Terms and Conditions
Last updated: 26.08.26
These terms and conditions apply to work undertaken by J.B Treecare and Landscaping (“we”, “us” or “our”). The person or organisation accepting our quotation is referred to as “the customer”.
1. Quotations
1.1. Quotations are valid for 30 days unless otherwise stated.
1.2. Our quotation covers only the work and materials specifically described within it. Any additional work requested by the customer will be charged separately.
1.3. Quotations are based on the information and site conditions visible or disclosed when the quotation is prepared. We may revise the price if previously hidden obstructions, hazardous materials, restricted access, inaccurate information, underground structures or other unforeseen conditions are discovered.
1.4. Unless expressly stated, quotations do not include planning applications, tree surveys, structural calculations, building-control fees, parking suspensions, permits, utility searches or specialist reports.
1.5. All prices will state whether VAT is included or applicable.
2. Acceptance and Contract
2.1. A contract is formed when the customer accepts our quotation verbally, electronically or in writing, or instructs us to begin ordering materials or carrying out work.
2.2. By accepting the quotation, the customer confirms that they are authorised to instruct work at the property and have read and accepted these terms.
2.3. Where more than one person instructs the work, each person may be jointly responsible for payment.
3. Deposits and Materials
3.1. We may require a deposit or advance payment before reserving a date, ordering materials or commencing work.
3.2. The amount and payment date will be shown on the quotation or invoice.
3.3. Bespoke, specially ordered or perishable materials may require full payment in advance.
3.4. If the customer cancels, we may retain or deduct reasonable costs already incurred, including specially ordered materials, supplier cancellation charges and other losses directly resulting from the cancellation. This does not affect the customer’s statutory rights.
3.5. Materials remain our property until paid for in full. We will not remove materials that have been permanently incorporated into the customer’s property.
4. Cancellation Rights for Consumers
4.1. Where a consumer accepts a contract online, by telephone or away from our business premises, they may have a legal right to cancel within 14 days.
4.2. If the customer asks us to begin work during the cancellation period, they must make an express request for early commencement.
4.3. If the customer subsequently cancels after requesting an early start, they may be required to pay a reasonable amount for work and materials already supplied.
4.4. The right to cancel may be lost once the service has been completed in full, provided the customer expressly requested the early start and acknowledged that completion would end their cancellation right.
4.5. Statutory cancellation rights are separate from our normal booking and cancellation arrangements and will not be restricted by these terms.
5. Customer Cancellations and Postponements
5.1. Customers should provide at least five working days’ notice if they wish to cancel or postpone scheduled work.
5.2. Where less notice is given, we may charge for reasonable losses incurred, including reserved labour, plant hire, delivery charges, materials and subcontractor costs.
5.3. If we arrive but cannot begin or continue because the customer has not provided access, cleared the working area, restrained animals or completed an agreed preparation, we may charge for wasted travelling and working time.
6. Scheduling, Weather and Delays
6.1. Any proposed start date or completion time is an estimate unless expressly confirmed as fixed.
6.2. Arboricultural and landscaping work is affected by weather, ground conditions, machinery breakdowns, material availability, emergencies and circumstances outside our reasonable control.
6.3. We may postpone work where conditions are unsafe or likely to cause unacceptable damage. We will arrange another suitable date as soon as reasonably possible.
6.4. We are not responsible for reasonable delays caused by circumstances outside our control.
7. Access and Site Preparation
7.1. The customer must provide safe and reasonable access to the work area on the agreed date.
7.2. The customer must disclose access restrictions, weak surfaces, septic tanks, underground rooms, cellars, drainage systems and any other known hazards before work begins.
7.3. Gates, driveways and access routes must be wide and strong enough for any machinery discussed during the quotation.
7.4. Unless included in the quotation, the customer must move vehicles, furniture, ornaments, toys, washing lines, plant pots and other vulnerable items from the working area.
7.5. We may charge for additional time spent clearing areas that the customer agreed to prepare.
8. Children, Pets and Animal Waste
8.1. Children, pets and other persons not involved in the work must be kept away from the working area, machinery and vehicles for the duration of the work.
8.2. Dogs and other animals must be securely restrained and prevented from entering the working area.
8.3. The customer must remove all dog or other animal faeces from lawns, borders, access routes and working areas before our arrival.
8.4. If animal waste must be cleared before we can work safely, a minimum £50 animal-waste clearance charge will be added to the invoice. Larger or heavily contaminated areas may be charged at our normal labour rate in addition to this charge.
8.5. We reserve the right to refuse to begin or suspend work where animal waste creates an unacceptable hygiene or safety risk. Any resulting wasted journey, labour or rescheduling costs may be charged to the customer.
9. Underground and Hidden Services
9.1. The customer must tell us about the location of underground and concealed services, including electricity, gas, water, drainage, irrigation, internet cables, oil pipes and private supplies.
9.2. Plans and information supplied by the customer must be accurate and complete.
9.3. We will take reasonable precautions but cannot be responsible for damage to services or structures that were incorrectly marked, inadequately protected, hidden or not disclosed and could not reasonably have been identified.
9.4. Stump grinding normally removes the stump to an agreed depth but does not remove the entire root system. The customer must identify underground services before grinding begins.
10. Tree Work and Legal Permissions
10.1. The customer is responsible for confirming ownership of trees, hedges and boundaries and obtaining any necessary neighbour consent.
10.2. Trees may be protected by a Tree Preservation Order, conservation-area controls, planning conditions, restrictive covenants or other legal restrictions.
10.3. Unless expressly included in the quotation, responsibility for checking and obtaining consent remains with the customer.
10.4. If we agree to submit an application on the customer’s behalf, we cannot guarantee that consent will be granted or control how long the relevant authority takes to decide.
10.5. Work will not proceed where we reasonably believe it would be unlawful, unsafe or contrary to an authority’s decision.
11. Wildlife and Nesting Birds
11.1. All work is subject to applicable wildlife legislation.
11.2. We may inspect trees, hedges and vegetation before or during work. If an active nest, protected species or other ecological constraint is found, work may be delayed, altered or stopped.
11.3. Any additional visit, survey, specialist advice or rescheduling cost will be discussed with the customer and may be charged separately where appropriate.
12. Arisings and Waste
12.1. Branches, timber, woodchip, soil, spoil and other waste will be removed only where stated in the quotation.
12.2. Timber will be cut to manageable lengths only where specifically agreed. Splitting, stacking and moving timber to another area are not included unless stated.
12.3. Woodchip and logs left at the customer’s request become the customer’s responsibility.
12.4. We will transport and dispose of controlled waste in accordance with our applicable legal obligations.
12.5. Where removal is included, we will leave the working area reasonably clean and tidy.
13. Landscaping Materials and Plants
13.1. Natural products such as stone, timber, turf and soil may vary in colour, texture, grain, dimensions and appearance. These natural variations are not normally defects.
13.2. Timber can shrink, swell, split, twist, fade or release resin as it responds to weather and moisture.
13.3. Samples and photographs provide a general indication only and may not exactly match delivered materials.
13.4. Plants are living products. Their success depends on watering, soil, weather, pests and ongoing maintenance.
13.5. Unless a separate written plant guarantee is supplied, we cannot guarantee plants or turf after completion where failure results from insufficient watering, overwatering, neglect, animal damage, extreme weather, disease or unsuitable maintenance.
13.6. The customer is responsible for watering and aftercare once instructions have been provided and the work has been handed over.
14. Ground Conditions and Drainage
14.1. Landscaping quotations are based on visible ground conditions. Additional charges may apply if we discover buried concrete, rubble, contaminated soil, excessive roots, poor subsoil, unexpected groundwater or other concealed obstructions.
14.2. Unless expressly included, landscaping work does not guarantee the elimination of standing water or resolve wider drainage problems beyond the worked area.
14.3. Some settlement of newly filled ground, soil, turf and paving sub-bases may occur. Normal maintenance and minor settlement are not necessarily defects.
15. Variations and Additional Work
15.1. Changes requested after acceptance may affect the price and completion date.
15.2. Wherever reasonably possible, additional work and its price will be agreed before it is carried out.
15.3. Urgent work necessary to make the site safe may be undertaken without prior approval where it is not reasonably possible to contact the customer. We will explain the work and any reasonable additional charge as soon as possible.
16. Completion and Inspection
16.1. The customer should inspect the completed work as soon as reasonably possible.
16.2. Any concern should be reported promptly, preferably within seven days, with photographs where appropriate. This reporting period does not reduce the customer’s statutory rights.
16.3. We must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where we are responsible, correct the issue before another contractor is engaged.
16.4. Minor snagging items do not entitle the customer to withhold an unreasonable proportion of the outstanding payment.
17. Payment
17.1. Payment is due according to the quotation or invoice. Unless otherwise agreed, the balance is payable immediately upon completion.
17.2. The customer must raise any genuine invoice query promptly and pay any undisputed amount by the due date.
17.3. We may suspend work or withhold further services where an agreed payment is overdue.
17.4. For commercial customers, we reserve the right to claim statutory interest and recovery costs on overdue invoices under applicable late-payment legislation.
17.5. For consumers, any interest or debt-recovery costs will be reasonable, proportionate and permitted by law.
17.6. The customer will remain responsible for reasonable costs properly incurred in recovering an overdue debt where legally recoverable.
18. Our Responsibility
18.1. We will carry out services with reasonable care and skill and use suitable materials where materials form part of the contract.
18.2. We are responsible for foreseeable loss or damage caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill or by our breach of contract.
18.3. We are not responsible for pre-existing damage, disease, decay, structural weakness or defects that could not reasonably have been identified before work began.
18.4. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or the customer’s statutory rights.
18.5. We are not responsible for business losses suffered by a domestic consumer where the services were purchased wholly for private use.
19. Complaints
19.1. If the customer is dissatisfied, they should contact us promptly and explain the issue, including photographs where helpful.
19.2. We will investigate complaints fairly and aim to provide a response within 14 days.
19.3. Contact details:
J.B Treecare and Landscaping
Telephone: 07894 291713
Email: josh@jbtreecaresussex.co.uk
Website: www.jbtreecaresussex.co.uk
20. Personal Information
20.1. We may use customer information to prepare quotations, communicate about work, provide services, issue invoices, maintain business records and meet legal obligations.
20.2. Personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable UK data-protection law and our privacy notice.
20.3. We will not use identifiable photographs of the customer, their family or private information for advertising without appropriate permission.
21. Governing Law
21.1. These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
21.2. Customers living in Scotland or Northern Ireland retain any mandatory rights to bring proceedings in their local courts.
22. General Provisions
22.1. If one part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.
22.2. A delay in enforcing any right does not mean that right has been waived.
22.3. These terms, the accepted quotation and any agreed written variations form the contract between us and the customer.
Customer Acceptance
By accepting our quotation, the customer confirms that they have read and accepted these terms and conditions.
Customer name: __________________________________
Property address: _________________________________
Quotation number: _________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________