Peninsula to the lakes
Tree pruning and trimming on the Central Coast
Light, regular pruning is what lets a big gum or angophora stay beside the house: the dead wood comes out, the roof is cleared and the crown is opened up before the next east coast low.
Pruning and trimming
Four kinds of cut
Clearing dead wood
Dead and snapped branches taken out of the crown before they come down on their own, which on an old gum happens more often than people expect.
Lifting off the roof
Branches over the roof and the gutters cut back, so leaves and limbs stop landing where they block a downpipe or crack a tile.
Thinning the crown
A few branches removed right back to where they start, so the canopy lets wind and light through without changing its shape.
Shortening a heavy limb
A long limb reaching over the house cut back to a side branch, so the weight comes off without leaving a stub to rot.
How it works
From the first message to a written quote
The council question is settled before any price, and nothing is booked until you have said yes to a quote in writing.
- 1
Tell us what the tree is doing
Where it stands, what it is close to and what you would like done about it.
- 2
A contractor comes to see it
A tree contractor who covers your suburb looks at the tree, the access and what is underneath it.
- 3
The council question is answered
Height, trunk size, distance from the house and the species decide whether a permit or an exemption applies.
- 4
You get it in writing
Scope, timber, stump and date on one page, and nothing is booked until you have said yes.
Pruning questions
Timing, and how often
When should a gum be pruned?
Most work suits any time of year. The two things worth timing are weight reduction, which is best done before the summer storms, and flowering trees, which are better left until they finish.
How often does a big tree need pruning?
A large tree close to the house usually every few years. A young tree is better pruned lightly and more often, because the early cuts set the shape it grows into.
How much can be pruned before the council gets involved?
The council's exemptions cover pruning a maximum of 10% of tree foliage area once every growing season on small branches, and branches directly overhanging the roofline of an approved structure. A heavier prune counts as clearing under the state's rules and needs the council's permission.
