Elsternwick Tree Removal & Pruning
Tree and palm removal and expert pruning in Elsternwick by a qualified, insured arborist — free quotes, 7 days a week.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Tree removal and pruning in Elsternwick, done properly
There are two kinds of tree job in Elsternwick: the one you have been putting off for years, and the one that arrived with last night’s wind. Aps Tree Removal does both — planned removals and reductions quoted and booked at your convenience, and storm work made safe the same day where we can. Qualified arborist, fully insured.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Ripponlea (about a kilometre), Gardenvale (about a kilometre), Balaclava (2 km), so a job in Elsternwick is often paired with one next door.
Palms are their own job. They are heavy for their size, the fronds and seed pods are a mess, and the trunk fibre blunts saws. We take them down in short sections with the rigging set up so nothing lands where it should not, and we take the trunk away rather than leaving you with something that will not burn and will not rot.
A removal starts with a look at the tree, the access and what is underneath it. Api decides whether it can be felled in one piece — rare in a suburb like Elsternwick — or needs to come down in sections. A climber goes up, the limbs come off and are lowered on ropes where anything sits below, the trunk is blocked down, and the whole lot goes through the chipper on the street. The stump can be ground out the same day.
Tree Removal & Pruning in Elsternwick — what we do
Hazardous tree removal
Dead, leaning, split or storm-damaged trees taken down in sections.
Palm removal
Cocos, cotton and date palms removed trunk and all.
Hazard & clearance pruning
Deadwood out, canopy lifted off roofs, lines and boundaries.
Crown thinning & shaping
Wind through the canopy, light into the garden, the tree kept.
A tip from Api
If you are thinking about removing a healthy tree because it is messy or shading the garden, ask about a reduction or a canopy lift first. It is often cheaper, it keeps the value and shade a mature tree adds to a Elsternwick property, and it avoids the permit question entirely for many trees.
The full service pages: Tree & Palm Removal and Tree Pruning — every one available in Elsternwick.
Guides from Api: Hedge trimming contracts: what a regular hedge maintenance plan covers in Melbourne · Local tree removal companies in Melbourne: what a good one actually does
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Elsternwick?
The rule that applies to a tree in a Elsternwick garden is the Canopy Tree Protection Local Law — here is what it says.
Glen Eira runs both systems and says which wins: where a tree meets the test under the planning scheme and the local law, the planning scheme prevails and only one application is made. Under the Canopy Tree Protection Local Law a permit is required to prune, remove or undertake works within the Tree Protection Zone of a canopy tree on private land — the council’s definition lists a palm taller than 8 m, a tree taller than 5 m, a trunk circumference of 140 cm or more measured 140 cm up the trunk (single or combined), or a stump of 140 cm at ground level — and of any tree on the Classified Tree Register.
Two exemptions matter: minor pruning once a year of no more than 10 per cent of the canopy with branches under 10 cm around, and removing or pruning to make a hazard safe, for which the council recommends an arborist’s statement and photos.
A planning permit under the state canopy-tree clause is not needed to prune up to a third of the foliage, and the council will confirm what applies through its online request; planning and building on 9524 3333.
Source: Glen Eira City Council — trees on private property, 9524 3333. Read 13 September 2026; councils change their local laws, so Api checks the current rule when he quotes.
Across Victoria since 15 September 2025
Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees
A canopy tree is a tree more than 5 m tall, with a trunk circumference over 0.5 m at 1.4 m above the ground and a canopy at least 4 m across. In a residential zone a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary.
Dead trees, emergency and safety works, maintenance pruning and listed weed species are exempt; councils usually condition a permit on planting a replacement canopy tree, and most decide these through VicSmart in about ten business days.
What this means for you: tell Api where the tree sits on the block and he will tell you whether a permit is needed before anything is cut — and where one is, we can prepare the arborist assessment the application needs.
Tree removal jobs by Api and the crew
Real jobs, real photos — Api, the crew and the truck, across Melbourne’s inner south-east. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
Tree removal around Elsternwick
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Elsternwick
Tree services made easy
At Aps Tree Removal, we simplify the tree and hedge removal experience with a clear, step-by-step approach.
Contact us
Want to learn more? Call 0422 856 090 or send the form and speak with Api.
Get a quote
Getting a quote is quick, easy, and free.
On-site inspection
A quick, thorough site assessment — species, access and risks.
Professional removal
Clean and safe work, chipped and cleaned up — no mess, no hassle.
What clients across Melbourne’s inner south-east say
Pierre Macquet
26 Aug 2023
Excellent work nice and tidy relable
Amy
26 Aug 2023
I had some large trees at the front of my property that needed to be removed and also two small stumps . I contacted Ap’s tree removal on Wednesday an…
Ramesh
13 Aug 2023 · Werribee
I had 10 pine trees at my property which I planned to remove. I did a google search and found Aps Tree Removal. Api has quoted a very reasonable price…
Fiona Kennett
26 July 2023
Api was easy to deal with - prompt service - professional and good price - left the site clean and tidy - highly recommend
mckay sione
26 July 2023
Good honest workers, with quality outcome 👍 would definitely recommend to friends and family
Cam Rowe
26 July 2023
Api and his guys were great. Very happy with his service
Maria O'Leary
26 July 2023
Api and the team did a great job trimming my ginormous oak tree and other trees in my garden. They arrived on time, discussed with me what needed to b…
Fuyao Liu
26 July 2023
all jobs did very professional. Affordable price, good services. Hope this review can help other people needed .
Shane Gardiner
26 July 2023
Api and his team tackled a 20m high gum tree situated in very precarious position on my property and to watch the boys bring it down piece by piece wa…
Dion Eden
26 July 2023
I'm a freelance arborist and have contracted for Api several times, I haven't got one bad thing to say about the bloke. Api is as genuine and hard wor…
bert natural
26 July 2023
Got the job done! They arrived on time, trimmed the pine trees for a good hedge - looks neat, and tidied up after the job was done. Would recommend th…
Dean Crupi
26 July 2023
great work, back yard looks amazing and left the yard nice and clean . will use again A+++
Elsternwick Tree Removal & Pruning — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Elsternwick?
Yes, in most cases: Glen Eira’s Canopy Tree Protection Local Law requires a permit to prune, remove or work near a canopy tree — the council lists palms over 8 m, trees over 5 m, trunks (or combined trunks) of 140 cm circumference at 1.4 m, and stumps of 140 cm at ground level — and any classified tree. Minor pruning of up to 10 per cent once a year, and making a storm hazard safe, are exempt. Where the state canopy-tree clause also applies, the planning permit is the one you need. Across Victoria, Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees also applies since 15 September 2025: a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary. Api checks both at the quote.
How much does tree removal cost in Elsternwick?
It depends on the size of the tree, how close it is to buildings, fences and lines, the access for the chipper, and whether you want the stump ground and the timber taken away. A small tree in an open Elsternwick yard is a very different job from a 20 m gum over a house. Api quotes every job in person, free, and the price he gives is the price you pay.
How long does it take?
A morning for most trees, a full day for the big ones. We do not leave a job half-done overnight.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes — we do it every week in Elsternwick. Rigging, hand-carrying and a compact chipper on the street cover almost every side path in the area.
What happens to the waste?
Everything goes through our chipper on site. You can keep the mulch for the garden — it is good mulch — or we take it, along with the logs, and it goes to a green-waste recycler.
Can you save the tree instead of removing it?
Frequently. Most “this tree has to go” calls end with a prune, because the real problem was a limb over the roof or a canopy blocking light. A structurally sound tree is worth keeping, and Api says so when it is.