TL;DR — Conifer & Leylandii Removal Cost At A Glance
- Most UK households pay £300–£900 to have a leylandii hedge or a group of garden conifers removed in 2026. A single small conifer starts at £150; an unmanaged 12m specimen or a long mature run can pass £2,000.
- Single conifers are priced by height: roughly £150–£300 up to 3m, £300–£700 at 3–6m, £700–£1,200 at 6–12m and £1,200–£2,000+ above that.
- A hedge run is priced by the linear metre, and we price it on one page only. Reckon on £35–£60 a metre for a conifer or leylandii hedge over 3m with the roots grubbed out; our hedge removal cost guide carries the full per-metre table and is the page to use for a whole run.
- Roots are a separate decision and a separate price. On a single tree, cutting to ground level is included and grinding the stump out is £85–£200. On a hedge run the per-metre rate above already includes grubbing; £10–£22 a metre buys a cut to ground level without it.
- London and the South East run 20–35% above the rest of the UK, and disposal is the wildcard: conifer is bulky, resinous and poor firewood, so there is more waste per metre than any other hedge.
- If the hedge is your neighbour's, there is a legal route with a real price tag. A high hedge complaint to the council costs £450 in Cambridge, £500 in Stafford and £1,042.36 in Mole Valley, and is generally not refunded once the complaint proceeds — though some councils, including Mole Valley, refund where the complaint cannot be taken forward.
Add to Preferred Sources How Much Does Conifer And Leylandii Removal Cost In 2026?
Leylandii grows up to a metre a year, which explains both why so many were planted in the 1980s and 1990s and why so many are now coming out.
Two different jobs sit behind the search. Removing specimen conifers is priced like any other tree: by height, access and disposal. Taking out a hedge is priced by the metre. A 12m leylandii that was never topped is a tree and costs like one; a 2m clipped Thuja hedge costs a fraction as much.
Conifer removal prices rise sharply with tree height and the complexity of the job. A small conifer of up to around 3m may cost roughly £150–£300, while very large trees above 12m can reach £1,200–£2,000 or more. In London and other higher-cost areas, prices for particularly tall conifers can be higher still. The table below shows a practical price range for individual trees by height.
Whole hedge runs are usually priced differently, often by the linear metre rather than per tree. To avoid duplicating pricing information, see our hedge removal cost guide for hedge-specific rates. The figures below assume the conifers are on your own land and are not subject to conservation-area restrictions.
| Unit of sale | Rest of UK | London & South East |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum call-out / half-day charge | £150–£250 | £200–£350 |
| Two-person crew, per day | £400–£700 | £550–£900 |
| Single conifer, up to 3m | £150–£300 | £200–£400 |
| Single conifer, 3–6m | £300–£700 | £400–£900 |
| Single conifer, 6–12m | £700–£1,200 | £900–£1,550 |
| Single conifer, over 12m | £1,200–£2,000+ | £1,550–£2,600+ |
| Leylandii or conifer hedge, per linear metre, roots grubbed out | £35–£60 | £45–£78 |
| Stump grinding, per stump (typical leylandii) | £85–£200 | £110–£260 |
| Root grubbing with mini excavator | £200–£750 | £260–£950 |
| Arisings removal and disposal | £50–£400 | £65–£520 |
| High hedge complaint to the council | £450–£1,042 | £450–£1,042 |
Conifer & Leylandii Removal Cost By Height
Height sets the price on a conifer, and the unit of sale changes with it: a specimen tree is quoted tree by tree, a hedge run by the linear metre. The two per-metre rates below are our hedge removal cost guide's figures, reproduced so the two pages cannot disagree.
| Conifer type and job | Approx. height | Rest of UK | London & South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single specimen conifer | up to 3m | £150–£300 | £200–£400 |
| Single specimen conifer | 3–6m | £300–£700 | £400–£900 |
| Single specimen conifer | 6–12m | £700–£1,200 | £900–£1,550 |
| Single specimen conifer | over 12m | £1,200–£2,000+ | £1,550–£2,600+ |
| Conifer or leylandii hedge, per linear metre, roots grubbed out | 2–3m | £27–£47 | £35–£61 |
| Conifer or leylandii hedge, per linear metre, roots grubbed out | over 3m | £35–£60 | £45–£78 |
| Stumps from a six-tree leylandii run, ground | — | £180–£280 | £230–£360 |
Both per-metre rates include grubbing the root plate out. Cutting to ground level and leaving the roots in is roughly half, at £10–£22 a metre — fine on conifers, which do not reshoot from old wood. For the full per-metre table, use our hedge removal cost guide; this page stays with the single specimen conifer and the legal route. If you only want the hedge shorter, see the hedge trimming cost guide — trimming a leylandii is a fraction of the price of removing it.
What Affects The Cost Of Conifer And Leylandii Removal?
1. Height, And Whether It Was Ever Topped
This is the dominant driver. A leylandii clipped at 2m for twenty years is a two-person half-day job at £27–£47 a metre. The same hedge left alone is a row of 10–15m trees to be climbed and dismantled in sections, and it stops being a per-metre hedge rate at all — each trunk is £700–£1,200 of tree work. Leylandii will not regrow from old wood either, so a tall one cannot be cut back into a hedge — once it is up, removal is usually the only option.
2. Length Of The Run And Number Of Trunks
Cost scales with the number of trunks, not just the metres, because each has to be felled, snedded and stumped individually. There is real economy of scale: a grinding specialist publishes £180–£280 for the six stumps left by a leylandii hedge removal, against £85–£120 for a single stump done on its own — the travel, the machine and the set-up are paid once, however many stumps there are.
3. Roots: Cut To Ground Or Grubbed Out
Cutting to ground level is included; taking the root plate out is not. Conifer roots are shallow but wide and matted, and a mature leylandii run has effectively fused into one mass. Grinding is £85–£200 a stump on a typical leylandii; excavating a whole run needs a mini digger at £50–£120 a day for the machine alone, or £200–£750 for the job with an operator. Grub the roots out if you are replanting, fencing or laying a patio; grind them if the strip is going back to lawn.
4. Disposal Volume — And Why Conifer Is The Worst
This is the cost most quotes hide. Conifer produces more waste per metre than any other hedging: dense evergreen foliage, resinous brash that clogs chippers, and timber that is poor firewood and hard to give away. Arisings removal runs £50–£400 by volume, skip hire £60–£130 for a 2–3 yard mini and £400–£800 for a 40-yard, and a jumbo bag of green waste about £55. Chipping on site and keeping the chip as mulch is cheapest. Our garden clearance cost guide covers per-load pricing.
5. The Legal Route, If The Hedge Isn't Yours
You cannot touch a neighbour's hedge beyond your boundary. Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 lets you complain to the council about a "high hedge" — a line of two or more predominantly evergreen trees or shrubs over 2m tall blocking light or access. Councils set their own fee, and they vary enormously: £450 at Cambridge, £500 at Stafford and £1,042.36 at Mole Valley from April 2026. Stafford still advertises a £250 concession for households on "Council Tax Benefit", a benefit abolished in 2013 — the council's own stale wording, so ask what low-income reduction it actually applies. The fee is generally not refunded once a complaint proceeds, although some councils, Mole Valley among them, refund where the complaint cannot be taken forward. You must have tried informally for three months first, and investigation takes at least 12 weeks. The council cannot order the hedge below 2m either.
6. Your Location
London and the South East sit 20–35% above the rest of the UK — MyBuilder puts the gap at around 20% against northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Crew day rates say the same: £400–£650 in Nottingham against £700–£1,200 in London. Urban jobs also carry parking suspensions, tighter access and higher tipping charges.
What's Included — And What's Not
A standard conifer or leylandii removal quote covers:
- Site assessment and agreement on finished ground level
- Felling or sectional dismantling of each tree
- Cutting stumps flush to ground level, usually 50–150mm
- Chipping brash on site where there is room for a chipper
- Raking and sweeping the strip clear
- Public liability insurance for the work
Charged as extras:
- Stump grinding — £85–£200 per stump on a typical leylandii, and far less each where several are done together
- Full root grubbing with a mini excavator — £200–£750
- Taking arisings away rather than chipping on site — £50–£400
- Skip hire where the volume needs it — £60–£130 mini, £400–£800 for 40 yards
- Topsoil to backfill — £70–£100 a bulk bag, or £35–£40 a tonne loose
- Turf or seed for the strip — £3–£5/m² turf, about £10/kg seed
- Repairing the fence or wall the hedge was hiding — £150–£1,000
- The council fee, if you go down the high hedge route — £450–£1,042
Can You Do It Yourself?
A short, clipped conifer hedge under about 1.5m is a genuine DIY weekend. Loppers are £30–£80, a hand saw £20–£50, a small chainsaw £80–£200, and the work is not technical.
Volume and roots are what catch people out. A 10m run of even a modest conifer hedge fills several skips' worth of brash, and green waste is the one thing councils charge for: a subscription is free to £70 a year, a jumbo bag around £55, a 2–3 yard skip £60–£130. Budget disposal before you start cutting. The root plate is the harder half — matted conifer roots resist hand digging, and a mini excavator at £50–£120 a day means learning to drive one alongside a boundary you cannot afford to damage.
Anything over about 3m, or growing against a fence, wall, drain or shared boundary, should go to a crew — as should anything possibly protected or in a conservation area. If there is knotweed or another invasive growing through the base, which neglected leylandii runs often hide, read our Japanese knotweed removal cost guide first: digging it makes the problem worse and far more expensive.
How To Save Money On Conifer And Leylandii Removal
- Do the whole run at once. Each additional stump on the same visit costs roughly 35% less, and a crew already on site with a chipper is far cheaper than a second mobilisation.
- Keep the chip. Conifer chip is fine as path or border mulch, and leaving it on site removes the biggest single line from the disposal cost.
- Decide about the roots before you get quotes. Grinding for lawn is cheap; full grubbing for a patio or fence is not. Ask for both prices rather than being upsold on the day.
- Book off-season. Late autumn to late winter is quieter, and avoids the March-to-August nesting season, when conifer hedges are the most likely of all to hold an active nest.
- Bundle it with the fence. If a new fence is going where the hedge was, having one visit clear, grub and level the strip saves a call-out.
- Join the Fantastic Club if you are booking more than one garden service a year — it takes £30 off your service and adds £270 in credits.
How To Hire A Good Tree Surgeon For Conifer Work
Check insurance and tickets first: public liability cover, plus NPTC or Lantra chainsaw certificates and aerial rescue for anyone climbing. Arboricultural Association ARB Approved Contractor status is the strongest signal in UK arboriculture — the scheme assesses site safety and rigging, finished work, insurance and licences, and health and safety compliance.
Ask specifically about disposal, because conifer is where corners get cut. A contractor taking arisings away commercially needs Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier registration — £191.02 to register and £130.25 to renew, every three years on GOV.UK's published fees. Ask for the number: green waste fly-tipped and traced to your address is your problem, and the fine is unlimited in the magistrates' court as well as on indictment.
A proper quote states the number of trees, the finished stump treatment (flush cut, ground or grubbed), what happens to the brash and timber, whether topsoil and levelling are included, the hedge length measured on site, and the total including VAT.
Red flags: a price given over the phone from a photo; "we'll take the roots out too" with no digger on the quote; no mention of what happens to the waste; and anyone who tells you they can cut a 10m leylandii back into a hedge. They cannot — leylandii does not reshoot from old wood.
Book Your Conifer Removal Today!
Leylandii is the most-regretted plant in Britain, and taking it out transforms a garden more than almost any other job. Fantastic Services works with qualified, insured arborists who fell, stump, clear and level in one visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost To Remove A Leylandii Hedge?
For a 10m run with the roots grubbed out and the waste taken away, £270–£470 at 2–3m high and £350–£600 over 3m outside London, and 20–35% more in London and the South East. Those are the per-metre rates in our hedge removal cost guide, which is the page to price a whole run. Cutting to ground level and leaving the roots is about half. A run that was never topped and has reached tree height is priced tree by tree instead.
Can I Make My Neighbour Cut Their Leylandii Down?
Not directly, but you can complain to the council under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 if the hedge is a line of two or more mainly evergreen trees over 2m blocking your light or access. You must try informally first — Mole Valley requires three months — and the fee varies hugely: £450 at Cambridge, £500 at Stafford, £1,042.36 at Mole Valley. It is generally not refunded once the complaint proceeds, though Mole Valley refunds it where the complaint cannot be taken forward.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove Conifer Tree Roots?
Grinding a single leylandii stump costs £85–£200, and a specialist prices the six stumps left by a hedge removal as one visit at £180–£280 — the travel and set-up are paid once. Grubbing a whole root run out with a mini excavator is £200–£750, more where roots run under a patio. Add £70–£100 a bulk bag for topsoil. Our tree stump and root removal cost guide prices stumps by diameter.
Do I Need Permission To Remove A Conifer Or Leylandii Hedge?
Usually not, if it is on your own land. You do need council consent if the trees are covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and six weeks' written notice in a conservation area for any tree with a trunk over 75mm across measured 1.5m up — the threshold is set by regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation)(England) Regulations 2012, which allows 100mm where the work is thinning to help other trees grow. Both are free to apply for. It is also an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a bird's nest in use, whenever that happens, so have a dense conifer hedge checked before spring or summer work.
Will Leylandii Grow Back If I Cut It Down?
No. Unlike yew, leylandii and most other cypresses do not reshoot from old brown wood, so a stump cut at ground level is dead. That is also why a tall leylandii cannot be reduced back into a hedge — cut into the bare wood and you are left with a permanent brown gap. It is the main reason removal, rather than reduction, is usually the answer.
How Much Waste Does A Leylandii Hedge Produce?
More than any comparable hedge. Dense evergreen foliage, resinous brash that clogs chippers and timber nobody wants for firewood all add up. Disposal alone runs £50–£400 on a domestic job; a 2–3 yard mini skip is £60–£130 and a 40-yard skip £400–£800. Chipping on site and keeping the chip as mulch is the cheapest route by a wide margin.
Is It Cheaper To Remove Conifers Or Just Cut Them Back?
Cutting back is far cheaper short term — trimming is £50–£500 by size against £350–£600 to take a 10m run out — but on leylandii it only postpones the problem, because a hedge already above about 3m cannot be reduced without leaving bare wood. On Thuja, yew and most deciduous hedging, reduction is a genuine alternative worth pricing.
Conifer and Leylandii Removal Prices
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