Tree Felling Northcliff

Tree Felling Northcliff is defined by the ridge. Properties here sit on slopes, on rock, and often several metres above or below the street, and every part of the job is shaped by that.

Tree Felling Northcliff routinely involves trees that a vehicle cannot get anywhere near, on ground that a stump grinder struggles to cross.

What the Job Involves

On a steep stand the drop zone is rarely usable, so almost everything is roped. Sections are lowered rather than allowed to run downhill, because a rolling stem on a slope is genuinely dangerous and will not stop where you want it to.

Then the material has to move. On properties that sit below the road, brush and timber are carried up flights of steps to the street, and that carry is frequently the largest single line in the quote. Rocky ground also slows stump grinding considerably and sometimes rules out excavation entirely.

Trees We Get Called To

• Blue gum — Large stems on sloped ground, where the drop zone is rarely where you want it.
• Pine — Tall, heavy and top-weighted, common along the ridge lines.
• Black wattle — Invasive stands that colonise the rocky slopes and firebreaks.
• Jacaranda — Brittle, surface-rooted, and listed — existing trees stay, new ones may not be planted.
• Indigenous bush and scrub — Cleared selectively rather than stripped, especially on conservancy-adjacent stands.

Tree Felling Northcliff Price Guide

Job	Indicative range	What moves it
Small tree, up to 5 m	R850 – R2 500	Open access, one drop zone
Medium tree, 5 – 10 m	R2 500 – R6 500	Whether it can be dropped whole
Large tree, 10 – 20 m	R6 500 – R15 000	Rigging, roof and wall clearance
Very large tree, 20 m+	R12 000 – R25 000+	Crane or MEWP hire if needed
Sectional dismantle near a structure	+30% – 60%	Every piece lowered on ropes
Stump ground out afterwards	R600 – R3 000	Diameter and machine access
Green waste removal	R650 – R3 500	Bakkie load through to truck load

What Pushes the Price Up in Northcliff

• Gradient and whether material must be carried up to the street
• Rock at or near the surface, which slows or blocks stump work
• Retaining walls and terracing under the working area
• Whether a vehicle can get within reasonable reach at all

Permits and Protected Trees

Street and verge trees are the property of the City of Johannesburg and are managed by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo. Under the city's street tree by-laws only JCPZ may remove, prune or maintain a tree on a public road, and residents who cut one down themselves can be fined. JCPZ is also explicit that it will not approve a removal because leaves are dropping into a pool or gutter, because the tree shades a roof or solar panels, or because it is seen as a security risk. If the tree stands on the pavement rather than inside your boundary, that is a call to JCPZ on 011 712 6600, or to Joburg Connect on 011 375 5555 if it has already come down and is blocking something.

Two other rules run alongside that. Species protected under the National Forests Act need a permit from the national department before removal, whoever owns the land and wherever the tree stands. Declared invasive species run the opposite way — there is a legal duty to control them, which is why blue gum, syringa, wattle and poplar removals are rarely refused. Jacaranda sits in between: existing trees in urban areas may stay, but the species is listed and replanting is not permitted. Estates, body corporates and homeowners' associations frequently add their own approval process on top of the municipal one. Check which of these applies before booking, not after.

Other Work in the Area

Nearby areas: Melville · Randburg · Ferndale · Weltevredenpark · Parkhurst · Roodepoort

Northcliff is one area within the wider service coverage. For the full breakdown of methods, species and pricing, start at Tree Felling Johannesburg.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does tree felling in Northcliff cost?

Most residential jobs land between R2 500 and R15 000. The band depends far more on what is underneath the tree than on the tree itself — a 12 m tree with a clear drop zone is a fraction of the cost of the same tree overhanging a roof, because the second one has to come down piece by piece on ropes.

Can a tree be felled close to my house?

Yes, but not by dropping it. It gets climbed or reached with a MEWP and taken down in sections, each piece roped and lowered rather than allowed to fall. That is slower and costs more, and it is the correct method when there is a roof, a boundary wall, paving or a pool underneath.

Do you take the wood away?

Ask before you accept a quote — this is the most common reason two quotes differ. Some include full removal of timber and brush, some leave the wood stacked on site, and some charge separately for haulage. Get it in writing either way.

What about the stump?

Felling normally leaves a stump at ground level. Grinding or excavating it out is a separate line item. If you are going to pave, plant or build over the spot, deal with the stump in the same visit — bringing a machine back later costs more than doing it while the crew is on site.

My property is well below the road. Does that affect the quote?

Significantly, yes. Everything that comes off the tree has to go back up to the truck, usually by hand and often up steps. That carry is real labour and it is why two identical trees, one on a flat stand and one below the road in Northcliff, can quote very differently. Mention the level difference and the number of steps in your request — it saves a wasted site visit.

How do I get quotes for Tree Felling Northcliff?

Describe the tree once — rough height, what is underneath it, and how close a vehicle can get — and add a photo taken from a few metres back so the whole tree is in frame. Companies covering the area receive it and quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation to appoint anyone.