Altona Tree Removal & Pruning
Tree and palm removal and expert pruning in Altona by a qualified, insured arborist — free quotes, 7 days a week.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Tree removal and pruning in Altona, done properly
Api Mariner has been climbing and cutting trees for more than 16 years, and the way he works in Altona is the way he works everywhere: look at the tree properly, explain the options, quote the whole job including the clean-up, and turn up with the crew and gear to do it in one visit. That is the reason 1,400-plus customers across Melbourne’s bayside west have used Aps Tree Removal.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Seaholme (3 km), Laverton (4 km), Seabrook (5 km), so a job in Altona is often paired with one next door. 2 of the reviews on this site are from Altona customers.
Where a tree is over a house, a shed or a neighbour’s yard, nothing free-falls. A climber sets rigging points, each limb is tied off, cut and lowered under control, and the trunk comes down in short blocks. It is slower than felling and it is the only safe way to do most Altona backyards.
Crown reductions are measured, not guessed. We agree the finished height and spread with you, cut back to suitable growth points so the tree recovers with a natural shape, and never “top” a tree — a topped tree regrows weak, fast and dangerous, and ends up costing more.
Tree Removal & Pruning in Altona — 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
Get the stump quoted with the tree. Coming back for it separately costs more than doing it on the day, and a stump left in a Altona lawn is a job you will end up paying for later anyway.
The full service pages: Tree & Palm Removal and Tree Pruning — every one available in Altona.
Guides from Api: Tree removal cost in Melbourne: what you will pay and how to estimate it · Emergency tree removal in Melbourne: what to do first and how fast help comes
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Altona?
The rule that applies to a tree in a Altona garden is the Community Local Law 2025 — here is what it says.
Hobsons Bay protects trees on private land two ways. Under the Community Local Law 2025 a permit is required to remove, damage or interfere with a “significant tree” — a tree or palm with a trunk circumference of 110 cm or more measured 1.5 m above the ground, a multi-stemmed tree whose exterior stems add up to 110 cm, or a stump of that size — including one that overhangs from next door.
The application goes through the council’s permit portal; the fee is $137 (half for concession-card holders), the owner has to be the applicant, and the council asks for 15 business days. A permit is also needed to touch any tree on council land, including the nature strip.
The state canopy-tree clause applies on top, so a smaller tree near the front or rear boundary can need a planning permit even when it is under the local-law size.
Source: Hobsons Bay City Council — trees on private property, 1300 179 944. 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 Melbourne’s bayside west. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What Altona customers say
Samantha
Altona · June 2020
Api and crew were reliable, hardworking and very easy to deal with, so polite. They did a fantastic job removing three trees and general tidy up of the yard. Completed beyond what I expected, thank you so much. Highly recommend.
Zalia P
Altona · Apr 2022
Professional , punctual and overall great service
Tree removal around Altona
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Altona
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 Melbourne’s bayside west 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
Altona Tree Removal & Pruning — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Altona?
Yes, if the trunk measures 110 cm around or more at 1.5 m above the ground (single trunk, or the stems of a multi-trunk tree added together): Hobsons Bay calls that a significant tree and requires a local-law permit ($137, about 15 business days). Smaller trees still fall under the state canopy-tree clause if they sit near a boundary. 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 Altona?
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?
Usually inside a fortnight, sooner if the tree is dangerous. We do not double-book: when the crew is in Altona, it is on your job.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes. If a person can get to it, we can take it down in pieces small enough to carry out. Access affects the time and the quote, not whether it can be done.
What happens to the waste?
We chip the branches, cut the trunk into manageable rounds, and take the lot away unless you want firewood or mulch left. The yard is raked and blown before we go.
Can you save the tree instead of removing it?
Usually the answer is yes, and it is the first thing Api considers. Deadwooding, a reduction or a lift fixes most problems and costs less than removal. He will tell you if the tree is beyond that.