Service
Crown reduction & shaping
A good reduction is invisible from the street six months later. The tree looks lighter, lets in more light, and carries on growing as if nothing happened. Bad reductions — the kind you see all over Auckland — leave a tree disfigured for the rest of its life.
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What it is
Crown reduction is the careful shortening of a tree's outer canopy back to suitable lateral branches — never to a stub. Done well, it reduces weight and wind-sail, restores light, and respects the tree's natural architecture. We follow AS 4373, never remove more than 20% of live canopy in a season, and treat every cut as a wound that has to heal. Topping, lopping and over-thinning all shorten a tree's life and we don't do them, no matter who's asking.
When you'd need it
Heavy limbs are growing over a roof, deck or driveway and the load needs to come off
A north-facing room has lost its light and you want it back without losing the tree
An exposed pohutukawa or oak is catching too much wind and you're worried about storms
A tree was previously topped or badly pruned and needs careful restoration over several seasons
Our approach
A five-step process, every time.
- 01
Free site visit, with a qualified arborist walking you through what's possible.
- 02
Species and condition assessment — the right cuts depend on the tree, not a template.
- 03
Fixed-price written quote, with a clear note on how much canopy will be removed.
- 04
AS 4373 compliant pruning to natural growth points, climbed not spiked.
- 05
Cleanup, mulching of brash, and a final walkover so you can see exactly what came off.
What's included in the price
- Site visit and species assessment
- Fixed-price written quote
- Climbing access — no spikes on living trees
- AS 4373 compliant pruning cuts
- Lawn protection mats
- Garden boards against beds and fences
- Full ground crew and signaller as needed
- All brash chipped on site
- Mulch returned to your garden if you want it
- Clean sweep of paths and lawn
- Final walkover with you
What you don't pay extra for
- Standard cleanup
- Mulch left on site
- Lawn and garden protection
- Photos of the work for your records
FAQ
The questions we hear most.
Recent example
Liquidambar reduction over a north-facing kitchen, Epsom
A mature liquidambar had grown to overshadow the back half of a 1930s bungalow, dropping the kitchen into permanent shade by mid-afternoon. We took the height down by around three metres and lifted the lower canopy, working only to natural growth points. Six months on, the tree's shape reads as natural and the kitchen is back in the sun by lunch.
Ready to talk it through?
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