Tree Felling in Northcliff
Tree felling in Northcliff is close-to-home work for Tree Felling Guys. Our yard in Cosmo City is a short drive down Beyers Naudé, so the hill is inside the area we reach first in a storm. We fell and remove trees across Northcliff, Fairland, Blackheath, Cresta, Montgomery Park and the stands that climb the slopes of Northcliff hill, and we take every branch and log away with us.
Northcliff jobs are rarely about the tree alone. They are about a steep driveway a truck cannot get up, a tree standing above the house instead of beside it, and a retaining wall that has to survive the day. We have been doing tree felling across Gauteng for ten years, we are fully insured, and you get a written, itemised price before anyone starts a saw.
What Makes Northcliff Different: The Hill Itself
Northcliff hill is one of the highest points in Johannesburg, with the old water tower on the summit and the Northcliff Ridge Eco Park running along the crest. The stands on its upper slopes sit higher and more exposed than almost anywhere else in the city, and that changes how trees behave and how they fail.
- check_circleWind. Trees near the top of the hill catch the full force of a Highveld storm with nothing to break it. A pine or gum that would stand for decades in a sheltered valley garden takes a battering every summer up here, and the failures we see are wind-driven: whole crowns snapping out, root plates lifting on the windward side, and limbs torn off and thrown downhill.
- check_circleLightning. High ground and tall trees attract strikes. A tree that has been hit can look fine from the street while the wood inside is burnt or split. If a tree near the summit has been struck, have it checked even if nothing has fallen yet. Our arborist can tell you whether it is safe to keep, and our emergency tree felling page explains why lightning damage is so easy to miss from the outside.
- check_circleDownhill failure. On the upper slopes the house is usually below the tree. When something fails, it falls toward the roof, not away from it. That is the main reason a Northcliff quote takes more planning than the same tree on a flat stand in Randburg.
Getting the Crew and Truck to Your Tree
The single biggest factor in a Northcliff price is access. Many of the streets climbing the hill are steep and narrow, and plenty of driveways are too steep for a loaded truck or a chipper. Where we cannot bring the vehicle close, every section has to be lowered, carried or winched to wherever the truck can park, and that is labour time you pay for.
So when you send us photos, include one of the driveway and the street, not only the tree. If our chipper can reach within a few metres, the job is quicker and cheaper. If everything has to come down a flight of garden steps, we will tell you that up front and price it honestly rather than discovering it on the day.
Terraced stands add one more step. Before anything is cut, we work out where each section will land so that no heavy log hits the high side of a retaining wall. Our approach to sloped ground is the same one we use on Roodepoort's ridges, but on Northcliff hill the access problem usually matters more than the slope.
Trees on the Ridge Boundary
Properties at the top of the hill back onto the Northcliff Ridge Eco Park and other City-owned open space. Trees on that land, and trees on the pavement outside your wall, belong to the City of Johannesburg, and only Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo may prune or remove them. Many ridge-edge trees also lean over from the open space into private gardens.
Before we quote on a boundary tree, we check which side of the line it stands on. If the trunk is on City land, we cannot fell it, but we can cut back what overhangs your property and point you to City Parks for the rest. The full rules, fines and contact numbers are on our Johannesburg tree felling page.
The Flat Suburbs Around the Hill
Not all of Northcliff is steep. Fairland, Montgomery Park, Blackheath and Cresta spread out around the base on gentler ground, with older stands planted in the 1950s and 60s. The work there is closer to the Randburg pattern: big jacarandas, pines and planes that have outgrown the garden, roots in the driveway, and limbs over the gutters. Most of these trees can come down in fewer, larger sections, and a truck can usually park at the gate, which keeps the cost down.
Where We Work in Northcliff
- check_circleOn the hill: Northcliff and its extensions on the upper slopes, and the stands backing onto the ridge.
- check_circleAround the base: Fairland, Blackheath, Montgomery Park, Cresta, Victory Park, Greymont and Albertskroon.
- check_circleNearby, with their own pages: tree felling in Randburg, Roodepoort and Randpark Ridge, plus the wider Johannesburg area.
If your street is not listed, we still cover it. See the full areas we serve in Gauteng.
Tree Felling Prices in Northcliff
We do not charge a travel fee to Northcliff. After that, three things set the price more than the size of the tree: whether a truck can reach it, whether it stands above the house, and how much of it is over a wall or roof.
| Tree size | Typical height | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree | Up to 5m | R850 to R2,500 |
| Medium tree | 5m to 10m | R2,500 to R6,500 |
| Large tree | 10m to 20m | R6,500 to R15,000 |
| Extra-large tree | 20m and above | R15,000 to R25,000+ |
A tree at the low end of its band is on a flat stand with the truck at the gate. A tree at the high end is above a house on the upper slopes, with every section carried out by hand. Stump grinding is quoted as its own line. See our tree felling prices page for how the bands work, and send photos of the tree and the driveway for a written figure.
Looking for the Cheapest Tree Feller in Northcliff?
People search for it, so here is a straight answer. The cheapest quote on a Northcliff job is usually the one that has not looked at your driveway. When the crew arrives and finds the truck cannot get up, the price goes up on the day or the job gets left half-done.
What genuinely brings a Northcliff price down: keeping the logs for your fireplace so we do not have to haul them, grouping two or three trees into one visit, booking in winter when crews are less stretched, and choosing a crown reduction instead of removal where the tree is healthy. Our quote lists every line, so you can compare it with anyone else's like for like.
Storm Damage on Northcliff Hill
Because the hill takes storms harder than the suburbs below it, our phone rings from Northcliff every summer. If a tree is already down on your roof, car or driveway, call 083 761 7228. Northcliff is inside our 60-minute zone for emergencies. Photograph the damage before anything moves, and see our emergency tree felling page for what your insurer will ask for.
Tree Felling Northcliff FAQ
How much does it cost to cut down a tree in Northcliff?
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From around R850 for a small tree on a flat stand to R25,000 or more for a very large tree above a house. Access sets most of the difference: a tree the truck can reach costs far less than one where every section is carried down by hand. Photos of the tree and the driveway get you a written quote.
Why is my Northcliff quote higher than my friend's in Randburg?
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Usually access and position. A tree above your house on a steep stand needs more rigging, and if the truck cannot get up your driveway, the crew carries every piece out. The same tree on a flat Randburg stand is a quicker day.
Can you fell a tree if the truck cannot reach it?
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Yes. We lower each section by rope and carry or winch it to wherever the truck can park. It takes longer, so it costs more, and we tell you that before we start.
My neighbour's tree is above my house. Can I make them cut it back?
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You can cut back what crosses onto your side, at your cost. You cannot force your neighbour to reduce or remove the tree unless it is a proven danger. If it is, our arborist can inspect it and put the risk in writing for you to take to them.
What happens if my neighbour's tree falls on my property?
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You normally claim from your own household insurer, whoever owns the tree, and your insurer decides whether to recover the cost from the neighbour. Photograph everything before it is moved. We make the site safe and give you the invoice and photos your insurer asks for.
Can I cut a big branch off my tree myself?
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A small branch you can reach from the ground, yes. A heavy limb over a roof or wall, or anything you need a ladder for, is not a DIY job, especially on a slope. A big limb that drops unrigged swings, and on a Northcliff stand it heads downhill toward the house.
Is it cheaper to trim a tree or cut it down?
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Trimming is cheaper on the day. If the tree is healthy and only one or two limbs are the problem, a crown reduction costs a fraction of a removal. If the tree is leaning, hollow, or was struck by lightning, removing it once is usually cheaper than paying to trim it every year until it fails.
What is the cheapest time of year to fell a tree in Northcliff?
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May to August. Crews are less stretched after the storm season, and deciduous trees are bare, which makes them lighter to lower. A dangerous tree should not wait for winter.
Get a Free Tree Felling Quote in Northcliff
Send two or three photos: the tree, the base of the trunk, and your driveway or street. Tell us the suburb, and you get a written quote that lists everything included, usually the same day. If you would rather we came to look, we will.