Tree trimming keeps a tree in its place: branches off the roof and out of the gutters, a clear driveway for the bakkie, light back on the lawn and hedges back to a tidy line. It is lighter work than felling and usually done every year or two. Tell us what is growing where it should not, and local tree fellers, arborists and garden services can quote. Send one free, no-obligation request and compare the quotes that come back.
What tree trimming covers
Trimming is about clearance and shape rather than the long-term structure of the tree. Typical jobs:
- Lifting the crown: removing the lowest limbs so you can walk, park or mow underneath.
- Cutting back branches that rub the roof, block gutters or hang over the pool.
- Clearing branches from the boundary wall, the electric fence or the neighbour's side.
- Shaping hedges and screening trees such as conifers, syzygium and photinia.
- Reducing a crown that has grown too wide for a small garden.
When the job is about the health and structure of a tree, see tree pruning instead.
Roofs, gutters and driveways
Branches on a roof wear the tiles and sheeting in wind, drop leaves that block gutters and downpipes, and give rats and monkeys a bridge onto the house. A good rule is to keep the crown a couple of metres clear of the roof so it does not touch when it moves in a storm. Over driveways, aim for enough height for a delivery truck or a fire engine, not only the family car. Cut branches back to a side branch or the trunk rather than leaving stubs, which rot and sprout clumps of weak shoots.
When to trim
Most garden trees can be trimmed at any time for safety, but timing helps. Late winter, before spring growth, suits most deciduous trees because you can see the branch structure. Evergreen hedges are often trimmed after a flush of growth in late spring and again in late summer. Avoid heavy trimming in a drought or a heat wave, when the tree is already stressed. Before the Highveld summer storms is a sensible time to deal with long limbs over the house. If birds are nesting, wait.
What a trimming quote should say
Ask the team to list which trees and which branches, how high they will lift the crown, and whether the branches are taken away, chipped on site or left stacked. Ask whether a garden refuse removal load is included, and about wood chipping if you want mulch back. Never trim near overhead power lines yourself: ask the municipality or the power utility to make the line safe first. Check proof of public liability insurance for any team that climbs or uses a chainsaw.
What to include in your request
- Photos of each tree and the problem branches
- What must be cleared: roof, gutter, drive, wall
- Rough height of the trees
- Whether branches are removed, chipped or left
- Any power lines near the tree
Tree Trimming for different clients
- Homeowners: lifting crowns off roofs and gutters and cutting back branches over the pool
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: keeping common area trees off units, roads and walkways on a yearly cycle
- Farms, smallholdings and plantations: clearing branches from farm roads, sheds and fences so vehicles can pass
- Businesses and commercial property: trimming car park and frontage trees so signage, lights and cameras stay clear
- Schools, churches and municipalities: lifting branches over school paths, church grounds and park walkways
- Developers and building sites: cutting back trees that will stay on a stand so building work can go on
- Servitudes and fire breaks: trimming back growth along servitudes, done only by authorised teams near live lines
- Tree fellers, landscapers and garden services: garden services taking on trimming work and sending the bigger jobs to tree fellers
Frequently asked questions
How much does tree trimming cost in South Africa?
What is the difference between tree trimming and pruning?
Can I trim my neighbour's branches that hang over my wall?
Do you do the trimming yourselves?
Tree Trimming by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg