Emergency Tree Work

Emergency Tree Work Wellington

A tree that has split, is leaning further by the hour, has dropped a limb onto a roof or is hanging over a path is not a job for next month. Premier Tree Surgeons provides emergency tree work across Wellington: we make the situation safe, remove what has to go, clear access and tell you what else needs attention. Our NZQA qualified arborists are based in Karori and cover the city and the wider region. Call Brian on 0275 499 100, tell us what has happened and we will tell you how fast we can be there.

Get a free quote 0275 499 100

Arborist in hi-vis with a climbing rope beside a large pine tree and cut branches on a roadside

Fast response to dangerous trees across Wellington

What counts as a tree emergency

We treat the following as emergencies and prioritise them over booked work:

a tree or large limb on a house, garage, car, fence or shared driveway
a broken limb hung up in the canopy over a path, deck, driveway or play area
a tree leaning further than it was, especially with cracked or lifted soil at the base
a split trunk or a large crack at a branch union
a tree blocking a road, a right of way or the only access to a property
a large tree failing near a school, a footpath or a business entrance

Tree work at height with chainsaws is dangerous enough that WorkSafe publishes its own tree work guidance for the industry. A limb under tension or a tree resting on a structure can move the moment a cut is made. Please leave it to us.

Not everything urgent-looking is an emergency. A branch that has been scraping the roof for a year, a tree that has been slowly declining, or a hedge that has got too big can be booked as normal pruning or removal work, which costs less.

Storm damaged tree with a split trunk and broken limbs resting over a house roof

How we make a site safe

We start by assessing the tree from the ground: what has failed, what is holding it up, what it will do when weight is taken off and what it could land on. Then we set up an exclusion zone and work out the order of cuts. Hung-up limbs are released in a controlled sequence, often lowered on ropes. A tree resting on a roof is dismantled from the top so the load comes off the building gradually rather than all at once. Where there is room and the tree is stable, we fell what is left; where there is not, we climb it or use a crane and bring it down in sections.

Once nothing is at risk of moving, we clear access, chip the debris and look at the trees around it. A storm or a failure often damages more than the tree that fell, and we will tell you what we find. If follow-up work is needed we quote it separately so you can decide.

Arborist high in a bare tree canopy cutting back branches

Emergency tree work in Wellington: what to expect

When you call

The more you can tell us, the faster we can help. Where the tree is and how we get to it. What has happened: fallen, split, hung up, leaning. What it is resting on or hanging over. Whether anyone is hurt or at risk, whether a building is damaged, and whether power or fibre lines are involved. A photo from a safe distance tells us more than a long description, and lets us arrive with the right gear. If lines are down or touched, call your lines company before you call us; nobody can work on the tree until the lines are made safe.

How we prioritise

People first, then buildings, then access, then everything else. After a big storm the whole region calls at once and we cannot be everywhere in the first hour, so we triage by risk and tell you honestly where you sit. A tree through a roof with people in the house comes before a tree across a driveway, which comes before a limb on a lawn. If your situation is less urgent than you first thought, we will say so and book it as normal work, which costs less.

What emergency work costs

Emergency work costs more than the same job done as planned work, because it is harder and riskier: limbs under tension, a tree on a structure, wet ground and sometimes poor light or hours outside the normal day. Size, what the tree has landed on, whether lines are involved and how much has to be chipped and removed all affect the price. Where the situation allows, we explain the cost before work starts. Where a tree is actively failing, we make it safe first and agree the rest once nobody is at risk. Keep our quote and invoice for your insurer.

Why not do it yourself

A storm-damaged tree stores energy in bent and tensioned wood, and a cut in the wrong place releases it towards the person holding the saw. Trees resting on roofs shift as weight comes off. Working off a ladder with a chainsaw is how a great many people end up in hospital. Our arborists are trained, equipped and insured for exactly this work. The cost of having us do it is small next to the alternative.

Frequently asked questions

Is a branch hanging over my roof an emergency?

If it is broken and hung up, yes, because it can come down in the next gust. If it is attached and healthy but too close, it is a trimming job that can be booked.

Who do I call if a tree is on power lines?

Your lines company, first and before anyone goes near it. Once the lines are safe, call us for the tree.

Will you remove the whole tree or just make it safe?

Whichever you need. Often making it safe and clearing access is the urgent part, and the decision about the rest of the tree can wait until you have talked to your insurer.

Do you work for landlords and body corporates?

Yes. We deal with property managers regularly and can take instructions from them on behalf of an owner.

Do you cover areas outside Wellington city?

We are based in Karori and work across the wider Wellington region. Tell us where you are and we will tell you whether we can get to you and when.

Call now for emergency tree work in Wellington

Call Brian on 0275 499 100. Tell us where the tree is, what it has landed on or is hanging over, whether anyone is at risk and whether power lines are involved, and send a photo if you can. For a tree that is a worry but not an immediate danger, email brian@wellingtontrees.co.nz or use the form and we will come and assess it.

For emergency tree work in Wellington, call Brian on 0275 499 100. For anything that can wait, email brian@wellingtontrees.co.nz or send your details through our contact page.

Get a free quote 0275 499 100