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Best Tree Services in Palmerston North

We assessed 9 tree services in Palmerston North and ranked the top 5 on their public review record: rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The 9 listed below hold 314 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 3 September 2026. How we rank →

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Before you hire

Tree removal and large-scale pruning is hazardous work. 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 Palmerston North

The top 5 tree services in Palmerston North are #1 Stumped Services, #2 Clinton's Garden & Tree, #3 All-Tree Services, #4 Tamed Property Care, and #5 O'Leary Tree Services, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.

  • 1

    Stumped Services

    ★ 5.0 74 reviews Top5 Score 156
    5★ 74

    Stumped Services takes on tree removal, pruning, stump grinding, and emergency callouts, including situations where a tree is actively threatening a structure or power line. Hamish and climbers like Lachlan coordinate safely around hazards, complete the work, and leave the section clean enough that neighbours would barely know they had been there.

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  • 2

    Clinton's Garden & Tree Services Ltd

    ★ 5.0 57 reviews Top5 Score 152
    5★ 55 4★ 2

    Clinton's Garden & Tree removes trees, prunes fruit trees, trims hedges, and clears overgrown sections, taking on both one-off cleanups and repeat visits across the same property. Clinton walks through the job list with clients as he works, checks items off, and removes all green waste on the day, so the site is tidy before he leaves.

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  • 3

    All-Tree Services(2010)Ltd

    ★ 4.9 48 reviews Top5 Score 148
    5★ 45 4★ 1 3★ 1 1★ 1

    All-Tree Services carries out tree removal, stump grinding, pruning, hedge trimming, and crown lifting, including jobs with difficult positioning such as stumps behind sheds or trees close to structures. Simon and the wider crew arrive with the full equipment spread, from small tools through to diggers and large chippers, and leave sites clean enough that no trace of the work remains.

    location_on 42 Roxburgh Crescent, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North

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  • 4

    TAMED PROPERTY CARE LIMITED

    ★ 4.9 39 reviews Top5 Score 145
    5★ 38 1★ 1

    Tamed Property Care covers tree topping, hedge trimming, and shrub pruning, including steep or challenging terrain that catches other operators out. Tommi and the team leave sites tidy after every visit, with cuttings cleared and the property looking finished rather than merely cut back.

    location_on 44 Innerwell Lane, Ashhurst

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  • 5

    O'Leary Tree Services

    ★ 5.0 23 reviews Top5 Score 140
    5★ 22 4★ 1

    O'Leary Tree Services fells and chips large trees, removes stumps, prunes overgrown trees, and trims branches close to structures, taking on multiple trees across one or more properties in a single visit. Craig and the crew confirm with clients throughout the job that the work matches what was agreed, and both sites and pricing draw repeated mention from people who came back for a second or third job.

    location_on 78 River Road, Ashhurst

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Before you hire a tree service in Palmerston North

Drawn from 145 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 removals in New Zealand start around $500, while large or complex jobs can exceed $5,000. Stump grinding is quoted separately and runs $150 to $500 per stump. Crown pruning for a single residential tree often falls between $200 and $1,500 depending on size and access. What drives cost up most is proximity to structures, difficult access, and whether disposal of green waste is included.

What qualifications and insurance should a tree service have? expand_more

There is no mandatory government licence to operate as an arborist in New Zealand, so you need to check credentials yourself before hiring anyone. The main professional body is the New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZAA), which maintains a public register of members who hold recognised qualifications such as the NZ Certificate in Arboriculture. Any reputable operator should carry public liability insurance of at least $1 million, and you should ask for written proof before work starts, especially for jobs near your house or boundary. For work near powerlines, additional requirements apply under the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003, and only suitably qualified persons are permitted to carry out or supervise that work.

Do I need council consent to remove a tree on my property? expand_more

Check your local council's District Plan or GIS maps before removing any large tree, because many trees in New Zealand are protected and removing them without consent can result in significant fines under the Resource Management Act 1991. Resource consent applications for protected or notable trees can cost $500 to $3,000 or more in council processing fees alone, and councils can decline the application or require replanting as a condition. One local review described emergency storm work where the arborist clearly explained what needed to happen before work could proceed, which reflects the importance of knowing regulatory boundaries before a chainsaw starts.

What are the warning signs of a tree service you shouldn't hire? expand_more
  • –No written quote provided before work begins, leaving you exposed to invoices far above what was discussed, as one reviewer reported receiving a bill five times the quoted amount.
  • –Carrying out extra work without getting your approval first, which one negative review described explicitly as the reason they would not return.
  • –Entering your property without consent before work is agreed or scheduled.
  • –Poor or absent communication, including not answering calls for hours or failing to show up for quoted appointments without any contact.
  • –No evidence of public liability insurance when you ask for it directly.
  • –Leaving debris, green waste, or cut logs on site without prior agreement on what gets removed.
What should you ask before hiring a tree service? expand_more
  • –Ask for written proof of public liability insurance before any work starts, and confirm workers are also covered in case of injury on your property.
  • –Confirm whether cleanup and green waste disposal are included in the quote price, or priced separately.
  • –Ask whether stump grinding will require checking for underground services such as pipes or cables before the grinder goes in.
  • –Check whether any tree on your property has protected status under your council's District Plan, and ask if the contractor can advise on whether resource consent is needed.
  • –Ask what their process is if the job turns out to be more complex than initially quoted, and get that process confirmed in writing.
  • –If work is near powerlines or structures, ask specifically about their qualifications for that type of work and whether additional coordination with other parties is required.

Tree Services ranked 6 to 9 in Palmerston North

They scored below the top 5 on the same public review record.

  • 6

    Guardian Tree & Landscape Services

    ★ 4.7 46 reviews Top5 Score 140
    5★ 41 4★ 2 1★ 3

    Guardian Tree & Landscape Services handles large tree removal, stump grinding, pruning of fruit trees and ornamental trees, and hedge trimming, with repeat clients across spans of six to over twenty years pointing to consistent results job after job. Jonas provides written quotes on the spot during the site visit, and the crew keeps clients informed throughout the work, from the first cut through to final cleanup.

    location_on 422a Railway Road, Milson, Palmerston North

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  • 7

    WilliamWill

    ★ 4.7 16 reviews Top5 Score 128
    5★ 14 4★ 1 1★ 1

    WilliamWill gets overgrown hedges, trees, and bamboo back under control, checking in with clients during the job to make sure the result matches what they had in mind. Jayden calls before changing direction on a job rather than making decisions on the fly, which matters when a tree requires a different approach mid-way through.

    location_on Tremaine ave, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North

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  • 8

    LP Contracting

    ★ 5.0 5 reviews Top5 Score 121
    5★ 5

    We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.

    location_on Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North

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  • 9

    DL Tree Specialist LTD

    ★ 4.3 6 reviews Top5 Score 118
    5★ 4 4★ 1 2★ 1

    We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.

    location_on 105 Pohangina Road, Ashhurst

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About this ranking

How are the top tree services in Palmerston North chosen? expand_more

We build this page from Google Maps results for tree services in Palmerston North. 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. See how we rank for the full method.

How often are rankings updated? expand_more

Every category and city is recrawled on a rolling cycle, about every two months. This page was last checked on 3 September 2026.

Can a business pay to appear in this list? expand_more

No. Top 5 and Also Recommended positions are merit-only and cannot be purchased. Verifying a business is free. A subscription adds a website link on the card, a public profile page, and competitor and ranking history in the owner's dashboard, none of which affects ranking position. 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 Palmerston North. 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. At the last update, the smallest review count among the 9 businesses listed here was 5. Check where you rank or read how rankings work.