Local arborists for Ryde and the lower north shore, with a yard in Ryde.
Tree removal, pruning, stumps and storm work across Ryde and the lower north shore, by a Sydney family business since 2004. Two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists who know Ryde's tree rules, and a crew based nearby.
- Based in Ryde
- Since 2004
- AQF Level 5 arborists
- $20 million insured
- Answered after hours
- 22+ yrsArborists since 2004
- AQF 5Two consulting arborists
- $20mPublic liability insurance
- RFSVolunteer Deputy Captain and trainer on the team
- TAFEChainsaw operations teacher on staff
- 5.0★Google rating (22 reviews)
Removals and pruning in Ryde, from one local crew
Removals and pruning are most of what we do. The same people quote the job, do it and clean up.
Tree removal
Whole trees taken down in sections over roofs, pools and fences, by climbers, EWP or crane, chipped and cleared. We tell you first whether Ryde needs a permit.
Tree removal →Pruning and trimming
Deadwooding, crown thinning, weight reduction and clearance from roofs, gutters and service wires, to AS 4373. Never lopping. Most of what we do.
Pruning →Stump grinding
Stumps ground 300–400 mm below ground, ready for turf, a garden bed or paving. Anyone's stump, quoted from a photo.
Palms and hedges
Cocos and date palms removed fronds, trunk and all; lilly pilly, murraya and conifer hedges reduced and shaped.
Storm and emergency work
Fallen trees and hanging limbs made safe first, then removed and cleaned up, with photos and an itemised invoice for your insurer. Phones answered after hours.
Ryde council rules
Trees 4 m or taller, or with a trunk 150 mm or more across at 1.4 m, are protected. We know the exemptions and the fee, and our AQF Level 5 consulting arborist writes the report if council asks for one.
The rules →We know what City of Ryde will and won't allow
In Ryde all trees and vegetation are protected, so you need a Tree Management permit from Council to prune or remove a tree unless it falls under an exemption. The main exemptions are small trees (under 4 m tall or with a trunk under 150 mm at 1.4 m), light pruning (under 10% of the crown in 12 months, branches under 60 mm), trees within 3 m of the house, Council's exempt species and declared weeds.
Council's application fee is $94 for a residential application (one tree, 2026/27), paid to council. We tell you which rule applies to your tree before you spend a cent on an application, and if council wants an arborist report, Joshua Baber (AQF Level 5) writes it.
Quick check
- Protected: Trees 4 m or taller, or with a trunk 150 mm or more across at 1.4 m, are protected
- Pruning without a permit: Without a permit you may remove deadwood or prune less than 10% of the live crown in any 12-month period, cutting only branches under 60 mm in diameter, as long as the branches have no hollows used by native animals and the work follows AS 4373.
- Trees under 4 m tall and/or with a trunk under 150 mm across at breast height (1.4 m).
- Removing deadwood or pruning less than 10% of the crown in 12 months (branches under 60 mm, no animal hollows, to AS 4373).
- Trees whose stem at ground level is within 3 m of the outside wall of a lawfully built dwelling, or an outbuilding over 20 m², on the same land.
City of Ryde; checked 30 September 2026.
Every suburb in City of Ryde
Ryde's trees are the big street figs and jacarandas of Eastwood, Denistone and West Ryde, the river-edge blocks of Putney, Tennyson Point and Gladesville on the Parramatta River, and the campus plantings around Macquarie Park and Marsfield. Ryde protects every tree over 4 m, so most jobs here start with the permit question.
Denistone · Denistone East · Denistone West · East Ryde · Eastwood · Gladesville · Macquarie Park · Marsfield · Meadowbank · Melrose Park · North Ryde · Putney · Ryde · Tennyson Point · West Ryde
Each suburb has its own page on our main website, with its council rules, bush fire and canopy facts.
Ryde locals, properly qualified
Tree lopping is an unregulated trade: anyone with a ute and a chainsaw can call themselves an arborist. Here is what ours actually hold.
- 22 years in business. Above All Tree Services has been a family business since 2004, now seven full-time staff plus casual crew, with cranes and elevated work platforms for the hardest jobs.
- Two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists. Wayne Back and Joshua Baber hold the Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture), the qualification councils ask for when they want a "consulting arborist"; Josh writes the arborist reports councils ask for.
- Wayne teaches chainsaw operations at TAFE NSW part-time, and is a volunteer Deputy Captain and trainer with the NSW Rural Fire Service.
- Licensed for the dangerous bits: elevated work platforms over 11 m, Electrical Close Approach for work near service lines, and rail, ARTC and Sydney Airport inductions.
- $20 million public liability, $10 million professional indemnity and workers compensation. Ask any contractor for their certificate of currency; we'll hand you ours.
- Four bases across Sydney (Engadine, Ryde, Gordon, Bankstown), trusted by Bayside Council, strata managers and schools, and we call back almost as soon as your request comes in.
Questions people ask us
Do I need council permission to remove a tree in Ryde?
In Ryde all trees and vegetation are protected, so you need a Tree Management permit from Council to prune or remove a tree unless it falls under an exemption. The main exemptions are small trees (under 4 m tall or with a trunk under 150 mm at 1.4 m), light pruning (under 10% of the crown in 12 months, branches under 60 mm), trees within 3 m of the house, Council's exempt species and declared weeds. Our Ryde rules page has the details.
How much can I prune without a permit in Ryde?
Without a permit you may remove deadwood or prune less than 10% of the live crown in any 12-month period, cutting only branches under 60 mm in diameter, as long as the branches have no hollows used by native animals and the work follows AS 4373. Council's Tree Pruning Guide says all pruning must be done by an arborist with at least AQF Level 3. Larger pruning needs a permit. See pruning.
How much does tree removal cost in Ryde?
Every job is quoted free, on site and fixed. The price depends on the tree's height and spread, how easy it is to get to, what is underneath it (roof, pool, power lines), whether a crane is needed and whether you want the stump ground. Council fees are separate. What drives the cost is on our main website.
Where are you based?
We work from a yard in Ryde, one of Above All's four Sydney bases (Engadine, Ryde, Gordon and Bankstown), so a crew is never far from Ryde and the lower north shore. The bases aren't open to the public: we come to you.
How soon can you quote?
We call back almost as soon as your request comes in, and inspect and quote within 24 to 48 hours. Stumps can be quoted from a photo; everything else we come and see.
Are you qualified and insured?
Yes. Above All has two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists (Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture)); Joshua Baber writes the arborist reports councils ask for. Crews hold EWP (over 11 m) and Electrical Close Approach licences, and we carry $20 million public liability.
Do you do emergency and storm work?
Yes, and we answer the phone after hours: call 1300 000 000. When a crew is available we're usually on site within about two hours. During big storms we triage by danger.
Do you clean up afterwards?
Yes. Every job finishes with a full clean-up. Green waste is removed unless you'd like to keep the firewood or mulch.
Tell us about the tree.
Free, fixed quotes anywhere in Ryde and the lower north shore. When you call, you speak to the people who do the work.