The Short Answer
On our estimates, trimming a typical garden hedge costs about £100 to £300 with the cuttings taken away. Tall hedges that need platforms or ladders are £250 to £650. Removing a hedge, roots and all, is £150 to £400 for a short one and £400 to £1,000 for a long or mature one.
Check for nests before anyone cuts: damaging or destroying an active wild bird's nest is an offence, and the RHS says the nesting season usually runs from March to August, sometimes longer. Most informal hedges need one trim a year; formal ones one to three.
Hedge cutting prices
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Trim a typical garden hedge, cuttings removed | £100 to £300 |
| Trim a tall hedge (ladders or platforms) | £250 to £650 |
| Remove a short hedge, with roots | £150 to £400 |
| Remove a long or mature hedge, with roots | £400 to £1,000 |
| Gardener by the hour, for small hedges | £18 to £45 |
When to cut
The RHS says informal hedges are usually trimmed once a year and formal hedges once, twice or three times, at times that suit the plant (holly, for example, once in late summer; privet and box two or three times in the growing season). Conifers trimmed after August can develop bare patches.
Most hedges can be cut back hard and will regrow from old wood. Most conifers won't (yew is the exception), so the RHS suggests replacing an overgrown conifer hedge rather than trying to cut it back.
Nesting birds and high hedges
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it's an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of a wild bird while it's in use or being built. Check before you cut, and leave nests alone.
Related jobs
Trees in the hedge line may be protected: see tree surgery. For regular upkeep, see gardener costs.
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Hedge work is priced by length, height and taking the cuttings away.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does hedge trimming cost?
On our estimates, about £100 to £300 for a typical garden hedge with the cuttings removed, or £250 to £650 for a tall hedge.
How much does it cost to remove a hedge?
About £150 to £400 for a short hedge and £400 to £1,000 for a long or mature one, roots included, on our estimates.
When can you cut hedges?
Whenever there are no active nests. The RHS says the nesting season usually runs from March to August, so check carefully then; trim conifers before the end of August.
Can an overgrown hedge be cut back hard?
Most can, and regrow from old wood. Most conifers can't (yew is the exception), so an overgrown conifer hedge is usually better replaced.
What can I do about a neighbour's high hedge?
If it's a line of mostly evergreen trees or shrubs over 2m tall blocking light or access, and you can't agree, you can complain to the council, which may charge a fee.
How we priced thisView sources (3, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialWildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1: protection of wild birds, their nests and eggs, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialHigh hedges: complaining to the council, GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryPruning hedges, Royal Horticultural Society. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
