5 Best Arborists in Canberra for Tree Care Before the Next Storm
Ignoring a creaking gum branch over my driveway for two winters nearly cost me a new windscreen and a very awkward phone call to my insurer. Putting off tree care gets expensive fast when a windy afternoon turns a heavy bough into a backyard hazard.
Finding someone who shows up on time and quotes clearly before starting the chainsaw is harder than it sounds. To save you the legwork, I compared local providers across the capital and verified their credentials and safety accreditations.
Here are the best arborists in Canberra, from routine yard maintenance to urgent tree removal.
How much does an arborist cost in Canberra?
An arborist in Canberra typically costs $245 to $3,000 AUD for backyard pruning or removing a medium tree, while major clearing for new builds or hazardous gum removals costs more depending on height and site access.
| Option | Typical price (AUD) |
| Small tree removal (up to 6 to 8 m) | $500 to $1,200 |
| Medium tree removal (8 to 23 m) | $1,200 to $3,000 |
| Large or extra-large tree removal (23 to 50+ m) | $3,000 to $22,000+ |
| Tree pruning and trimming (standard residential) | $245 to $1,250 (up to $1,500+) |
| Official arborist reports | $450 to $610 |
| General health or site assessments | $100 to $600 |
| Stump grinding and removal | $100 to $900 (standard $245 to $420) |
| Emergency tree work | $150 to $400+ per hour |
| Hourly consultation and assessment | $80 to $150 per hour |
| Hourly active climbing or practical tree work | $100 to $180 per hour |
1. ACT Tree Felling
Website: acttree.com.au
Address: 56 Port Arthur Street, Lyons
Contact: Southside: 02 6281 2687 | Northside: 02 6162 2678 | Mobile: 0417 492 760 | Fax: 02 6281 6482
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Branches tangling with overhead wires will stress out any homeowner. ACT Tree Felling brings nearly 40 years of local tree surgery experience to that problem.
That long history covers everything from dead-wooding and cable bracing to formal tree management plans for commercial property owners.
What sets them apart is their high-level accreditation to work around live powerlines. Their crew clears branches near wires without cutting off your electricity.
If a shutdown is unavoidable, they coordinate the whole outage directly with Evo Energy so you don’t have to sit on hold.
But note that they’re completely closed on weekends, meaning you won’t get any service or support on Saturdays or Sundays.
Additionally, they rely mainly on traditional rope climbing rather than elevated work platforms, which can sometimes slow down jobs on particularly tricky tree canopies.
Customer Reviews
Highly recommended.
ACT Tree Felling completed a major prune of a big eucalypt on our front boundary and did a superb job. Their communication with us was prompt & informative and we greatly appreciated support with the approval process. On the big day, the whole team took great care to ensure surrounding shrubs & trees were protected and the area was left cleared & tidy. I had complete trust in the arborist & team. Highly recommended.
Kirsty Goodwin | Google Review
A very professional organisation.
A very professional organisation. Quoted with a clear description of what will be done, in this case major prune of a very large and old eucalypt. Then a team of friendly young men arrive on time, discuss what they will do, then do it very efficiently with no damage to property or surrounding garden . Highly recommended!
john davies | Google Review
2. Stump’d Tree Removal Canberra
Website: stumpdtreeservices.com
Address: 2 Gang-Gang Court, Ngunnawal
Contact: 0434 510 767
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Overgrown eucalypts and unruly hedges can quickly make a residential yard look neglected. Leon Ciura and the team at Stump’d Tree Services step in to clear out the mess, tackling heavy pruning and removals to get your property back in shape.
They’re also licensed to operate an elevated work platform (EWP), which lets them reach awkward outer limbs safely without spiking up the trunk.
When I spoke to a neighbour who booked them to clear a rotting stump and trim back a boundary hedge, he mentioned they chipped all the branches on-site into fresh garden mulch. That saved him a weekend trip to the tip.
On the downside, they don’t work Sundays. Their quotes also expire after 30 days, so you can’t sit on an estimate for months while comparing budgets.
Customer Reviews
Highly recommend the team at Stump’d for outstanding work
I called Leon for a difficult tree prune of a 25m yellow box surrounded by services and also over my roof. Leon displayed outstanding climbing skills in pruning this massive tree and he also had a big chipper to run all the branches through. Leon’s price was fantastic and I also received advice on how to care for my tomatoes. Highly recommend the team at Stump’d for outstanding work and horticulture advice.
Ben Bryce | Google Review
They carried out a fantastic job pruning a large Chinese Elm tree
Leon and his team were exceptionally professional. They carried out a fantastic job pruning a large Chinese Elm tree with branches extending over the roof. The work was completed with great care and expertise, ensuring no damage to the roof or the surrounding plants. I was also able to request the removal of a few additional branches, which they accommodated without any hesitation. After the job was finished, they thoroughly cleaned up all debris, leaving the garden and driveway spotless.
Lakshman Richards | Google Review
3. Arborista Trees
Website: arboristatrees.com.au
Areas Served: Canberra, Queanbeyan, Murrumbateman, Gundaroo, Sutton, Yass, Bywong, Carwoola, Bungendore and Tuggeranong
Contact: 0423 190 077
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM (24/7 emergency call-outs)
Wild weather rarely waits for business hours. Arborista Trees is open seven days a week with 24/7 emergency call-outs, which is a relief when a storm splits a heavy trunk.
Strata managers looking after apartment complexes can get a licensed crew out on a Sunday or late at night before a fallen limb blocks a shared driveway.
Beyond urgent storm work, their team brings over a decade of hands-on experience with local soil types and regional weather conditions.
Whether you’re a new property buyer needing full land clearing before construction or a homeowner after routine stump grinding and green waste recycling, they handle the lot and leave the site clean.
That said, their wide service area stretches out to Yass and Bungendore. Emergency call-outs during peak storm seasons can also bump routine bookings down the queue.
Customer Reviews
Thank you!
Ali & his team are great!
He is quick to reply & organised a visit to gauge what was needed prior to quoting us. He communicated every step of the way & the tree pruning was perfect.
Highly recommend, I’ll definitely keep using Ali’s service for all my tree related matters in the future. Thank you!
Helena B | Google Review
Would definitely continue to recommend Ali and his team.
This was our second time working with Ali, and the service continues to be excellent, well priced and timely. We were after some removal of big plant bushes, pruning of trees and Ali even provided advice on ongoing care for our existing trees/flowers. Would definitely continue to recommend Ali and his team.
Taara Hamer | Google Review
4. O’Briens Tree Services Canberra
Website: obrienstrees.com.au
Areas Served: Canberra, Murrumbateman, Queanbeyan and Yass
Contact: 0402 555 828
Hours: Available 24/7
Hacking indiscriminately at a tree can ruin its structure and leave it prone to splitting. O’Briens Tree Services focuses on proper pruning and canopy thinning rather than crude lopping.
This family-owned team has operated since 2006 and holds ActewAGL and Evo Energy accreditation to clear branches safely around live powerlines.
When I called them to ask how they handle felled timber on larger blocks, they explained they can split the wood for firewood or chip it into mulch right on the driveway. That suits property owners clearing land or thinning heavy canopies.
Just be aware that they only have four tree surgeons on staff, and domestic homeowners often compete with commercial clients for booking slots.
Customer Reviews
I would highly recommend them.
I recently used O’Brien’s Tree Services to prune a large tree in my front garden. They responded quickly to my request for a quote and gave very good advice about tree pruning in general and how they would go about the specific job. On the day, they were efficient and professional. Their arborists understand the complexities of tree pruning and care about their work. I would highly recommend them.
Prue Power | Google Review
I’ll be using them again for sure!
I highly recommend Brett and the team from OBrien’s Tree Services. They were asked to work on a 15 metres tall regulated tree in my backyard, clearing power lines as demanded by Evoenergy and trimming for tree health, in accordance with prevailing legislation. They did the job professionally, arriving punctually, working efficiently tackling the high and less accessible branches, clearing up thoroughly, and responding to questions asked – all at a most reasonable price.
I’ll be using them again for sure!
Cora Groenewegen | Google Review
5. Canopy The Tree Experts
Website: canopygroup.com.au
Areas Served: Canberra, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Yass
Contact: 02 6161 1800
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (emergency tree response available 24/7)
Guessing whether an old tree is hollow inside is a gamble no property manager wants to take. Canopy The Tree Experts removes the guesswork with nearly 40 years of local experience.
They know ACT council requirements and native species inside out, and they handle everything from residential pruning to large-scale site clearing for civil contractors and commercial property owners.
Instead of relying on a visual check from the ground, they use advanced 2D and 3D sonic tomography to scan inside the trunk.
That diagnostic tech shows you the exact internal decay before you pay thousands to remove a healthy tree or leave a dangerous one standing near a building.
However, their regular office hours are restricted to weekdays between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, so arranging routine site visits takes some weekday juggling unless it’s an emergency.
Customer Reviews
The pruning was done sensitively so the shape remaining looks good.
Everyone was careful in their work so that nothing was damaged, despite some tricky access issues in places. The pruning was done sensitively so the shape remaining looks good. Canopy does not just hack off branches and call it done! And the clean-up at the end of the job was absolutely first class: they left the place looking tidier than it was when they arrived.
Eleanor Kay | Google Review
The team did an excellent job removing hanging branches and pruning other fragile ones
We had difficulties with getting permission from ACT authorities regarding removing or pruning a liquidambar tree in our backyard. Bruno helped us navigate these problems and the team did an excellent job removing hanging branches and pruning other fragile ones to make the backyard a safer place.
Paul Meyer | Google Review