A cleared suburban lawn with an open garden gate and a coil of rope on the grass

What to do before an Exeter tree crew arrives

7 min read
How to
Preparing the garden for tree work in Exeter prevents most delays, from vehicles left under the canopy to neighbours who were never told. This checklist covers the site, the access, the neighbours, wildlife and the people in the household.

Most delays on a tree job happen before the first cut. A car is parked where the chipper needs to go, a gate is locked, a child's trampoline sits under the canopy, or a neighbour has not been told the crew will be working over the fence. Preparation takes an afternoon and removes most of those problems, so a householder or property manager who clears the site ahead of the crew usually gets the work done sooner and with fewer surprises.

Moving vehicles and garden items

The first job is to clear the working area. Every vehicle that might sit under or close to the tree should be moved, including cars on the drive, vans on the street outside and bicycles stored against a wall. A crew needs room to set up ropes, lower sections of branch and position a platform or ladder, and a vehicle left in the drop zone can be damaged by falling material even when the tree is being taken down carefully.

Garden items deserve the same attention. Furniture, planters, barbecues, water butts, garden ornaments and greenhouse frames all move the crew's attention away from the work, and some can be damaged by a branch or by the vibration of a chainsaw. Anything that can be moved should be taken indoors or placed well beyond the expected drop zone. Items that cannot be moved, such as a fixed pergola or a shed roof, should be pointed out to the crew at the start so that the method can account for them.

Clearing the site also includes the ground beneath the tree. Loose stones, garden tools and unsecured sprinklers can all trip a worker or be caught in the chipper feed. A quick walk around the area with the crew leader before the work begins is one of the most useful things an owner can do.

Access routes and gates

Access decides how the crew gets its equipment to the tree. A chipper, a vehicle with a crane or a mini excavator needs a route that is wide enough and firm enough to carry it, and a gate that is locked or narrower than expected can stop the job. The owner should confirm where the gate key is kept, whether a side passage can be used and whether the lawn can take the weight of a vehicle. A route that runs over a lawn may need boards laid down to spread the load.

The route should also be clear of overhead obstacles. Cables, low-hanging gutters and garden structures can all restrict the movement of a tall machine. Owners in terraced streets, where the access is often through a narrow passage, should tell the crew in advance so that the right equipment is sent. The guide on what a quote should include explains how access and equipment are usually listed in a written quote, so the details can be checked before the day. Work in private gardens is described on the residential tree service page.

If the crew needs to work from the street, the owner should check whether a parking permit or suspension is required. The parking and chipper permits guide covers the position in more detail, and it is worth raising the question with the crew before the appointment rather than on the morning.

Telling neighbours

Neighbours are often affected by tree work even when the tree is entirely in the owner's garden. A large branch may overhang a fence, the chipper may be noisy, and a delivery of wood or a skip may block a shared access. A short note through the letterbox in advance of the work, giving the dates, the expected hours and a contact number, prevents most complaints.

If the work involves a tree on a shared boundary, or branches that overhang someone else's land, the conversation needs to be more careful. Citizens Advice's housing pages include a section on problems with neighbours, which is a sensible starting point for anyone unsure of their position, and the guide on talking to neighbours explains how to handle the conversation before the crew starts.

Neighbours can also be asked to move their cars or to keep their children and pets inside during the cutting. A written agreement is easier to rely on than a verbal one, and it gives the crew a clear basis for working safely over the boundary.

Pets, children and exclusion zones

Tree work creates a moving hazard zone that extends well beyond the trunk. Falling branches, flying wood and chipper discharge can all reach areas that look safe from the ground. The crew will set up an exclusion zone, and the owner should make sure that everyone in the household knows where it is and why it matters.

Children and pets are the main concern. A dog that runs out into the work area, or a child who approaches the chipper to see what is happening, can be seriously hurt. The simplest precaution is to keep them indoors or in a separate part of the garden for the whole of the work, including the clearing up. Owners who are working from home should plan their day so that they can leave the zone when the crew asks them to. A dog that is hard to restrain should be collected or boarded for the day rather than relying on a closed door, since a door that is opened by a delivery or a visitor can undo the whole arrangement.

The Health and Safety Executive's tree work pages cover safety hazards and site management for the sector, and they explain the standards a crew should be working to. Owners do not need to carry out those arrangements themselves, but knowing what to expect helps them accept a temporary restriction on their own garden without argument.

Wildlife checks before the day

Wildlife can be present in a tree even on a day when the crew is not working on it. Birds nesting in the canopy are protected while they are using the nest, and under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 anyone who intentionally takes, damages or destroys a wild bird's nest that is in use or being built commits an offence. The owner should look for nests before the crew arrives, particularly in spring and early summer, and should tell the crew about any nest found.

Bats are a separate matter, and the signs described in the guide on bat roosts should be checked before the work is booked rather than on the day. A crew that finds signs of bats will need to stop, and the delay is much shorter if the owner has already asked the question.

A short written note of the arrangements is worth preparing too, and a crew working in Exeter will find it especially useful where the access is shared. It can list the gate code, the parking, the location of the outside tap and the number to call if the owner cannot be reached. A crew that arrives at a locked gate with no contact has to wait, and that waiting time is usually charged to the job. A few minutes spent writing the details removes one of the most common causes of an idle morning.

The day itself

On the morning of the work, the owner should confirm the crew's arrival time, walk the site with the crew leader, point out any hazards and make sure the access is open. A brief conversation at the start sets the expectations for the day, including how the crew will leave the site and whether the waste will be taken away or left for collection.

Owners who are not at home during the work should leave a contact number, the location of any hazards and the access arrangements in writing. A quote request that covers the access, the protection status and the disposal wishes is also the right place to raise these points before the crew is booked. Working through the list in advance usually means the crew spends its time on the tree, and the owner gets the garden back at the end of the day in the condition that was agreed.

Sources and further reading

  1. Housing (Citizens Advice)
  2. Tree work (Health and Safety Executive)
  3. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 (legislation.gov.uk)