Thomson Tree Removal & Pruning
Tree and palm removal and expert pruning in Thomson by a qualified, insured arborist — free quotes, 7 days a week.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Tree removal and pruning in Thomson, done properly
Whether it is one overgrown tree in a Thomson backyard or a whole block that needs clearing, Aps Tree Removal quotes it free, explains what is involved, and books it for a day that suits you. Api is a qualified arborist with more than 16 years on the tools, and the business is fully insured.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Whittington (about a kilometre), Breakwater (about a kilometre), Newcomb (2 km), so a job in Thomson is often paired with one next door. 1 of the reviews on this site are from customers in Whittington, Breakwater and Newcomb, next door to Thomson.
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 Thomson gardens within a couple of seasons.
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 Thomson — 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 Thomson — 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 Thomson 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 Thomson.
Guides from Api: Professional hedge trimming: the DIY mistakes it avoids on Melbourne hedges · Emergency tree removal in Melbourne: what to do first and how fast help comes
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Thomson?
Homeowners in Thomson ask this more than anything else, so here is Greater Geelong’s rule as the council publishes it.
Greater Geelong is one of the councils without a private-tree local law: when it reviewed tree protection on private land in 2024 its officers recommended strengthening the planning scheme and asking the state for a state-wide approach rather than a local law or a significant-tree overlay.
That state-wide approach arrived in September 2025 as Clause 52.37. The council publishes its own guide: a canopy tree is more than 5 m tall with a trunk over 0.5 m around at 1.4 m and a canopy of at least 4 m; a permit is needed to remove one anywhere on a vacant residential lot, or within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary where a house already stands. Council officers may assess the application only against the clause’s own purpose and decision guidelines, and a replacement tree — at least 6 m tall and 4 m wide at maturity — is the usual condition.
Vegetation and heritage overlays on the title apply on top, especially along the Barwon and the coast.
Source: City of Greater Geelong — trees on private property. 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 the Geelong region. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What customers near Thomson say
Jesse F
Geelong · Nov 2022
Quick to respond with quote, able to get to the job promptly, site was left clean and undamaged with the tree over hanging a fence. Would highly recommend them.
Tree removal around Thomson
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Thomson
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 the Geelong region say
paul stumpo
3 Sept 2025
Api and team done a excellent job cutting my two pencil trees down in no time cleaned up good I'LL Recommend Api to any one that wants excellent job d…
Sneha
28 Aug 2025
Api and his team did a fantastic job in cutting down 3 big pear trees and pruning other trees in the front-yard. The whole process of getting the quot…
Thomas Atkinson
12 Aug 2025
Api and the team did a great job working hard, doing lots of pruning removing trees, as well as pruning my ginormous oak tree. They worked tirelessly…
leo Baldacchino
7 Aug 2025
Api and he’s team did a sensational job removing a numerous amount of large trees from my backyard! Communication was above exceptional, friendly and…
K Y
7 Aug 2025
Api and his team have done a beautiful job. Api pruned trees and trimmed tall hedges for us. Api also removed rubbish and cleaned the place tidily. We…
Emily Joseph
28 July 2025
Amazing work done by API and his team! Great communication and very friendly people. Would defiantly use again in the future and recommend to friends…
Jacob Xavier
18 June 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars I recently hired Aps tree removal company and couldn’t be more impressed with their work. From start to finish, Api and team was profess…
The Visiting Vet
24 May 2025
Removed some trees from our property, was very quick and have done an amazing job in a very quick time. Highly recommend.
jeff ramos
27 Mar 2025
Api and his team were an absolute gents! honest and caring. Removing tree stumps and several bushes. He was very clear to what is in-scope and out of…
Rob Licciardo
23 Mar 2025
Pleasure to have API and his crew a challenging job to cut down 6 x 40 foot dangerously overgrown trees at my residence in Keilor this week . The Enti…
Natalie
17 Jan 2025
Absolutely fantastic service! Very quick, efficient, and super professional - Api and his team is the best for any tree job. He was able to prune and…
Ramani R
4 Dec 2024
Great job. Thank you
Thomson Tree Removal & Pruning — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Thomson?
Greater Geelong has no local law for trees on private land — its 2024 review chose not to introduce one — so the test is the state canopy-tree clause: a planning permit for a canopy tree on a vacant residential lot, or one near the front or rear boundary of a lot with a house, decided through VicSmart in about ten business days. Overlays on the title still apply. 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 Thomson?
A small ornamental in an open yard can be a couple of hundred dollars; a large gum over a house is a day with a crew and rigging. Everything in between is quoted to the tree, free, with the clean-up and chipping included.
How long does it take?
Same-week for hazardous trees, normally within a fortnight for everything else. We tell you a date and keep it.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes — we do it every week in Thomson. Rigging, hand-carrying and a compact chipper on the street cover almost every side path in the area.
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?
Often, yes. Deadwooding, a crown reduction or a canopy lift solves most of the reasons people want a tree gone — it is dropping branches, it is over the roof, it is blocking light. Api will tell you which option makes sense for the tree in front of him.