Local arborists for Ku-ring-gai and the upper north shore, with an office in Gordon.
Tree removal, pruning, stumps and storm work across Ku-ring-gai and the upper north shore, by a Sydney family business since 2004. Two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists who know Ku-ring-gai's tree rules, and a crew based nearby.
- Based in Gordon
- Since 2004
- AQF Level 5 arborists
- $20 million insured
- Answered after hours
- 22+ yrsArborists since 2004
- AQF 5Two consulting arborists
- $20mPublic liability insurance
- RFSVolunteer Deputy Captain and trainer on the team
- TAFEChainsaw operations teacher on staff
- 5.0★Google rating (22 reviews)
Removals and pruning on the upper north shore, from one local crew
Removals and pruning are most of what we do. The same people quote the job, do it and clean up.
Tree removal
Whole trees taken down in sections over roofs, pools and fences, by climbers, EWP or crane, chipped and cleared. We tell you first whether Ku-ring-gai needs a permit.
Tree removal →Pruning and trimming
Deadwooding, crown thinning, weight reduction and clearance from roofs, gutters and service wires, to AS 4373. Never lopping. Most of what we do.
Pruning →Stump grinding
Stumps ground 300–400 mm below ground, ready for turf, a garden bed or paving. Anyone's stump, quoted from a photo.
Palms and hedges
Cocos and date palms removed fronds, trunk and all; lilly pilly, murraya and conifer hedges reduced and shaped.
Storm and emergency work
Fallen trees and hanging limbs made safe first, then removed and cleaned up, with photos and an itemised invoice for your insurer. Phones answered after hours.
Ku-ring-gai council rules
Trees 5 m or taller, or with a trunk 150 mm across at ground level, are protected (no exemptions in Blue Gum High Forest or on heritage land). We know the exemptions and the fee, and our AQF Level 5 consulting arborist writes the report if council asks for one.
The rules →We know what Ku-ring-gai Council will and won't allow
Ku-ring-gai protects every tree that is 5 metres or taller or has a trunk 150 mm or more across at ground level, and also protects other vegetation, so you need a Tree Application to prune or remove one unless a specific exemption applies. The main exemptions are trees within 3 m of your house, branches directly over your roof, minor pruning of branches under 50 mm, deadwood, exempt species and declared weeds. There are no exemptions in Blue Gum High Forest or on heritage land.
Council's application fee is $88 for a tree removal application (one tree or hedge, 2026/27), paid to council. We tell you which rule applies to your tree before you spend a cent on an application, and if council wants an arborist report, Joshua Baber (AQF Level 5) writes it.
Quick check
- Protected: Trees 5 m or taller, or with a trunk 150 mm across at ground level, are protected (no exemptions in Blue Gum High Forest or on heritage land)
- Pruning without a permit: You may prune branches and roots up to 50 mm in diameter, remove completely dead branches, and cut back branches that hang directly over the roof of your house to the nearest branch junction or collar, all to AS 4373 and without harming the tree's health, stability or form (stripping one whole side of a tree over the roof is not exempt).
- Trees and other vegetation within 3 m of an existing dwelling on the same property, measured from the centre of the trunk at ground level to the external wall.
- Branches directly overhanging the roof of a house or commercial building, cut back to the nearest branch junction or collar (not over garages, carports or outbuildings).
- Branches within 0.5 m of the electrical service line (branches only, not trunks).
Ku-ring-gai Council; checked 30 September 2026.
Every suburb in Ku-ring-gai Council
The upper north shore is Sydney's tallest suburban canopy: blue gums, blackbutts and turpentines over big blocks in Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara and St Ives, with remnant Blue Gum High Forest that Ku-ring-gai protects absolutely. Ku-ring-gai is the strictest tree council in Sydney, so knowing its rules is half the job.
East Killara · East Lindfield · Gordon · Killara · Lindfield · North Turramurra · North Wahroonga · Pymble · Roseville · Roseville Chase · South Turramurra · St Ives · St Ives Chase · Turramurra · Wahroonga · Warrawee · West Pymble
Each suburb has its own page on our main website, with its council rules, bush fire and canopy facts.
Upper North Shore locals, properly qualified
Tree lopping is an unregulated trade: anyone with a ute and a chainsaw can call themselves an arborist. Here is what ours actually hold.
- 22 years in business. Above All Tree Services has been a family business since 2004, now seven full-time staff plus casual crew, with cranes and elevated work platforms for the hardest jobs.
- Two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists. Wayne Back and Joshua Baber hold the Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture), the qualification councils ask for when they want a "consulting arborist"; Josh writes the arborist reports councils ask for.
- Wayne teaches chainsaw operations at TAFE NSW part-time, and is a volunteer Deputy Captain and trainer with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
- Licensed for the dangerous bits: elevated work platforms over 11 m, Electrical Close Approach for work near service lines, and rail, ARTC and Sydney Airport inductions.
- $20 million public liability, $10 million professional indemnity and workers compensation. Ask any contractor for their certificate of currency; we'll hand you ours.
- Four bases across Sydney (Engadine, Ryde, Gordon, Bankstown), trusted by Bayside Council, strata managers and schools, and we call back almost as soon as your request comes in.
Questions people ask us
Do I need council permission to remove a tree in Ku-ring-gai?
Ku-ring-gai protects every tree that is 5 metres or taller or has a trunk 150 mm or more across at ground level, and also protects other vegetation, so you need a Tree Application to prune or remove one unless a specific exemption applies. The main exemptions are trees within 3 m of your house, branches directly over your roof, minor pruning of branches under 50 mm, deadwood, exempt species and declared weeds. There are no exemptions in Blue Gum High Forest or on heritage land. Our Ku-ring-gai rules page has the details.
How much can I prune without a permit in Ku-ring-gai?
You may prune branches and roots up to 50 mm in diameter, remove completely dead branches, and cut back branches that hang directly over the roof of your house to the nearest branch junction or collar, all to AS 4373 and without harming the tree's health, stability or form (stripping one whole side of a tree over the roof is not exempt). Branches within 0.5 m of the electrical service line may also be removed. Anything more needs a Tree Application. See pruning.
How much does tree removal cost on the upper north shore?
Every job is quoted free, on site and fixed. The price depends on the tree's height and spread, how easy it is to get to, what is underneath it (roof, pool, power lines), whether a crane is needed and whether you want the stump ground. Council fees are separate. What drives the cost is on our main website.
Where are you based?
We work from an office in Gordon, one of Above All's four Sydney bases (Engadine, Ryde, Gordon and Bankstown), so a crew is never far from Ku-ring-gai and the upper north shore. The bases aren't open to the public: we come to you.
How soon can you quote?
We call back almost as soon as your request comes in, and inspect and quote within 24 to 48 hours. Stumps can be quoted from a photo; everything else we come and see.
Are you qualified and insured?
Yes. Above All has two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists (Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture)); Joshua Baber writes the arborist reports councils ask for. Crews hold EWP (over 11 m) and Electrical Close Approach licences, and we carry $20 million public liability.
Do you do emergency and storm work?
Yes, and we answer the phone after hours: call 1300 000 000. When a crew is available we're usually on site within about two hours. During big storms we triage by danger.
Do you clean up afterwards?
Yes. Every job finishes with a full clean-up. Green waste is removed unless you'd like to keep the firewood or mulch.
Tell us about the tree.
Free, fixed quotes anywhere in Ku-ring-gai and the upper north shore. When you call, you speak to the people who do the work.