What affects the cost of hedge trimming?

Why is hedge trimming so expensive?

Most of the cost is labour. A good hedge cut is slow, careful work: shaping both faces and the top by eye, working from steps or a platform once the hedge is above head height, then raking up and dealing with the clippings. A tall, wide or overgrown hedge can take many times longer than one kept in shape.

A fair price also covers the kit (hedge cutters, long-reach trimmers, steps or a platform), insurance and travel. That is why two hedges of the same length can be quoted very differently.

The clear-up is part of the job, not an afterthought. Clippings get into borders, gravel and ponds, and picking them out takes time. Ask whether the clear-up is included. We leave it tidy.

What affects the cost of hedge cutting?

Seven things set how long a hedge takes to cut: its height, length and width, the species, how overgrown it is, how easy it is to reach, and what happens to the clippings. Timing matters too, because the law on nesting birds limits when some hedges should be cut. The table below shows how each one changes the job.

Around Axbridge and out on the Levels, plenty of garden hedges back onto fields, lanes or rhynes, the drainage ditches that cross the moors. A hedge with a wet ditch along one side is slower and harder to work than the same hedge on a flat lawn, and that shows up in the time a job takes.

Why does a tall hedge cost more to cut?

Height changes how the job is done. Up to about head height, a hedge can be cut from the ground. Above that, the cutter needs steps, a platform or a long-reach trimmer, and the kit has to be moved and set up again every few metres. The Health and Safety Executive says ladders should not automatically be the first choice.

Cutting the top level is the slowest part, done at arm's length across the hedge. On soft or sloping ground, common on clay after rain, steps and platforms take longer to set up safely.

If you want a tall hedge brought down to a lower height, say so when you ask for a quote. Taking a metre off the top is a different job from a trim, with thicker wood and many more cuttings. Leylandii rarely grows back from old brown wood, so a hard cut can leave it bare for good.

Does an overgrown hedge cost more than a regular trim?

Yes, usually by a long way. A hedge cut once or twice a year only needs the new growth taken off, which is quick and leaves a light pile of clippings. A hedge left for several years has thick, woody growth that has to be cut back with loppers or a saw, and it can fill a garden with cuttings.

That is why regular cutting tends to work out lighter over time: each visit is shorter and there is less to clear. Getting an overgrown hedge back under control is the big job; the cuts after it are smaller.

When the hedge is cut matters as well as how often. The RSPB recommends cutting between 1 September and 28 February, outside the main nesting season, and the law protects any active nest whatever the date.

Farm hedgerows have a stricter rule: no cutting from 1 March to 31 August. Our guide to when you can cut hedges sets out which rule applies to which hedge.

How much should I pay for hedge cutting?

There is no single fair figure, because no two hedges take the same time. What you should pay depends on the height, length, width, species, condition and access, and on what happens to the clippings. The fair test is to get quotes for exactly the same job and check each one covers the same things.

Before you compare prices, check that each quote answers these questions:

• Does it cover both faces and the top, or only your side?
• Is it a trim of this year's growth, or a reduction in height or width?
• Is the clear-up included, and what happens to the clippings?
• Is the person cutting insured?
• When will the work be done, and does that fit the nesting season?

A low quote that leaves the clippings on your lawn, or only cuts one face, is not cheaper for the same work.

Clippings need a home. A council garden waste bin, a compost heap or a green waste site all work for a normal trim. If you pay a business to remove the waste, gov.uk says you must check it is registered.

How do you get an accurate hedge quote from photos?

Good photos let a hedge be priced before anyone visits. Send a wide shot of the whole hedge with something for scale, such as a door or a person, a close-up of the leaves, and pictures of the way in. Add a rough length, height and when it was last cut. Hedge jobs can often be quoted from photos first.

• Get the whole hedge in one picture, then take one from each end.
• Put something of known size in shot: a door, a fence panel or a person.
• Show the route in: side passage, gate width, steps, and anything beside the hedge such as a greenhouse or pond.
• Say how you would like it left: same height and shape, or brought down.

We cut and trim hedges for homes and businesses within a 10 to 15 mile radius around Axbridge, Monday to Friday, and larger business and farm jobs on request. Send photos by WhatsApp to 07594 230584 for a free, no-obligation quote, emailed or given on the day.