Tree Pruning
Tree Lopping Brisbane
Most people searching for tree lopping in Brisbane want one of two things: a tree cut back so it stops causing a problem, or a tree gone entirely. We do both. What we do not do is top a tree — cut the crown off at a height — because it damages the tree and creates a worse problem two years later.
That is not us being precious. It is the Australian Standard, and it is the single most common conversation we have on a quote.
0474 095 278MON - SAT 6am - 5pm
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Tell us about the tree.
Three details and we’ll call you back — usually the same day.
No obligation. MON - SAT 6am - 5pm
What you probably mean by lopping
Lopping is an old word covering a lot of different jobs. Nine times out of ten what someone wants is a proper prune — the limbs over the roof taken back to a point the tree can seal — or a straight removal. Both are things we do every day. Tell us the problem rather than the method and we will tell you which one solves it.
What people usually want when they say lopping:
Why we do not top trees
What topping actually does to a tree
Caleb made a video about this because the conversation comes up on nearly every quote. The short version is below.
The regrowth is weaker, not stronger
A topped tree responds with a mass of fast, thin shoots attached only to the outer wood. They grow quickly and they snap.
The wounds do not seal
Cutting through a large stem leaves a wound the tree cannot close, which is an open door for decay right in the main structure.
It gets more dangerous, not less
People top trees to make them safer. Within a few years there is more weight, higher up, on weaker attachments than there was before.
It costs more over time
Topped trees need re-cutting every couple of years, and eventually need removing anyway. Pruning properly once is cheaper than topping three times.
It is against the Australian Standard
AS4373 Pruning of Amenity Trees sets out how it should be done. Topping is not in it, and no insured arborist should be offering it.
If it truly has to go, remove it
Where a tree really is in the wrong place, removal is the honest answer. Half-measures that wreck the tree and leave it standing help nobody.
Free quote
Tell us the problem, not the method.
We will tell you whether it is a prune, a reduction or a removal.
Lopper, arborist — what is the difference?
Anyone can buy a chainsaw and advertise as a tree lopper. An arborist holds a qualification in how trees grow, fail and respond to being cut. Our crew are AQF5 Diploma and Certificate 3 certified, we are on the Queensland Arboricultural Association’s register of approved contractors, and we carry public liability and WorkCover. If a quote you have been given is dramatically cheaper than the others, it is worth asking which of those the operator has.
Questions
Tree Lopping Brisbane — Frequently Asked Questions
We do the work people mean by it — pruning, crown reduction, trimming and removal. We do not top trees, which is the specific practice of cutting the crown off at a fixed height. If that is what you have been quoted elsewhere, it is worth reading why we will not do it.
This is the request we get most often, and it is the one thing we cannot do. Cutting a tree to a height like that is topping — it damages the tree, produces weak regrowth and makes it more dangerous within a few years. We will always offer the alternative that solves the same problem properly, whether that is a crown reduction or a removal.
Pruning is selective — specific limbs cut at points the tree can seal. Lopping, in the strict sense, is indiscriminate cutting back to a convenient height regardless of where the cut lands. The first is arboriculture; the second is what leaves you with a problem tree.
It depends on what the job actually turns out to be, which is why we look before quoting. A few limbs off a small tree and a full crown reduction on a mature gum are not the same job. Quotes are free and there is no obligation.
Yes — public liability and WorkCover, on every job. It protects you, your property and your neighbours.
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Where we work
Servicing North and Inner Brisbane
We service Brisbane’s northern suburbs, inner city, and surrounding areas — from Caboolture and the Moreton Bay region down through inner Brisbane. Our team knows these suburbs well and can be on site quickly. Not sure if we cover your area? Give us a call — we’re happy to help.
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Free quote
Tell us about the tree.
Three details and we’ll call you back — usually the same day.
No obligation. MON - SAT 6am - 5pm