Going with the wrong arborist or tree service in Perth can have you over-paying for a sub-standard job.

There are a few key things you can do that will increase your chances of hiring a great company at rock bottom prices.

It’s not just in company selection, but questions you ask during the quoting process. Let’s take a look.

As a general rule of thumb, any tree arborists in Perth spending the money to be in the number one spot on popular internet sites like Truelocal, or Google search, are charging higher prices.

It’s a no brainer as they need to recoup their large marketing budget by passing on the cost to their customers.

I hate to lump all companies into one basket, but in general, it’s what you can expect.

What tree companies in  perth  to call

How to save 43% in 2 minutes

All tree arborists in Perth, WA have a very high business running costs. So for them time is money.

The quicker they can get your tree job done, the less they will charge you. Simple right?

So to save money you need to save them time.

Let’s say you have 2 identical trees. One is in the front yard and the other in your backyard with no rear access.

Depending on the size of the tree being removed and room to work, you can guarantee the tree in the front yard is going to be about half the price.

This is because the time and manpower take to get the tree from the backyard to the font and in the truck will take twice as long.

Its time vs. money.

So if you do have a tree that is hard to get to with poor access, consider having a 2-minute conversation with your neighbour to see if you can use their rear access driveway and remove a panel of fence for access.

This will allow the tree company to get their truck nice and close to the tree in your neighbor’s yard. This will save them time and money.

remove part of fence

Company reviews are not always accurate

Some people base their tree company search criteria around the reviews on Google search or Facebook.

It’s important to remember is they are not always accurate.

Some companies actively chase reviews, where other companies do not. Yes seeing a company with 40 five star reviews is a good thing and they do require further investigation.

But according to a study originally done by the Washington Post, they found that 61% of all Amazon reviews are fake.

I’m not suggesting that all Perth arborists have asked all their friends to leave fake reviews, but reviews certainly can’t be trusted as an indicator of past performance.

They say 80% of people who had a bad experience will leave a bad review, and people who have a good experience will almost never leave one.

I have been working closely with tree surgeons in Perth over the last few years and I see lots of 1-star comments from “potential customers” for a company not returning a call after 2 hours, or some other petty reason.

Most Perth arborists are sole traders and are busy on the job from 7 – 4 pm.

So a 1-star review is pretty harsh considering this is their livelihood.

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It’s 20% cheaper hiring arborists in winter

This might sound strange, but it not like that for just arborists in Perth but all tree surgeons Australia wind. During the Autumn and Winter months, there is a lot less demand for most outdoor trades such as landscaping, lawn maintenance and tree service.

People are just not out in their gardens as much, so demand is lower during this time of year.

With supply staying the same, but the number of jobs declining, arborists need to quote slightly cheaper prices to win work.

If it can wait until winter, it is worth it.

Consulting arborists in Perth

Sometimes when you want to remove a tree and it is deemed as a “significant specimen” by your local council.

In this case, they will ask you to get a third party opinion in the form of a Perth arborist to provide a report on the tree’s health, vigour and the trees Safe and Useful Life Expectancy (SULE study).

Based on these independent findings, the council can make a more informed decision on whether to grant approval to remove your tree or not.

Not all tree services in Perth do Arborist reports, but here is a list from our friends at The Tree Guild WA. Most of these guys are consulting arborists.

Arborist reports in Perth WA

An arborist report will take in many factors when deciding whether to give you the approval to remove the tree.

Just because you are paying their bill, doesn’t mean they are working for you.

Their job is to give a fair and honest assessment of the tree.

That being said, if you do want approval, you are best getting a “working arborist” to do the report. This is an arborist that also removes trees as well as doing reports.

The conflict of interest and the prospect of getting paid to remove the tree after they give approval is too much to resist.

For more info on how to get council approval to remove a tree, you need to read our report on what to say and who to talk to.

What does an arborist report in Perth cost?


The cost of arborist reports will vary depending on what is being reported on. If it is a single tree for a council permit application, they anywhere from $300 – $450 should cover it. More trees will cost a little more as will tree reports for Development Applications.

tree removal approved

Is tree lopping cheaper in Perth’s Southern suburbs?

It’s strange, but this question keeps coming up. People in the Hills district of Perth want to know if it costs more where they are, of if others are getting a better deal.

Although your geographic location does move the needle slightly when it comes to price, it is not a huge factor. Arborists live all over Perth, so you will find there are some in the Perth Hills, in Perth’s Western suburbs and the north.

Travel is a factor, but if you get someone local, you are more likely to get a better deal.

What tree services can a Perth based arborist perform?

There is a wide range of tasks tree surgeons in Perth can perform. As most think it is not just limited to getting them to remove or prune your tree.

As discussed above they can also perform:

  • Tree inspections
  • Arborist reports
  • Root pruning
  • Stump removal
  • Transplanting large trees
  • Treating pest infected and diseased trees

Use this FREE service to save even more!

GoTreeQuotes is a FREE service for customers looking to get the best deal on tree removal or pruning in Perth.

Just fill in the 2-minute form at the top (blue box) and we can have the top voted local tree arborist giving you a price on your job.

Don’t waste your time trying to filter out the bad contractors, we have done all background checks for insurance and qualifications.

All contractors recommended have been voted by scores of previous users on the basis of value for money and quality of service.

So just tell us a little more about your tree job and we will get you the best price on tree services fast.

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FAQ's

A level 5 arborist has further studies in arboriculture and has gained a Diploma. Most working arborists who perform tree trimming and removal are level 3 arborist. A level 5 arborist has continued studies to be able to do arborist reports. They are trained in identifying pests and diseases, fungus and acute safety issues. If you need an arborist report you will need to contract a Level 5 arborist to do the report in Perth.

Arborist don’t really charge by the hour but by the job. This is actually good news for you as they take on all the risk. If they charged by the hour, it’s quite easy for the job to take longer than expected. If you were paying by the hour it would cost you more.

Tree removal and trimming jobs are quote after a tree has been inspected and the price includes all works from start to finish.

If your tree is protected by your local Tree Preservation Order (TPO), then your local Council might ask you to get a report from an independent arborist. The arborist will make up a detailed report on the health, safety and their recommendation for the tree moving forward.

I would not go out and get an arborist report unless prompted to do so by the council first. So make your tree removal application to council. If they knock it back or ask for a report, then contract an arborist to do so.

Just because you get an arborist report, does not mean you will like the arborist’s findings. Arborist do not recommend the removal of all trees they inspect. So if your desired result is to have the tree removed, but the tree is healthy, then you might be wasting your time by getting a report.

That being said you are not a trained professional and there will be things an arborist can see that you cannot. These could all lean in your favor for a removal recommendation.

This will depend on what you are wanting from the arborist. If you need a report, then they will need to come out and inspect the tree, take photos and begin formulating a plan for their report. At this point though, you would have committed to paying for the report. If you need your tree removed and your tree does not need a report, a level 3 arborist will come out to inspect the tree before giving a firm price.

The cost of an arborist varies depending on the task. Arborist normally perform tree trimming, tree removal, arborist reports, tree inspections and a host of other jobs.

Arborist do not charge by the hour but rather by the job. The average tree removal by arborist in Perth is $1,100. The real range for tree removal is $350 and $4,500. It all depends on the size of the tree being removed.

You will need to get quotes from local arborist to know exactly what your tree removal or trim will cost you as there is no standard price.

An arborist report will cost on average about $450 for a single tree. If you multiple trees that need reporting on you will the price will increase about $50 – $100 per tree. Arborist reports for DA approval are also more involved and will cost a little more.

This will depend on the council. If they do not specifically stipulate they a level 5 arborist is required, you can go with a level 3. These days most council are asking for level 5 arborists for all of their reports.

No. A council will only ask for an arborist report for a second opinion. They council arborist will have his own idea on what needs to be done and the recommendation of an independent arborist will go a long way to away their decision, but the final say is with council.

When you get an arborist report, you don’t have to submit it to council. You can actually get another opinion from another arborist. You will need to pay for a second report, but they could see some things that the first arborist did not. In theory, you can get as many reports from different arborist as you like and just submit the one that has a recommendation for removal.

There is no hard and fast rule on this, but I would say that council would like to see the recommendation from an arborist report that is no more than 12 months old. The condition of a tree can change from month to month, so anything over a year old will not be as valid as a fresh report. If you are submitting to council for approval, then I recommend you do it asap.

ben
Author: Ben McInerney is a qualified arborist with over 15 years of industry experience. He uses his in-depth knowledge of the tree service industry to give readers to most accurate information on tree service costs and helps to educate them about the benefits of using a certified arborist for tree trimming and removal work.