In short
Checkatrade's hedge trimming guide, updated June 2026, puts the average at £90 per hour, with a range of £60 to £120, rising to £100 to £140 per hour where climbing or access equipment is needed. Removing a hedge is priced per job: £100 to £250 for a small hedge of 2 to 4 metres, and £250 to £400 for a large one.
This is a job for my Hedge cutting service.
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The published figures
Checkatrade's guide is the clearest published benchmark. Updated June 2026, it lists hedge trimming at £60 to £120 per hour with an average of £90, and trimming at height that needs climbing equipment at £100 to £140 per hour. It puts a typical trim at one to three hours. For taking a hedge out altogether, it gives £100 to £250 for a small hedge (2 to 4 metres) and £250 to £400 for a large one, with a leylandii removal averaging £325.
Those are national averages from Checkatrade's estimators, not my prices. I quote each hedge on what it needs.
What makes one hedge cost more than another
| Driver | Cheaper end | Dearer end |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Trimmed from the ground | Needs a platform or ladder work, which is slower and needs two people to do safely |
| Length | A short front boundary | A long rural boundary or both sides of a drive |
| Species | Privet, beech or hawthorn cut little and often | Fast-growing leylandii that has put on a lot since the last cut |
| How overgrown | Regular trim of the new growth | Reducing a hedge that has been left for years, with thick wood to saw |
| Access | Clear both sides | Borders, fences or a neighbour's garden on the far side |
| Waste | A few bags | A trailer load to remove and dispose of |
Checkatrade's guide agrees that size is the main driver and access is a close second, and that a quote should include labour, equipment and clearing the trimmings. Mine does.
How I quote a hedge
I look at the hedge, ask what shape and height you want it kept at, and give you a fixed price for the job rather than an hourly rate. That price includes cutting, shaping, clearing every clipping and taking the green waste away. If a hedge is very tall or hard to reach I will say what is involved and price that in, rather than surprise you on the day.
Why regular trims work out cheaper
A hedge cut twice a year, once in late spring and once in late summer, only ever has soft new growth to take off. It is quick, it makes little waste and it keeps its shape. A hedge left for three years has to be cut back into thick wood, which takes far longer, produces a lot of waste and, in the case of conifers, may not green up again. Most of the hedges I keep on a regular round across Wisbech, March and Downham Market cost their owners less per year than the one big rescue job would.
Send me a photo of the hedge with something for scale and I will give you a free quote.