Best Tree Services in Wellington
We assessed 29 tree services in Wellington and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 879 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 Wellington
The top 5 tree services in Wellington are #1 Armes Tree Solutions, #2 Triple A Tree Care, #3 PTV TreeCare, #4 Totally Stumped, and #5 Urban Tree Services, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
Armes Tree Solutions
★ 4.9 155 reviews +4 Top5 Score 170 +35★ 149 4★ 5 1★ 1Armes Tree Solutions removes storm-damaged trees, grinds stumps, and trims and shapes living trees, with multiple reviewers noting same-day or next-day response even during active weather events. Their arborist reports have helped clients get insurance claims fully paid out, and Steve has visited properties after hours at no charge to stabilise trees and cut branches until the crew can arrive.
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2
Triple A Tree care
★ 5.0 122 reviews +2 Top5 Score 166 -15★ 120 4★ 1 1★ 1Triple A Tree Care covers tree removal, stump grinding, trimming and shaping, and ivy clearance, with Tony coordinating quotes quickly and crews often completing work within 24 hours of assessment. Clients who call them back year after year point to the team checking in throughout the job to confirm the work matches what was agreed, and adjusting the final price when a job comes in under scope.
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3
PTV TreeCare
★ 5.0 114 reviews Top5 Score 1645★ 113 4★ 1PTV TreeCare trims fruit trees and hedges, clears gorse and dead stumps, and takes down trees on steep or storm-affected sites, including work around live power and fibre cables. Tee mulches branches on-site and spreads the material through the garden before leaving, and quote-to-completion turnarounds of one to two days come up repeatedly across different jobs.
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4
Totally Stumped
★ 5.0 125 reviews Top5 Score 1635★ 125Totally Stumped grinds out tree stumps, including large root networks, palm stumps, and stumps in tight spots against fences, with Steve grinding well below ground level where other contractors quoted only surface removal. Quote visits often happen the same day as the first call, and the work itself frequently follows within 24 to 48 hours, leaving sites tidy on completion.
location_on 227c Whitemans Valley Road, Whitemans Valley, Upper Hutt
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5
Urban Tree Services
↓ 2★ 4.9 79 reviews Top5 Score 156 -15★ 77 4★ 1 2★ 1Urban Tree Services takes down large and hazardous trees, trims and shapes established trees, and grinds stumps, completing jobs on difficult or storm-affected sites that require careful coordination. Crews work through wet weather without pushing jobs back, and Josh and team communicate clearly about what was done and what follow-up work, if any, would be worthwhile.
Before you hire a tree service in Wellington
Drawn from 315 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 from around $500, while large or complex removals can exceed $5,000. Stump grinding is almost always quoted separately, adding $150 to $500 per stump depending on size and access.
Pruning a single residential tree commonly falls between $200 and $1,500, with multiple trees or difficult access pushing costs higher. What drives the price most is tree height, proximity to structures or power lines, site access for machinery, and whether debris removal and disposal are included.
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 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 have demonstrated competency through qualifications such as the NZ Certificate in Arboriculture at Level 3 or Level 4.
Any reputable operator will carry public liability insurance, with a minimum of $1 million cover being the industry norm, and you should ask for written proof before work starts. For tree work near powerlines, the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 impose additional requirements, 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
Many trees in Wellington and across New Zealand are protected under local District Plan rules or notable tree schedules, and removing them without resource consent can result in fines and a council-mandated replanting requirement under the Resource Management Act 1991. Before touching any large or mature tree, check your council's GIS maps or District Plan schedules to confirm whether it has protected status. Resource consent processing fees alone can run from $500 to $3,000 or more, and even if consent is granted, the removal must be carried out by a qualified arborist, ideally one holding New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZAA) membership or the NZ Certificate in Arboriculture.
What are the warning signs of a tree service you shouldn't hire? expand_more
- –No-shows or repeated rescheduling without proactive communication are a clear sign of poor reliability, as one Wellington reviewer experienced three missed appointments before giving up.
- –A quote with no itemised breakdown makes it impossible to compare costs or split work between households or properties, and operators who refuse to itemise on request are worth avoiding.
- –Leaving large stumps protruding from the ground after a removal job, without prior agreement, suggests the crew did not complete the scope of work.
- –Aggressive or dismissive behaviour when a client asks reasonable questions about pricing or scope is a red flag for how disputes will be handled if something goes wrong on site.
- –Road behaviour of a company's vehicles, including intimidating other drivers, reflects on the culture of the business and is worth factoring into your decision.
- –Operators who cannot produce proof of public liability insurance before work begins leave you personally exposed if a tree or branch causes damage to your property or a neighbour's.
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 that on-site workers are also covered, not just the business owner.
- –Check whether cleanup, debris removal, chipping, and disposal are included in the quote or priced separately, as some operators leave timber and mulch on site unless you specify otherwise.
- –If stump grinding is part of the job, ask whether they check for underground services such as water pipes, cables, or drainage lines before grinding begins.
- –Ask whether the tree requires council resource consent before removal, since a qualified arborist should flag this at the quote stage, not after work has started.
- –Request an itemised quote that lists each task separately, particularly if the work spans multiple areas or involves trees that affect neighbouring properties.
- –Ask what their process is if the job turns out to be more complex than quoted, including whether they will discuss scope changes with you before proceeding and whether additional costs require your approval.
Also recommended tree services in Wellington
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Wellington Arborists Limited
★ 5.0 43 reviews Top5 Score 155 +25★ 43Wellington Arborists prunes trees, fells and removes large specimens including pine and gum trees, grinds stumps, and shapes overgrown hedges, with Dan keeping clients updated from quote through to completion using texts, photos, and real-time tracking links. Crews mulch on-site and spread or remove the material before they leave, and reviewers repeatedly single out how immaculate the site is once the job is done.
location_on Mataiwhetu Street, Takapūwāhia, Porirua
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7
Leaves & Trees Ltd
↓ 3★ 4.9 62 reviews Top5 Score 1535★ 60 3★ 2Leaves & Trees handles tree reduction, full removal, stump poisoning, and pruning of fruit and ornamental trees, with multiple clients returning across several years for ongoing maintenance. Michael and the crew cut timber into rings ready for firewood splitting and pick up fallen debris as they go, leaving sites cleaner than they found them.
location_on 30 Pasadena Crescent, Tōtara Park, Upper Hutt
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8
Beaver Tree Service
↓ 3★ 4.9 70 reviews Top5 Score 1535★ 67 4★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 1Beaver Tree Service fells large and challenging trees, prunes and thins established natives and ornamentals, and advises on damaged or diseased specimens. Their arborists take clear care over final aesthetics on pruning and crown work, and the whole process from quoting through to clean-up is coordinated so clients with tight schedules can plan around the crew's arrival.
location_on 310 Waiwhetu Road, Fairfield, Lower Hutt
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9
Reid's Trees Ltd
↓ 1★ 5.0 50 reviews Top5 Score 153 +25★ 48 4★ 2Reid's Trees prunes and shapes pohutukawa, ngaio, and ornamental trees, removes diseased specimens, and advises on which trees benefit from intervention and which should be left alone. Reid visits in person before quoting, sends a detailed written quote the same day, and crews mulch all branches on-site and take them away, leaving properties spotless.
location_on Mansfield Street, Newtown, Wellington
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10
Precise Tree Care
★ 4.9 59 reviews Top5 Score 1515★ 55 4★ 4Precise Tree Care fells and removes trees including those near power lines and houses, prunes and thins ornamental and fruit trees, and clears undergrowth on steep sections. Drew quotes quickly in person and crews complete work on the agreed date, cutting waste into manageable pieces and clearing every branch and leaf before they leave.
About this ranking
What the 10 tree services listed above hold, at the 30 September 2026 check.
We first assessed tree services in Wellington in March 2026 and have rechecked the ranking four times since. Two different businesses have held first place; Armes Tree Solutions has held it since August 2026. Armes Tree Solutions, Triple A Tree Care and Urban Tree Services 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 March 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. PTV TreeCare returned to the top 5 at #3. Totally Stumped entered the top 5 at #4. Leaves & Trees left the top 5, down to #7. Beaver Tree Service left the top 5, down to #8. Precise Tree Care entered the list at #10.
- Aug 2026
Armes Tree Solutions returned to first place. Beaver Tree Service returned to the top 5, up from #6.
- Jul 2026
- May 2026
Scoring method updated. New first place: Triple A Tree Care. Leaves & Trees entered the top 5, up from #6. Beaver Tree Service left the top 5, down to #7.
- Mar 2026
First check. Armes Tree Solutions #1.
How are the top tree services in Wellington chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for tree services in Wellington. 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 Wellington. 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.