Short answer
Write the tree work quote with the species, the work (fell, reduce by 30%, crown lift) and what happens to the stump and the timber, then upload it to Sign PDF and send it for the owner's signature. If the work needs a neighbour's permission to access their garden or drop sections over their fence, send them a short access form to sign as well.
Updated 25 October 2026
What a tree service contract should say
Tree work has more ways to go wrong after the price is agreed than almost any other garden trade. The client assumed the stump would go. The neighbour assumed nobody would stand in their garden. The logs were meant to be left for the wood burner, or meant to be taken away. A quote that answers each of these before you climb is worth more than one that only gives a price.
- Tree reference and species, matched to a photo or sketch (T1 sycamore, T2 leylandii hedge)
- Exact work: fell to ground level, reduce crown by 2 metres, lift to 5 metres over the drive
- Stump: left, ground to a stated depth, or treated
- Timber and brash: chipped and removed, logs left, or all taken
- Who checks for a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area, and who applies for consent
- Proof of your public liability insurance, and what you are not responsible for (hidden services, roots under paths)
Neighbour access and overhanging branches
Many tree removal jobs need access through a neighbour's garden, or sections lowered over a shared fence. Do not rely on the client saying the neighbour is fine with it. Send the neighbour a one-page access form naming the dates, the area you will use, and how you will protect their lawn and fence, and ask them to sign it.
A tree removal agreement between neighbours is also useful where two owners split the cost of felling a boundary tree. Put both names on the quote, state the split, and send it to both. Sign PDF gives each person their own signature and date box and seals the finished copy.
Protected trees and the paperwork you do not sign with us
In England and Wales, work on a tree covered by a Tree Preservation Order normally needs consent from the local planning authority, and trees in a conservation area usually need six weeks' notice to the council. In the US, many cities have their own tree removal permits. These are applications to the council or city, and they go through its own system. What Sign PDF is good for is the owner's written authority for you to apply on their behalf, and their signature on the quote once consent is granted.
Rules differ by council and by city. This is not legal advice; check with the planning authority before felling anything that might be protected.
Waivers and storm work
After a storm you may be asked to make a dangerous tree safe before there is time for a full quote. A short signed authority ("make safe only, full price to follow") protects you when the bill arrives. Some tree surgeons also use a waiver for things outside their control, such as damage to unmarked drains or roots lifting a path after a stump is ground. A waiver will not excuse your own negligence, so treat it as a record of what the owner was told, not a shield.
Signing from the driveway
Most tree quotes are agreed standing next to the tree. Write the quote on your phone or photograph your paper quote, upload it, and send it to the owner there and then. They sign on their own phone after confirming a code. Light at $5 a month covers 2 documents, which suits a climber who does a few big removals a month; a busy crew sending quotes and access forms every day will want Full at $10 for unlimited documents.
We only handle the signing. We do not book jobs, send invoices or take payment.
Questions people ask
Should a tree removal quote include stump grinding?
Price it as a separate line so the owner can choose. Say how deep you grind and whether the chippings are left in the hole or taken away.
Can a neighbour sign an access agreement electronically?
Yes. Add them as a signer with their email. They do not need an account, and the signed copy shows their name, email, device and the time they signed.
Who is responsible for checking a Tree Preservation Order?
Write it into the quote. Many tree surgeons check the council's TPO map themselves, but the contract should say who checked and who applies for consent if one is needed.
Does a liability waiver protect me if a branch falls on a car?
Generally not if you were negligent. A waiver can record risks the owner accepted, but your insurance is what covers accidents. This is not legal advice.
Send your next tree work quotation for signature
Upload it from your phone or laptop. The boxes go in the right places, your client signs on their phone, and you get a sealed copy back.
Upload a document