What is the difference between a tree surgeon and an arborist?
Put simply, a Tree Surgeon is a person who works on trees. The key difference with an arborist is the level of qualification and certification. The International Society of Arboriculture provides testing that gives the individual the distinction of being called a Certified Arborist. A tree surgeon needs to maintain their educational credits every year in order to remain a Certified Arborist.

At A. Bird Trees and Gardens Ltd, our surgeons are both qualified and experienced to ensure you receive the best service possible.
Do you provide free quotes on all your tree care services?

Yes, all quotes are provided free of charge with no obligation from your local tree surgeon. They may also provide you with some useful tips!

How do you carry out quotes?

Quotes are booked at a suitable time for our customers. Alex will visit to take a look and discuss the works required and will give free advice whilst there. A written quotation will be provided in most cases on the same day, or on the following day by email or post as requested.

Which areas do you cover
The areas we serve, but are not exclusive to, include:
  • Whitstable
  • Herne Bay
  • Canterbury
  • Faversham
  • Thanet
  • Maidstone
  • Kent
Is my property in a conservation area?

If your property falls within a conservation area, planning permission will be required to carry out the work. If it falls under the category of hedging or dead, dying, dangerous or diseased this may be agreed sooner. We handle the entire process, at no additional cost, from submitting the application through to approval of the works. On average this process takes around 6 weeks, providing no objections are raised.

My tree has a TPO, what does that mean?

Trees that are protected by a tree preservation order (TPO) require planning permission. This process is different from planning permission in a conservation area and can take up to 12 weeks. If you are unsure if your tree has a TPO, we can advise you and also handle the full application and approval process at no additional cost.

How much do you charge?

All tree and garden work is priced on an individual basis depending on the size of the work, the number of operatives required on site and the equipment needed to carry out the work.

Who carries out the work?

All jobs are carried out with a minimum of two fully qualified and trained arborists, with Alex present at all jobs undertaken where possible. We always use A. Bird Ltd operatives unless a specialist subcontractor is required as part of the project (such as stump grinding). We will only use a local based firm that we have worked with for over 10 years.

What about waste?

We are fully licensed waste carriers. We aim to recycle all arisings and chip where possible in order to run our company as environmentally friendly as possible. If you would like to keep logs, we will cut these into manageable sizes for you to keep on site. If you would like to keep the wood chip, we can tip this where requested on site.

Are you insured?

We are fully insured and have £5 million public liability insurance. Please feel free to ask us for our insurance documents as we carry these with us. Should the job require method statements and risk assessments, these will be provided before starting the work.

How do I pay?

Payment can be made via debit or credit card, cheque or cash. We have a handheld terminal for card payments. Alternatively, we will send you an invoice via email or post and you can make payment when received by BACS transfer.

Terms and Conditions

THE EXPERTS IN TREE CARE

Tree surgeons in kent

Don’t just take our word for it – check out our reviews…

“The whole process was very good from the company putting through the planning application and being informed at all stages. The work was completed in a very professional way”

Over 450 Reviews 9.9/10

Trading Standards Approved

Areas We COver

WHITSTABLE, HERNE BAY, CANTERBURY, FAVERSHAM, THANET, MAIDSTONE, KENT