On this page
Hedge servicesCostWhen to cutHedge typesLeylandii and conifersOvergrown hedgesFront hedgesTall hedges and neighboursTrees in your hedgeRemoval and replacement
Hedge Services in Croydon
| Service | What it involves | Best for |
|---|
| Hedge trimming | Cutting the sides and top to keep a neat shape | Regular upkeep |
| Height reduction | Lowering a tall hedge, often in stages | Hedges blocking light or views |
| Overgrown hedge restoration | Cutting back a neglected hedge and clearing the cuttings | Hedges not cut for years |
| Conifer and leylandii work | Trimming and reducing with care for old wood | Fast-growing boundary conifers |
| Hedge removal | Taking out a hedge, with stump grinding if wanted | Replacing with a fence, wall or planting |
| Front hedge and pavement clearance | Cutting back from paths, drives and sightlines | Privet, laurel and conifer front hedges |
| Regular maintenance | Scheduled visits through the year | Landlords, agents and busy owners |
How Much Does Hedge Cutting Cost in Croydon?
Hedge cutting in Croydon typically costs between £120 and £450 for a typical garden hedge, and from £1,600 for a long, tall conifer hedge, depending on the hedge's length, height, width and condition. A short, low front hedge is a quick job. A long, tall, overgrown leylandii hedge needs a platform, more time and a lot of waste removal.
| Job | Indicative cost |
|---|
| Small front hedge (under 5m long, up to 1.5m high) | £120 – £220 |
| Medium garden hedge (10 to 20m long, 1.5 to 2.5m high) | £300 – £450 |
| Tall hedge or leylandii (over 20m long, over 2.5m high, platform needed) | £1,600 – £2,650+ |
| Overgrown hedge restoration | Quoted on site, starting from the trimming price for the same hedge |
| Hedge removal | £150 – £450, with stump grinding extra if wanted |
| Regular maintenance visit | Quoted per hedge, and often lower per visit |
| Minimum call-out | From £120 |
These are guide figures. After we've seen the hedge, you get a fixed, itemised written quote. Use the cost calculator · Full cost guide →
| What affects the price | Why it matters |
|---|
| Length of the hedge | More hedge means more time |
| Height and width | Tall or wide hedges need more cutting and often a platform or ladders |
| Hedge type and density | Dense, woody or overgrown hedges take longer than a light trim |
| Overgrown or neglected | Restoration takes more work than routine trimming |
| Access | Tight gardens, steps or no side access slow the job |
| Waste | Taking away cuttings adds to the job, and conifer hedges produce a lot |
| Frequency | Regular visits can be cheaper per visit |
| Both sides | A boundary hedge may need access to a neighbour's side |
When Can You Cut a Hedge?
The best time depends on the type of hedge, and the law protects active bird nests, so timing matters for both the hedge and wildlife.
| Hedge | How often and when (RHS guidance) |
|---|
| Privet | Twice or three times during the growing season |
| Yew | Twice, in summer and autumn |
| Beech and hornbeam | Once, in late summer |
| Laurel | Once or twice, in spring or summer; cut individual shoots or use sharp trimmers carefully, as shredded leaves turn brown |
| Informal and flowering hedges | Usually once a year, timed to flowering |
| Conifer hedges | Trim earlier in the season; trimming after August can encourage bare patches |
| Box | Once or twice in the growing season; check for blight and caterpillars first |
| When | What to think about |
|---|
| November to February | Best window for hard cutting, reduction and removal, with the fewest wildlife constraints. Avoid cutting in frost |
| March to August | Nesting season. We check before any cut, and some work may wait |
| Late spring to summer | The main trim for most formal hedges |
| Late summer | Final trim for beech, hornbeam and yew |
| After August | Avoid trimming conifers, which can encourage bare patches |
Nesting Birds and the Law
Wild birds and their active nests are protected, and the main nesting season generally runs from March to August. There is no fixed legal ban on cutting a garden hedge in nesting season, but you must not damage an active nest, so a careful check is essential. If a nest is active, the work waits or that section is left. See our nesting season guide.
Hedge Types We Cut in Croydon
| Hedge | Typical issues |
|---|
| Privet | Fast-growing front and boundary hedge; needs frequent cutting, and regrows well from hard pruning |
| Laurel | Large leaves, very vigorous; needs careful cutting, and hard reduction is possible in the dormant season |
| Leylandii and other conifers | Grow very fast; most won't regrow from bare old wood |
| Yew | Slow, dense and regrows well from old wood |
| Beech and hornbeam | Dense, formal hedges; may keep dead leaves through winter |
| Hawthorn, blackthorn and mixed native hedges | Thorny; best cut in winter, outside nesting season |
| Box | Common in older gardens; can suffer from blight and box tree moth caterpillars. Tell us before we cut if it's browning or webbed |
Leylandii and Conifer Hedges
Most conifers do not regrow from old, bare wood. A conifer branch cut back so that no green growth remains will generally not produce new foliage, which is why a very tall conifer hedge cannot always be reduced in a single cut. We trim regularly while the hedge is manageable, reduce height and width in stages where the hedge allows it, and tell you honestly if a hedge has grown too far to be reduced safely.
| Situation | What we do |
|---|
| Hedge is still manageable | Trim regularly, little and often, keeping within the green growth |
| Hedge is tall but has green growth to cut back to | Reduce height and width in stages, over more than one visit if needed |
| Hedge has grown too far, with bare wood inside | Tell you honestly that it can't be reduced safely, and discuss removal and replacement |
| Hedge is too wide and eating the garden | Trim back to green growth only |
| Removing a conifer hedge | Fell or cut in sections, clear everything, and grind stumps where needed. Conifers don't resprout from a cut stump, so grinding is optional |
Don't cut a leylandii hedge back to brown wood to "fix" its height. It's the most common mistake we see, and it can't be undone. If your hedge is already too tall, call us before cutting.
Overgrown Hedge Restoration
| Hedge | Can it be restored? |
|---|
| Privet, laurel, hawthorn, hornbeam, beech, yew, holly | Usually yes, with hard cutting, ideally in winter and sometimes in stages over two years |
| Leylandii and most conifers | Only if there's green growth to cut back to |
| Mixed native hedge | Yes, with winter cutting |
For heavily overgrown hedges we may recommend staging the work over two winters so the hedge isn't stressed. We clear every cutting and leave the boundary tidy.
Front Hedges, Pavements and Sightlines
| Issue | What to know |
|---|
| Hedge overhanging the pavement | If the hedge is yours, you're responsible for keeping it clear, and the council can require it under the Highways Act 1980. Keep branches clear of the pavement edge |
| Hedge blocking sightlines at a drive or junction | Cut back for visibility when you reverse out or turn |
| Hedge obstructing a path or bin route | Cut back to the boundary |
| Planning to pave the front garden | Removing a front hedge can need planning permission in some cases, and a dropped kerb needs council approval. Check first |
Neighbours, Tall Hedges and the 2-Metre Rule
There is no legal height limit for a garden hedge in England. What the law does is give neighbours a way to complain if an evergreen hedge blocks their light.
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| What counts as a high hedge? | A line of two or more evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs, more than two metres high, that significantly affects the reasonable enjoyment of a home or garden |
| What should I do first? | Talk to your neighbour. Councils expect you to try to resolve it before making a formal complaint |
| Who decides? | Your council, under Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 |
| Does it cost anything? | Councils charge a fee. Check Croydon Council's page for its process and current fee |
| What can the council do? | Require the owner to cut the hedge to a set height, but it cannot order removal or require it to go below two metres |
| Does it cover deciduous hedges? | No. The rules apply to evergreen and semi-evergreen hedges |
Where branches overhang your property you may be able to cut them back to the boundary, but not beyond it, and cuttings should be offered back. If your neighbour's hedge is on your boundary, who owns it can be unclear. Check your title deeds, and agree work in writing. Some countryside hedgerows are protected by law, but this generally does not apply to ordinary garden hedges.
Trees in Your Hedge
A hedge isn't always just a hedge. Trees growing in or through it, such as ash, oak, sycamore or hawthorn standards, can be protected by a TPO or conservation area in their own right.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|
| Tree in a hedge with a TPO | Consent needed before cutting or removing it |
| Tree in a hedge in a conservation area | Six weeks' written notice to the council before cutting it. See our conservation area guide |
| Garden hedge itself | Generally not protected, but check planning conditions and covenants on newer estates |
| Countryside hedgerow bordering open land | Some are protected by the Hedgerows Regulations 1997, so check before removal |
Croydon Council says a tree preservation order (TPO) stops visually important trees being removed or pruned without formal permission, and that you must give six weeks' written notice before work to a tree in a conservation area. Fines of up to £20,000 can follow for cutting down a protected tree without permission, and up to £2,500 for pruning one. We check both before any work. TPO guide.
Hedge Removal and Replacement
| Option | What it involves |
|---|
| Remove the hedge only | Cut and clear the hedge, and grind or dig out stumps if wanted |
| Replace with a fence or wall | We clear the hedge and stumps so the fencer or builder can start |
| Replace with a new hedge | We clear the old hedge and stumps, and you plant a replacement |
| Reduce rather than remove | Only possible if the hedge type and condition allow it |
A mixed native hedge, or hornbeam, beech, privet or yew, makes a better long-term boundary than leylandii, and is better for wildlife. If you're replacing a leylandii hedge, avoid planting more. See stump grinding for clearing the line.
Safety, Cables and Access
| Risk | How we handle it |
|---|
| Cutting through cables | We check for garden lighting, outdoor sockets and cables running through or beside the hedge. Never cut near cables yourself |
| Overhead lines | We don't work near them. If a hedge is next to a line, tell us when you request your quote |
| Working at height | Platforms and ladders used safely, rather than reaching from a ladder |
| Neighbours' property | Protecting fences, glass and cars, and agreeing access if we need to cut from their side |
| Waste volume | Planning chipper and vehicle positions in advance, especially with long conifer hedges |
Hedge Cutting Across Croydon
We carry out hedge cutting across the borough, including Addiscombe, Shirley, Thornton Heath, Norbury, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, South Croydon, Selsdon, Sanderstead, Purley, Coulsdon and Kenley (CR0, CR2, CR5, CR7, CR8, SE19 and SW16).
