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Hedge work is one of the easier things to quote accurately from a photograph and two measurements, which is why this page can be more specific than most about what actually drives the number.
The Three Things That Set the Price
Length
The obvious one, and the easiest to give us. A rough pace count is fine — nobody needs it to the centimetre.
Height
This matters more than length, because it changes the method:
- Up to about shoulder height — cut from the ground with a hand trimmer. Quick
- Up to roughly three metres — long-reach trimmers from the ground, or step ladders. Slower, and the top has to be checked for level from a distance rather than seen
- Above that — proper access equipment, or climbing. A different kind of job with a different cost base
The step between the second and third of those is the single biggest jump in the price of hedge work, and it is worth knowing about if your hedge is hovering near it.
How long since the last cut
Annual growth is soft, cuts easily, and produces light clippings. Three or four years of growth is woody, needs saws, and produces several times the volume of material to remove. The difference between a maintenance cut and a catch-up cut on the same hedge can be a factor of three or four.
The Things That Add to It
- Both sides or one. A hedge accessible from both sides is straightforward. One where the far side is a neighbour's garden, a field or a ditch is not
- What is at the base. Cutting over a border full of planting is slower than cutting over lawn, because the clippings have to be collected out of it by hand
- Roadside hedges, where pedestrians or traffic have to be managed
- Waste volume. On a maintenance cut this is trivial. On a hard reduction it can be the largest part of the job
- Species. Laurel and holly are slower than privet. Conifer clippings are bulky
What Reduces It
- Regular cutting. The cheapest hedge to maintain is one that has never been allowed to get away
- Combining jobs. Much of the cost of any visit is turning up with a team and a vehicle. Hedge plus a stump plus some tree work in one visit is materially cheaper than three visits
- Keeping the clippings. If you have space for a compost heap or a pile in a corner, that removes the disposal element
- Being flexible on the date. Work that can be fitted around other jobs in the same area is easier to price keenly
If you are comparing quotations, check they agree on three things: whether the top is included, whether both sides are included, and whether the clippings are being taken away. Those three account for most of the difference between two prices for the same hedge.
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Ask Us About Your Own Garden
A rough length in metres, an approximate height and a photograph are enough for an accurate figure on almost any hedge.
Tell us what needs doing across Hertfordshire and we will quote for the work. Call 07388 094829, message us on WhatsApp or use the form below.