Quick answer: trimming an established tall screen in Sydney typically costs $300–$700 per job, and reducing an overgrown tall hedge typically costs $600–$1,500, including GST. The price moves most with the hedge's height and the access equipment it needs, its length and width, and how overgrown it is. Very tall, very long or hard-to-reach screens can cost more.
We work on tall hedges and screening trees rather than routine garden maintenance, so this guide focuses on those jobs. The most useful starting point is a clear description of the hedge, which the sections below help you put together.
Typical tall-hedge trimming prices in Sydney
| Typical job | Typical price per job, including GST |
|---|---|
| Maintenance trim of a regularly kept screen, about 2.5 to 4 metres high and up to about 15 metres long, with the clippings taken away | $300–$700 |
| Reducing an overgrown tall hedge, with heavier cutting into woody growth, access equipment and more green waste | $600–$1,500 |
These are typical planning ranges based on current Sydney market pricing for this kind of work, not prices from particular jobs. We quote each hedge as a whole job after seeing it, so your quote depends on the hedge and the site. Trimming both sides of a boundary hedge, hiring an elevated platform or removing a large volume of waste adds to the total.
What a tall-hedge price needs to cover
A per-metre rate on its own doesn't tell you much. It needs to say whether it covers the top, one side or both sides; a light trim or a substantial reduction; work from the ground or from access equipment; and whether the clippings are left behind or taken away.
Many advertised hedge-trimming rates describe low, regularly maintained garden hedges that can be cut from the ground. Those rates are lower than the ranges above because a tall screen needs elevated access, climbing or heavy branch handling. Pricing the actual hedge is more useful than applying a garden rate to a different kind of work.
A tall-hedge job usually includes:
- trimming the agreed faces to an even line
- reducing the height, if that is part of the brief
- cutting back from paths, fences, driveways or buildings
- collecting, chipping or loading the clippings
- removing the green waste and tidying the work area
Maintenance trim or overgrown reduction?
Most tall-hedge jobs fall somewhere between these two situations.
Maintaining an established screen
The hedge is still close to its intended shape and there is reasonable access along its length. The work involves trimming the top and agreed sides back to the previous line and collecting the clippings. Regularly maintained screens are generally quicker to trim, produce less waste and keep a denser, more even face.
Reducing an overgrown tall hedge
The screen's height and spread have grown well beyond what you want. The work may need heavier cutting into woody growth, branch selection inside the hedge, access equipment and much more waste handling. The species has to be able to recover from the reduction, and a large reduction is sometimes better done in stages.
The main cost factors
Height and reach
Height changes how the hedge can be reached, not just how long the trimming takes. A screen that can be cut from the ground is very different from one that needs an elevated platform or climbing. Slopes and narrow boundaries can limit where equipment can stand.
Length and width
Both affect the cutting area and the volume of material. A broad screen can be harder to reach across than a narrow hedge of the same height, particularly from one side only.
Species and density
Common Sydney screening plants such as lilly pilly, murraya, viburnum and photinia respond well to regular trimming. Vigorous growers can get away quickly if they are left, and dense or woody growth takes longer to cut and produces heavier waste.
Access on both sides
A hedge with open ground on both faces is straightforward. A screen against a fence, along a narrow side passage, over a pool or beside garden beds takes longer. If the far side faces a neighbour's property, access needs to be agreed before that face can be trimmed.
Condition and time since the last trim
A hedge trimmed regularly is usually cheaper per visit than one left for several years. Overgrown screens need heavier cutting, produce more waste and take longer to bring back to a clean line.
Waste removal
The amount of material, the carrying route to the truck and whether clippings stay on site or leave the property all affect the total.
How often should a tall hedge be trimmed?
It depends on the species and how formal you want the screen to look. Fast growers such as lilly pilly and photinia often need trimming more than once a year to hold their shape, while slower plants may need less frequent work. Regular trimming keeps a screen dense, makes each visit smaller and keeps the cost more predictable than an occasional heavy cut.
Can every hedge be cut back hard?
No. Some plants don't regrow reliably from old bare wood, and a trim can't guarantee that an already sparse screen will become dense again. Keep enough healthy leafy growth for the species, and consider staged work or another approach where a severe reduction isn't suitable.
Where a screen needs selected internal branch work rather than surface trimming, tree pruning may be the better fit. If a hedge is badly declined, replacement can sometimes be more practical than repeated renovation.
Safety and permissions
Don't use powered cutting tools from an improvised platform or an unstable ladder. Tall hedges combine height, sharp blades and awkward reach, which is why we treat them as tree work rather than garden maintenance. Keep clear of electrical lines and seek the electricity network's advice if a screen is growing into them. Our DIY vs professional tree services guide explains where a small job becomes hazardous.
Tall screens can also fall under council tree, heritage or vegetation controls. Check the rules for your council before a substantial reduction or removal.
Why the cheapest quote isn't always the best value
A low hedge-trimming quote may not allow for:
- the real height of the hedge and the access equipment it needs
- both faces as well as the top
- an even, well-shaped finish rather than a rough cut
- green-waste removal and clean-up
Compare what each quote includes before choosing on price alone.
What a clear hedge-trimming quote should include
Before you accept a price, check that it explains:
- which faces will be trimmed: the top, one side or both
- the approximate length and height of the hedge
- whether the height or width will be reduced, and by how much
- how the crew will reach the taller sections
- whether clippings will be removed and the area tidied
- any access needed from a neighbouring property
A quote that covers these points is far easier to compare with another. Photos of the full length of the hedge, its height against the fence or building behind it, and the access on both sides help us understand the job before we visit.
For the service itself, see tall hedge trimming in Sydney and the areas we cover.
Common questions
Originally published .
AA Tree Services Sydney
Tree services in Sydney
Our team includes an AQF Level 3-qualified arborist with more than 15 years of tree-work experience. We provide tree removal, pruning, lopping, tall hedge trimming and stump grinding for homes, strata and commercial properties across Sydney, and write these guides from that work.
About AA Tree Services
