangement with the customer.

Although every reasonable effort shall be made to locate the presence of underground services, unless a plan showing the exact location of underground pipes, wires or cables has been forwarded to us by the Owner of the land or his agent prior to the formation of the Contract; we shall be under no liability for any damage caused as a result of work performed under the Contract to such pipes, wires or cables, or for any damage to property resulting there from, and the Owner of the land or his agent shall be solely liable for any such damage. Any charge for the removal of power lines or telephone cables shall be the responsibility of the Owner, unless otherwise agreed in writing with us.

This operation reduces the overall size of the crown. To avoid ambiguity, the specified end result will be stated either as the tree-height and branch-spread which are to remain, or the average equivalent in branch length (in metres). End results shall be specified for individual branches if the growth pattern of the tree creates a need for this, or where clearance from a specific object is required.

In crown thinning, an even density of foliage is removed to create a well-spaced and balanced branch structure which could, if required, provide an adequate framework for a possible future crown reduction. If the objective is to lessen the overall loading on a defective branch or stem, crown reduction and reshaping should be chosen in preference to crown thinning. The percentage of the leaf-bearing twig structure to be removed in crown thinning should be kept to the minimum required to achieve the objective and in any case should not exceed 30%. The percentage shall be stated in the work specification. Material shall be removed systematically from throughout the tree rather than from the inner crown only. Cutting branches back to the main stem will generally be avoided, although structurally weak or hazardous branches shall be removed if there is no alternative.

Chartfords Trees Limited shall not be liable in damages or otherwise because of non-performance of a Contract arising on account of adverse weather conditions, strikes, lock-outs and civil commotion; or lack of adequately skilled labour due to causes beyond our control. Further, we retain the right in such circumstances to cancel the Contract in whole or in part.

Completion dates shall be contingent upon weather conditions.

Twelve months after the submission of the quotation, we reserve the right to withdraw and re-price work, unless otherwise agreed in writing on acceptance of instructions from the Owner.

Quotations for felling are based upon the assumption of trees being free from metal, stone or other hidden obstructions. In the event of a tree being impossible to fell in the normal way, Chartfords Trees Limited reserves the right to re-quote accordingly. The Contract price is based on the site conditions existing at the time of the preparation of the estimate remaining unchanged.