Spotswood Tree Removal & Pruning
Tree and palm removal and expert pruning in Spotswood by a qualified, insured arborist — free quotes, 7 days a week.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Tree removal and pruning in Spotswood, done properly
Spotswood homeowners call Aps Tree Removal for three things: a tree that has to go, a tree that needs a proper prune to stay safe, and a palm nobody else wants to touch. We do all three, in Spotswood and the neighbouring suburbs of Yarraville, Newport and Kingsville, with a qualified arborist on every job and a clean-up that leaves the yard tidier than we found it.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Yarraville (about a kilometre), Newport (2 km), Kingsville (2 km), so a job in Spotswood is often paired with one next door. 6 of the reviews on this site are from customers in Yarraville, Newport and Kingsville, next door to Spotswood.
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 Spotswood — 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.
Pruning is about the right cut, not the most cuts. We remove deadwood and hazard limbs, lift the canopy off roofs, sheds and driveways, thin a dense crown so wind moves through it instead of pushing on it, and clear power-line and neighbour boundaries. Trees pruned properly stay healthy and need less attention; trees hacked back sprout weak regrowth and become a bigger problem in Spotswood gardens within a couple of seasons.
Tree Removal & Pruning in Spotswood — 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 the tree is on or near the boundary, sort out with the neighbour whose it is before you book. We are happy to quote both sides of a fence in Spotswood, but we cut only with the owner’s say-so.
The full service pages: Tree & Palm Removal and Tree Pruning — every one available in Spotswood.
Guides from Api: Professional tree removal vs tree lopping: why the method matters in Melbourne
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Spotswood?
Before anything is cut in Spotswood, the permit question comes first, and the answer depends on Hobsons Bay City Council.
Hobsons Bay protects trees on private land two ways. Under the Community Local Law 2025 a permit is required to remove, damage or interfere with a “significant tree” — a tree or palm with a trunk circumference of 110 cm or more measured 1.5 m above the ground, a multi-stemmed tree whose exterior stems add up to 110 cm, or a stump of that size — including one that overhangs from next door.
The application goes through the council’s permit portal; the fee is $137 (half for concession-card holders), the owner has to be the applicant, and the council asks for 15 business days. A permit is also needed to touch any tree on council land, including the nature strip.
The state canopy-tree clause applies on top, so a smaller tree near the front or rear boundary can need a planning permit even when it is under the local-law size.
Source: Hobsons Bay City Council — trees on private property, 1300 179 944. 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 bayside west. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What customers near Spotswood say
Thurid J
Newport · July 2022
Good communication, great job. Left place very tidy.
Mark V
Seddon · Dec 2020
I would recommend this business because they were friendly, professional, communicated well, and were punctual and tidy. The work was of an excellent standard.
Katrina B
Port Melbourne · May 2020
Arrived on time, got the job done quickly and cleaned away all the mess.
Tree removal around Spotswood
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Spotswood
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 bayside west say
Joseph Faltas
26 June 2023
APi is a great guy , honest and knowledgeable
Cathy Palio
26 June 2023
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I can’t speak highly enough of Api and his team from APS tree removal. It was a huge job and they tackled it with ease and a smile…
Ann Davies
26 June 2023
Prompt and efficient service - courteous and helpful - a pleasure to have them on the job - would definitely recommend them to friends
Ann D
21 June 2023 · Malvern East
Most efficient and prompt - very friendly and will use them again
Jason M
18 May 2023 · Taylors Hill
Api and the team were very professional and did a thorough job including immaculate clean up. Highly recommend due to exceptional service. Their price…
Travis
28 Mar 2023 · Werribee
Professional courteous on time and service to the next level completed everything cleaned up and have no hesitation in recommending there service than…
Jennifer D
14 Mar 2023 · Sunbury
Api was a force of nature, the team felled 15 very large pine trees in 2 days and removed stumps. They cleaned up the site, left the wood in neat pile…
Heath
1 Mar 2023 · Point Cook
They did an awesome job, the trees look great, they did pruning and removed 2 others. Cleaned you after themselves. super happy. Thanks guys
Loryn
13 Feb 2023 · Wyndham Vale
Awesome service! Super efficient, neat and tidy. All the team were respectful and pleasant to deal with. Job done to a high standard, will definately…
Belinda
11 Jan 2023 · Niddrie
Very prompt and efficient
David A
31 Dec 2022 · Werribee
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Mark
30 Dec 2022 · Altona Meadows
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Spotswood Tree Removal & Pruning — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Spotswood?
Yes, if the trunk measures 110 cm around or more at 1.5 m above the ground (single trunk, or the stems of a multi-trunk tree added together): Hobsons Bay calls that a significant tree and requires a local-law permit ($137, about 15 business days). Smaller trees still fall under the state canopy-tree clause if they sit near a boundary. 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 Spotswood?
Removal is priced on the work involved — climbing versus felling, how much has to be roped down, chipper access and stump grinding — not on the suburb. The quote is free, written, and covers the clean-up.
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. If a person can get to it, we can take it down in pieces small enough to carry out. Access affects the time and the quote, not whether it can be done.
What happens to the waste?
All of it — branches through the chipper, trunk in rounds on the truck, the yard raked and blown. If you want mulch or firewood, tell Api and we stack it where you like.
Can you save the tree instead of removing it?
If the tree is structurally sound, usually. A reduction takes weight and height off; thinning lets wind through; a lift gets it off the house. If it is decayed at the base or split, removal is the honest answer, and Api will say so.