Best Tree Services in Napier and Hastings
We assessed 24 tree services in Napier and Hastings and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 359 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 30 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Tree removal, felling, trimming and stump grinding are hazardous work, so use a qualified arborist. Always confirm the operator carries public liability insurance and, if the tree is near a boundary or structure, ask whether a council resource consent is needed before any work begins.
Top 5 Tree Services in Napier and Hastings
The top 5 tree services in Napier and Hastings are #1 Tree Monkey, #2 Team RPM, #3 EcoTree Care, #4 Jordys Tree Care, and #5 Topknot, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
Tree Monkey
↑ 1★ 5.0 44 reviews +8 Top5 Score 160 +135★ 43 4★ 1Tree Monkey takes on tree removal, trimming, topping, and stump shaping across residential properties, turning around jobs from quote to completion with no unexpected charges added afterwards. A property manager with repeat use across multiple sites notes the team arrives when they say they will and leaves every property tidy, which puts them ahead for landlords and homeowners who need a crew they can book without following up.
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2
Team RPM LTD
★ 5.0 80 reviews Top5 Score 1575★ 79 4★ 1Team RPM trims large bushes, removes trees, and clears garden beds including ponga stumps and brick edging, with rubbish taken away and sites left tidy. Renee visits promptly to assess the work, sends a quote the following day, and fits jobs in quickly, with room for unscheduled extras on the day.
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3
EcoTree Care - Hawkes Bay
↑ 2★ 5.0 32 reviews +8 Top5 Score 152 +115★ 32EcoTree Care fells and removes trees of all sizes, from palm pruning and hedge trimming to 16-metre conifers taken down piece by piece beside fences, with green waste mulched and timber left ringed on site. Craig visits the day you call, quotes quickly, and works around your schedule so urgent jobs don't sit waiting.
location_on 2 Awarua Crescent, Hastings
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4
Jordys Tree Care
↓ 3★ 5.0 40 reviews Top5 Score 150 +25★ 40Jordys Tree Care prunes natives and fruit trees, removes fallen trees from structures, grinds stumps including jobs left unfinished by others, and clears palms on difficult sites. Jordy quotes costs and scheduling upfront, checks in during the job, and removes all debris on completion, with several clients booking repeat visits to maintain their trees on a regular cycle.
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5
Topknot Central Hawke's Bay - Tree Removal, Wood Splitting & Chipping
★ 5.0 40 reviews Top5 Score 1485★ 40Topknot cuts down, prunes, and chips trees across residential and rental properties, with Jeff known for walking the site with clients beforehand and checking in throughout so the finished result matches what was actually asked for. Chip and mulch from removed trees is regularly left on site for garden use, and rental property owners with multiple sections have noted the team works through several jobs in a single visit.
Before you hire a tree service in Napier and Hastings
Drawn from 196 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does tree removal or pruning typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
Small tree removal (under 5 metres) runs roughly $500 to $1,000. Large tree removal, especially near structures or with difficult access, can reach $3,000 to $5,000 or more.
Stump grinding is quoted separately and often costs $150 to $500 per stump. Crown pruning on residential trees falls somewhere between $200 and $1,500 depending on size and number.
What qualifications and insurance should a tree service have? expand_more
There is no mandatory government licence to call yourself an arborist in New Zealand, so checking credentials yourself matters. Look for the NZ Certificate in Arboriculture (Level 3 or Level 4) and verify whether the operator is a member of the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZAA), which maintains a public register you can search before hiring.
Public liability insurance of at least $1 million is essential, because tree work near structures or fences creates real risk of property damage, and an uninsured operator leaves you exposed to costs. For any work near powerlines, the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 restrict who can carry out or supervise that work, so confirm the operator meets those requirements before proceeding.
Do I need council consent to remove a tree on my property? expand_more
Many trees in Napier and Hastings are protected under each council's District Plan, either as scheduled notable trees or under blanket rules covering certain species or sizes, and removing them without resource consent can trigger fines and mandatory replanting orders under the Resource Management Act 1991. Check your council's GIS maps or District Plan schedules before touching any large or established tree, because the rules differ between Napier City Council and Hastings District Council. Resource consent fees alone can run from $500 to $3,000 or more, so factor that into your budget early, and use a qualified arborist who can advise on consent requirements as part of the quoting process.
What are the warning signs of a tree service you shouldn't hire? expand_more
- –No written quote provided before work starts, leaving cost disputes likely once the job is done.
- –Inability or unwillingness to show proof of public liability insurance when asked.
- –No process for checking underground services such as pipes or cables before stump grinding begins.
- –Pressure to start immediately without a site visit, which makes it hard to scope complex jobs accurately.
- –Vague scope of work with no clear agreement on what debris, logs, or green waste will be removed.
- –Operators who use climbing spikes on trees that are not being removed, which causes lasting damage to the cambium layer.
What should you ask before hiring a tree service? expand_more
- –Can you provide proof of public liability insurance, and are your workers covered under a workplace accident scheme?
- –Is cleanup and full removal of debris, branches, and green waste included in the quoted price, or charged separately?
- –Do you check for underground services such as water pipes, cables, and drainage lines before any stump grinding work?
- –Does this job require resource consent from the council, and can you advise on that before work begins?
- –Is your quote fixed, and what is your process if the job turns out to be more complex or time-consuming than expected?
- –Do you hold the NZ Certificate in Arboriculture or membership with the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZAA)?
Also recommended tree services in Napier and Hastings
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
AOC Tree Care LTD
↓ 3★ 5.0 29 reviews Top5 Score 1435★ 29AOC Tree Care cuts down and removes trees including large conifers and old stumps, prunes and tops trees, and clears overgrown hedges and shelter belts, with Andrew known for replying to enquiries within minutes and booking jobs within days. Sites are left tidy after the work, with foliage, cuttings, and rubbish taken away, and Andrew regularly goes beyond the original scope, cutting timber for firewood or removing extra garden waste on the day.
location_on 767 Seafield Road, Puketapu, Napier
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7
Essential Tree Care
verifiedVerified ↓ 3★ 4.8 25 reviews -1 Top5 Score 143 +15★ 24 1★ 1Essential Tree Care trims, thins, and removes trees including large elms and end-of-life gums, with Cam known for climbing difficult trees and offering practical advice on tree health during the visit. Clients regularly comment on clear communication throughout, from the initial quote to the completed job.
schedule Open 24 hours
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8
Jim's Trees
↓ 2★ 4.5 39 reviews Top5 Score 1395★ 32 4★ 2 3★ 2 1★ 3Jim's Trees coordinates tree removal, stump grinding, pruning, and felling, with Wayne and the crew regularly quoting within an hour of an enquiry and completing work the following day or within a couple of days. Sites are left tidy after every job, and at least one client received an invoice that came in below the original quote.
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9
CLEANCUT | Tree Care Solutions - Hawke's Bay
↓ 2★ 5.0 16 reviews Top5 Score 1365★ 16CleanCut fells and removes large trees and hedges, trims and tidies trees in bulk, and handles stump cutting, with Scott known for reshuffling existing bookings to fit urgent jobs in at short notice. On larger sites, the crew organises traffic management plans and stop/go personnel, works carefully around neighbouring plants, and leaves banks and grounds completely clear when they're done.
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10
Greenscene Arboriculture
↓ 2★ 5.0 14 reviews Top5 Score 1345★ 14Greenscene Arboriculture removes large trees, including macrocarpas, camphor, and palms, and takes care of the surrounding logistics too, from Kiwirail permit applications to coordinating with Unison Power on their clients' behalf. Sites are left fully cleared, with branches chipped, logs disposed of, and remaining plants protected during the work.
location_on 1041 Links Road, Waiohiki
About this ranking
What the 10 tree services listed above hold, at the 30 September 2026 check.
We first assessed tree services in Napier and Hastings in July 2026 and have rechecked the ranking twice since. Two different businesses have held first place; Tree Monkey has held it since September 2026. EcoTree Care and Jordys Tree Care have been in the top 5 at every check. Across the 14 locations we assess tree services in, the 138 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 0.9% of their total.
What has changed since July 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. New first place: Tree Monkey. Team RPM entered the top 5 at #2. Topknot entered the top 5 at #5. AOC Tree Care left the top 5, down to #6. Essential Tree Care left the top 5, down to #7.
- Aug 2026
Tree Monkey entered the top 5, up from #7. Jim's Trees left the top 5, down to #6.
- Jul 2026
First check. Jordys Tree Care #1.
How are the top tree services in Napier and Hastings chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for tree services in Napier and Hastings. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for tree services in Napier and Hastings. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.