South Yarra Tree Removal & Pruning
Tree and palm removal and expert pruning in South Yarra by a qualified, insured arborist — free quotes, 7 days a week.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Tree removal and pruning in South Yarra, done properly
There are two kinds of tree job in South Yarra: the one you have been putting off for years, and the one that arrived with last night’s wind. Aps Tree Removal does both — planned removals and reductions quoted and booked at your convenience, and storm work made safe the same day where we can. Qualified arborist, fully insured.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Cremorne (about a kilometre), Prahran (2 km), Windsor (2 km), so a job in South Yarra is often paired with one next door. 2 of the reviews on this site are from customers in Cremorne, Prahran and Windsor, next door to South Yarra.
Every tree job in South Yarra begins with Api on site. He looks at the species, the lean, the decay, what is under the drop zone and how the chipper will get close, then tells you what he would do — remove, reduce or leave alone — and what it will cost. Nothing is cut until you have that in writing.
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 South Yarra backyards.
Tree Removal & Pruning in South Yarra — 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 South Yarra 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 South Yarra.
Guides from Api: Tree removal contractors: the checks to make before you sign in Melbourne · Local tree removal companies in Melbourne: what a good one actually does
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in South Yarra?
The rule that applies to a tree in a South Yarra garden is the General Local Law — here is what it says.
Stonnington’s General Local Law protects significant trees on private land: a tree or palm 140 cm or more in circumference at 1.4 m above its base, one whose trunks total 140 cm at that height, one 180 cm or more around at the base, or any tree on the Significant Tree Register. Removing, pruning, or carrying out works inside the Tree Protection Zone — building, excavation, trenching, filling, storing materials — needs a Tree Works Permit, and removal without one is fined.
The application takes a location sketch and at least two photographs; only the owner (or someone with the owner’s written authority) can apply. For an urgent removal, a qualified arborist’s assessment is emailed to the council first.
Since September 2025 a planning permit can also be needed in the residential zones under the state canopy-tree clause, even with no overlay on the land; the council’s permit finder walks through both.
Source: City of Stonnington — trees on private property, 8290 1333. 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 inner east. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What customers near South Yarra say
Mark F
Toorak · Feb 2022
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Graeme
Toorak · Apr 2022
Great job. Delivered what they promised, unlike others who previously promised but didn't deliver. Professional and friendly at a very competitive price.
Tree removal around South Yarra
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in South Yarra
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 inner east say
Joseph Faltas
26 June 2023
APi is a great guy , honest and knowledgeable
Cathy Palio
26 June 2023
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I can’t speak highly enough of Api and his team from APS tree removal. It was a huge job and they tackled it with ease and a smile…
Ann Davies
26 June 2023
Prompt and efficient service - courteous and helpful - a pleasure to have them on the job - would definitely recommend them to friends
Ann D
21 June 2023 · Malvern East
Most efficient and prompt - very friendly and will use them again
Jason M
18 May 2023 · Taylors Hill
Api and the team were very professional and did a thorough job including immaculate clean up. Highly recommend due to exceptional service. Their price…
Travis
28 Mar 2023 · Werribee
Professional courteous on time and service to the next level completed everything cleaned up and have no hesitation in recommending there service than…
Jennifer D
14 Mar 2023 · Sunbury
Api was a force of nature, the team felled 15 very large pine trees in 2 days and removed stumps. They cleaned up the site, left the wood in neat pile…
Heath
1 Mar 2023 · Point Cook
They did an awesome job, the trees look great, they did pruning and removed 2 others. Cleaned you after themselves. super happy. Thanks guys
Loryn
13 Feb 2023 · Wyndham Vale
Awesome service! Super efficient, neat and tidy. All the team were respectful and pleasant to deal with. Job done to a high standard, will definately…
Belinda
11 Jan 2023 · Niddrie
Very prompt and efficient
David A
31 Dec 2022 · Werribee
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Mark
30 Dec 2022 · Altona Meadows
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
South Yarra Tree Removal & Pruning — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in South Yarra?
Yes, for a significant tree — 140 cm or more around the trunk at 1.4 m (trunks added together for a multi-stem tree), 180 cm at the base, or a tree on the Significant Tree Register: Stonnington requires a Tree Works Permit to prune or remove it, or to dig or build inside its root zone. Residential-zone canopy trees near a boundary need a planning permit under the state clause. 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 South Yarra?
It depends on the size of the tree, how close it is to buildings, fences and lines, the access for the chipper, and whether you want the stump ground and the timber taken away. A small tree in an open South Yarra yard is a very different job from a 20 m gum over a house. Api quotes every job in person, free, and the price he gives is the price you pay.
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 South Yarra, it is on your job.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes — most of the trees we remove are in backyards with a standard side path. Where there is no path at all we can still do it; it takes longer and the quote reflects that.
What happens to the waste?
All of it — branches through the chipper, trunk in rounds on the truck, the yard raked and blown. If you want mulch or firewood, tell Api and we stack it where you like.
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.