NPTC Chainsaw Certificates Explained — The Units, Costs & Where to Train (UK 2026)

NPTC Chainsaw Certifications — The Complete UK Guide

In short: for professional chainsaw work you need the City & Guilds NPTC unit 0039-20 (chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting) at minimum. Most tree surgery firms also expect 0039-21 (felling small trees up to 380mm) for ground staff, and climbers add 0039-22 (climbing trees and aerial rescue) and 0039-23 (using a chainsaw from a rope and harness). LANTRA's equivalent qualifications are accepted by most employers too.

Whether you're a landowner wanting to legally use a chainsaw, a new entrant to tree surgery, or an experienced arborist checking which tickets you still need — this guide breaks down every NPTC chainsaw unit, what each one covers, how much they cost, and where to train.

What is NPTC?

NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council) is the assessment body, now part of City & Guilds. The chainsaw qualifications are City & Guilds Level 2 and Level 3 Certificates of Competence in "Chainsaw and Related Operations" (0039), as NPTC lists them.

They are a recognised way to show you can use a chainsaw safely at work in the UK. PUWER reg 9 requires adequate training. HSE's guidance on chainsaws (INDG317) says you should hold a relevant certificate of competence before chainsaw work on or in a tree, unless you're training under supervision.

Key point: There's no legal requirement for private landowners to hold NPTC certificates to use a chainsaw on their own land. But it's strongly recommended, and many insurance policies require certification.

The Chainsaw Units Explained

NPTC's current catalogue lists the chainsaw units by 0039 code and name. You'll still see the older "CS" numbers in job adverts and course listings. In NPTC's older papers, CS30 was chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting, CS31 felling and processing trees up to 380mm, CS38 climbing trees and performing aerial rescue, and CS39 using a chainsaw from a rope and harness (NPTC's 2013 qualification factsheet; the CS38 and CS39 unit sheets, 2010). Today's units with matching names are 0039-20, 0039-21, 0039-22 and 0039-23. When you book, check the unit name against NPTC's list. Ask your training centre which units it needs you to hold first.

0039-20 — Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-Cutting (Level 2; CS30 in NPTC's older papers)

The foundation unit. Everyone starts here.

Covers basic chainsaw maintenance, safety checks, PPE requirements, and crosscutting timber on the ground. This is not felling — you're working on already-downed timber.

What you'll learn:

• Chainsaw components and how they work
• Pre-start safety checks and daily maintenance
• Chain sharpening and tension adjustment
• Crosscutting techniques (standing and braced timber)
• Dealing with compression and tension in timber
• Emergency procedures

Duration: most providers sell 0039-20 and 0039-21 as one course: usually 5 training days plus an assessment day for the two (providers' own course pages, checked 22 October 2026) Cost: see How Much Does the Full Set Cost? below, for what training providers charge Who needs it: Everyone. This is the minimum for any professional chainsaw use.

0039-21 — Felling Small Trees up to 380mm (Level 2; CS31 in NPTC's older papers)

Small tree felling — the bread and butter.

Covers felling trees with a diameter up to 380mm (about 15 inches) at the point of felling. This is the unit that lets you take down small to medium trees using standard felling techniques.

What you'll learn:

• Site assessment and planning
• Escape routes and drop zones
• Sink cuts and back cuts
• Directional felling techniques
• Dealing with hung-up trees (basic)
• Processing felled timber
• Working on slopes

Duration: usually 5 training days plus an assessment day for 0039-20 and 0039-21 together (see 0039-20) Cost: see How Much Does the Full Set Cost? below, for what training providers charge Who needs it: Any arborist doing groundwork felling. Most tree surgery companies require this as a minimum for ground staff.

0039-22 — Climbing Trees and Aerial Rescue (Level 2; CS38 in NPTC's older papers)

Climbing and rescue — the start of aerial work.

Covers climbing trees and aerial rescue: getting an injured climber safely down. Practise the rescue repeatedly before your assessment. For the harness, ropes, and hardware you'll need, see our best arborist climbing gear guide.

Duration: usually 5 training days plus an assessment (providers' own course pages, checked 22 October 2026) Cost: see How Much Does the Full Set Cost? below, for what training providers charge

0039-23 — Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness (Level 2; CS39 in NPTC's older papers)

Tree climbing with a chainsaw — the arborist qualification.

This is the big one for tree surgeons. Covers using a chainsaw while working at height from a rope and harness system. It's what separates tree climbers from ground staff.

What you'll learn:

• Working position selection and limb walking
• Sectional dismantling of branches and stems
• Rigging basics (lowering sections to the ground)
• Handsawing from a rope and harness
• Chainsaw operation in the canopy — gripping both handles wherever possible; HSE's guidance on top-handled chainsaws (AFAG308) says one-handed use should be restricted to cutting at extended reach when one hand is needed to keep a stable working position
• Risk assessment for aerial chainsaw work

Duration: usually 2–3 training days plus an assessment day (providers' own course pages, checked 22 October 2026) Cost: see How Much Does the Full Set Cost? below, for what training providers charge Who needs it: Anyone who climbs trees professionally. Together with 0039-22, this is the core qualification for a working tree surgeon.

0039-33 and 0039-34 — Felling and Processing Medium and Large Trees (Level 3)

Larger tree felling — serious business.

Felling trees over 380mm is two Level 3 units: 0039-33 Felling and Processing Medium Trees over 380mm and up to 760mm, and 0039-34 Felling and Processing Large Trees over 760mm. They require more advanced techniques including sectional cuts and handling large trees with significant lean or defects.

What you'll learn:

• Advanced felling techniques for large timber
• Bore cuts and hinge modifications
• Dealing with heavy lean, dead trees, and wind-blown timber
• Use of felling aids (wedges, winches, felling levers)
• Risk assessment for complex fells

Duration: ask providers; these units weren't in our check Cost: ask providers; these units weren't in our price check Who needs it: Ground-based arborists working on mature trees, forestry workers. Not required for climbing arborists who typically section fell from above.

0039-38 — Use of a Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) (Level 3)

Using a chainsaw from a mobile elevating work platform.

Covers chainsaw operation from a cherry picker or other MEWP. Increasingly popular as an alternative or complement to climbing.

Buying or hiring the platform itself? Our spider lift and MEWP guide covers the checks and the six-monthly thorough examination.

What you'll learn:

• MEWP pre-use checks and operation (IPAF ticket recommended separately)
• Chainsaw use from an elevated platform
• Sectional dismantling from a MEWP
• Working near power lines and structures
• Emergency procedures specific to MEWP work

Duration: ask providers; this unit wasn't in our check Cost: ask providers; this unit wasn't in our price check Who needs it: Arborists using cherry pickers regularly. For utility work near overhead power lines, NPTC runs separate Utility Arboriculture units (0038), including 0038-35 Utility Arboriculture Use of Chainsaw from a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) at Level 3 (NPTC's Utility Arboriculture list).

The other units

NPTC's list also includes, at Level 2: 0039-24 Arboricultural Ground Worker, 0039-25 Branch Removal and Crown Breakdown, 0039-26 Powered Pole Pruner Maintenance and Operation and 0039-27 Felling Utility Poles. At Level 3: 0039-30 Assisted Felling, 0039-31 Aerial Tree Pruning, 0039-32 Aerial Tree Rigging, 0039-35 Dealing with Interwoven Stems and Part Blown Trees, 0039-36 Emergency Treework Planning and 0039-37 Individual Windblown Trees.

Stump grinding and chemical stump treatment aren't chainsaw units. Using a pesticide authorised for professional use, such as a stump treatment, needs its own specified certificate, unless you're training under the direct and personal supervision of someone who holds one, in their presence (Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 reg 8 and reg 2).

How Much Does the Full Set Cost?

These are the prices UK training providers published on their own websites, checked on 22 October 2026, rounded to the pound: the same check as in our guide to becoming an arborist. Some include VAT and the NPTC assessment, some add one or both, so check what's included before you book.

Where a provider listed all four Level 2 tickets, the total came to about £2,000 to £3,950 as published. The larger-tree felling units (0039-33 and 0039-34) and the MEWP unit (0039-38) weren't in that check: ask providers for their prices.

Tip: As the table shows, many training centres sell 0039-20 and 0039-21 as one course. Compare that with booking them separately.

You may not have to pay it all yourself: an employer must arrange the training your job needs, and apprenticeships, Farming Connect in Wales and ELCAS for service leavers can help. Our guide to getting tickets funded says who qualifies for what.

Training vs Assessment-Only

If you're already experienced, you can book assessment-only (sometimes called "direct assessment"). It usually costs less than a course with training, but you need to already be competent. The assessor won't teach you; they'll just observe and mark.

Assessment-only is suitable if:

• You've been working with chainsaws for years under supervision
• You've been trained by a suitably qualified instructor and have consolidated it at work under supervision from someone who holds the relevant certificate (INDG317)
• You just need the ticket to prove what you can already do

Book the full training if:

• You're genuinely learning
• It's been a while since you used a chainsaw
• You've failed an assessment-only before
• You want the confidence of proper structured training

What Happens on Assessment Day

Honey Brothers has published a four-part video series on YouTube about what to expect on NPTC assessment day, one video for each of the first four units:

• Part 1: Chainsaw Maintenance & Cross-Cutting (0039-20)
• Part 2: Felling & Processing Trees up to 380mm (0039-21)
• Part 3: Tree Climbing & Aerial Rescue (0039-22)
• Part 4: Chainsaw from Rope and Harness (0039-23)

The videos are made by Honey Brothers, not TreeBay. Assessments can change, so ask your training centre what yours will cover.

Where to Train in the UK

National Providers

• Lantra — one of the main awarding bodies alongside City & Guilds. Lantra Awards are equally valid as NPTC certificates.
• NPTC/City & Guilds centres — hundreds across the UK. Search the City & Guilds centre finder.

Finding Local Training

The best approach:

1. Ask other arborists — word of mouth is the most reliable way to find a good trainer. A bad instructor can set you up to fail.
2. Check Arbtalk — the forums have a training section with recommendations by region.
3. Your local college — many agricultural/land-based colleges offer NPTC chainsaw courses.
4. TreeBay Training — course adverts from training providers, searchable by location.

What to Look For in a Training Provider

• Small groups — HSE recommends no more than 4 trainees per instructor on an organised chainsaw course, and one-to-one during initial practical work (INDG317). You need hands-on time with the saw, not watching others.
• Experienced assessors — ideally someone who's worked as an arborist, not just a trainer.
• Good venue — access to a variety of trees (not just a few pre-cut logs).
• Equipment — ask what the centre lends you for the training days, and what you need to bring to the assessment, such as your own saw, fuel and PPE. NPTC's assessment pack for 0039-20 lists a petrol-driven chainsaw with a guide bar of up to 15 inches, fuel and chainsaw oil (City & Guilds 0039-20 assessment pack, December 2025).
• Pass rates — ask what their first-time pass rate is, and how they support people who don't pass first time.

PPE Requirements

You'll need full chainsaw PPE for training and assessment:

• Helmet with mesh visor (EN 1731) and ear defenders (EN 352): EN 397, EN 14052 or EN 12492 for ground units; a mountaineering-style EN 12492 helmet for climbing and aerial units (HSE: chainsaw PPE)
• Chainsaw trousers — Type A minimum for the ground units (0039-20, 0039-21), Type C for chainsaw work from a rope and harness (0039-23) (EN 381-5)
• Chainsaw boots — to EN ISO 17249
• Chainsaw gloves — left hand protection minimum (EN 381-7)
• First aid kit — a personal kit with a large wound dressing (HSE: Chainsaws at work). The forestry industry's own guide adds a tourniquet, which it calls "essential for chainsaw operators", and says to get trained in using the kit's contents (FISA Safety Guide 802)
• Hi-vis vest (some sites require it)

First aid training. There's no legal requirement for a chainsaw operator to hold an emergency first aid at work certificate, but HSE recommends one, and says anyone working with chainsaws needs to be trained in emergency first aid, in particular how to control major bleeding and deal with crush injuries (HSE: Chainsaws at work). Forestry work asks for more: Forestry and Land Scotland's first aid policy (dated 2015) requires first aid training "delivered with a forestry context" (EFAW+F or FAW+F, the "+F") for harvesting and similar work on its land (FLS first aid policy). Check what a site or client asks for before you book.

Budget for a full set of quality PPE. Don't skimp — this kit saves limbs and lives. For a complete breakdown of training costs, PPE, and kit alongside everything else you need to start working, see our tree surgery startup costs guide.

How Long Do Certificates Last?

NPTC/City & Guilds certificates do not expire. They're a record of competence at the time of assessment.

However:

• HSE recommends refresher training: every 2–3 years for occasional users, and every 5 years for full-time users (INDG317)
• Insurance companies may require proof of recent assessment
• Some clients (councils, utilities, Network Rail) require certificates less than 5 years old

Practical advice: Even if your certificate is technically valid, refresher training at HSE's intervals keeps your skills sharp and your paperwork current.

Common Questions

Do you need a chainsaw licence?

There's no chainsaw licence as such. For work, PUWER reg 9 requires adequate training, and HSE's chainsaw leaflet quotes the Approved Code of Practice: "Before using a chainsaw to carry out work on or in a tree, a worker should have received appropriate training and obtained a relevant certificate of competence or national competence award, unless they are undergoing such training and are adequately supervised" (INDG317); in agriculture, HSE says this applies only to first-time users. The certificates don't expire: HSE suggests refresher training every two to three years for occasional users and every five years for full-time users (see How Long Do Certificates Last?).

Can I use a chainsaw without NPTC?

Privately on your own land, yes. For work, PUWER reg 9 requires adequate training. HSE's guidance on chainsaws (INDG317) says you should hold a relevant certificate of competence before chainsaw work on or in a tree, unless you're training under supervision.

Can I go straight to the climbing units?

Ask your training centre which units it needs first. The units build on each other.

Is LANTRA the same as NPTC?

They're different awarding bodies but the qualifications are equivalent and equally recognised. Most employers and clients accept either.

I failed my assessment. What now?

An assessment is pass or fail: NPTC's 0039-20 assessment pack says that if any task isn't met, the candidate is unsuccessful (assessment pack). Ask your centre how to rebook: what a reassessment costs, whether you redo the whole assessment, and whether it offers more training or a practice session first. If you're unhappy with how the assessment was run, centres must have an appeals procedure, and City & Guilds arbitrates if the centre can't resolve it (0039-20 qualification handbook).

Do I need the larger-tree felling units as a climbing arborist?

Not usually. Climbing arborists section-fell large trees from above (0039-23). 0039-33 and 0039-34 are for felling larger trees from the ground. They're useful but not essential for climbers.