From Aldershot to Alton Village, Burlington is full of cedar hedges planted twenty or thirty years ago that are now taller than the house and wider than the path. Trimmed regularly, a cedar hedge stays green for decades. Left alone, it turns into a brown-bottomed wall. Here is what trimming costs, how to bring an overgrown hedge back, and the rules worth knowing.
2026 hedge trimming prices in Burlington
| Job | Typical 2026 price |
|---|---|
| Cedar hedge shaping, sides and top, clippings hauled | $18 - $32 per linear metre |
| Shrub pruning (boxwood, yew, spirea, hydrangea and similar) | $45 - $120 per shrub |
| Lowering an overgrown hedge, or tying and wrapping for winter | Quoted on site |
Price is per linear metre, adjusted for height, depth and access. A hedge under 2 m that is trimmed every year is quick work. Over about 2.5 m, the crew needs a platform or lift. A hedge left for several years takes two to three times longer, and the clippings alone can fill a trailer. Lakeshore and Aldershot lots with long, tall hedges sit at the top of the range. Newer Orchard, Millcroft and Alton hedges are often under 2 m and at the low end.
Is your hedge overgrown? Signs to look for
| What you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Thick top, thin or bare bottom | The top is shading the base | Narrow the top so the sides slope in slightly; feed and water |
| Hedge splayed open, gaps in the middle | Snow load or ice spread the stems | Pull together and tie in fall; trim the top rounded |
| Brown patches along the road side | Salt spray or snow piled on it | Burlap screen for winter; trim out dead tips in spring |
| Taller than you can reach, over 3 m | Missed several seasons | Lower the top in one visit, narrow the sides over 2 to 3 years |
| Brown inside, green outside | Normal for cedar; old inner leaves drop each fall | Nothing, unless the outside is browning too |
Bringing back an overgrown cedar hedge
Cedar has one big limitation: it does not regrow from bare brown wood. That shapes how an overgrown hedge is fixed.
- Height first. The top of a cedar is its youngest wood and can be cut down to the height you want, usually a little below it, so the new flat top fills in at the right level.
- Sides gradually. Cut each face back only as far as there is still green. Then repeat the following year, and the year after. Each season the hedge gets a little narrower and stays green.
- Shape for light. Leave the hedge slightly wider at the base than the top. Light reaching the lower branches keeps them alive.
- Feed and water. A hard-pruned hedge on Burlington's heavy clay recovers faster with a deep watering every week in dry spells and a layer of mulch over the roots.
If more than half the hedge is already bare at the base, replanting is often cheaper over five years than trying to rescue it. Our privacy hedge guide compares the best plants for a new one.
When to trim each type
- Cedar: June for the main cut, and late August for a light tidy. Stop by mid-September so cuts harden off before winter.
- Boxwood: early summer. Check inside for webbing and green caterpillars of box tree moth, an invasive pest now found across southern Ontario.
- Yew: early summer. Unlike cedar, yew sprouts from old wood and can be cut back hard.
- Privet and burning bush: after the spring flush and again mid-summer.
- Lilac, forsythia and spring-flowering spirea: right after the flowers fade.
Trimming season overlaps with nesting season, which the federal nesting period guidance puts at about early April to late August. Dense hedges are a favourite nest site, so we check for active nests and leave those sections until the young have left.
Neighbours, property lines and the street
Burlington's guidance on fences between neighbours treats hedges as a civil matter. The Division Fence By-law covers sharing the cost of a fence, not trimming a hedge. That means any arrangement on a shared hedge is between you and your neighbour. If the plants grow on the line, Ontario's Forestry Act treats boundary trees as owned by both of you, and injuring one without consent is an offence. Trim your own side and agree any height change together.
Hedges along the street matter too. Near a corner or a driveway, a tall hedge blocks drivers' view of children and cyclists. Burlington's zoning sets lower heights for fences close to the street. In the residential areas now under Zoning By-law 09-2026, check the current limit for your lot with City zoning staff through Service Burlington at 905-335-7777 before letting a front hedge grow tall. Keep hedges trimmed back from the sidewalk too, so people can pass and snow clearing is not blocked.
Getting cedars through winter
Wind off the lake and heavy, wet snow are hard on tall cedars, especially near the lakeshore and on the Escarpment edge in north Burlington. In November, loosely tie the tops of tall cedars with soft tree tie so snow cannot spread them apart. For hedges along Plains Road, New Street or Guelph Line, set a burlap screen on stakes between the hedge and the road to block salt spray. Leave a gap and never wrap in plastic. Ask us to add tying and wrapping to a fall cleanup.
Where we trim hedges in Burlington
Aldershot, Roseland, downtown, the lakeshore, Tyandaga, Brant Hills, Headon Forest, Millcroft, Orchard and Alton Village. For a big tree over the hedge, see Burlington tree trimming. If a hedge has to come out, stump grinding clears the roots.
Frequently asked questions
How much does hedge trimming cost in Burlington?
About $18 to $32 per linear metre for cedar with cleanup, and $45 to $120 per shrub. A 25 m hedge is roughly $450 to $800.
Can an overgrown cedar hedge be saved?
Usually. Lower the top in one visit, then narrow the sides a little each year, never cutting past the green. If most of the base is bare, replanting may be better.
When should I trim cedar hedges in Burlington?
June for the main trim and late August for a light tidy, finishing by mid-September.
Who is responsible for a hedge between neighbours?
It is a private matter between you. Burlington's division fence rules cover fences, not hedges.
Why is my cedar hedge brown inside?
Cedars shed old inner leaves every fall, so brown inside is normal. Browning on the outside points to salt, snow damage, drought or pests.
How do I stop snow splitting my cedars?
Tie tall cedars loosely in November and keep the tops rounded or narrow so snow slides off.