Types of tree survey
- Tree condition and safety survey
- An inspection of a tree's health and structure, with recommendations. Useful for large trees near houses, schools, roads or public paths, and for trees affected by ash dieback or fungi.
- BS5837 survey (planning)
- Required by most councils when a planning application affects trees. It records the trees on or near the site, grades them by quality (categories A, B, C and U), and sets out root protection areas. It's often followed by an Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) and an Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) setting out how trees will be protected during building work.
- Mortgage and insurance tree reports
- Lenders and insurers sometimes ask for a report when a surveyor flags a tree close to a property. The report assesses the risk to the building, for example from subsidence on clay soils, and recommends any work.
- Subsidence investigations
- Where cracking is suspected to be tree-related, an arborist can assess which trees are likely to be involved, usually alongside a structural engineer and the insurer.
Who can do them
Formal reports for planning, lenders or insurers should be written by a qualified arboricultural consultant, for example someone with a Level 4 or higher diploma in arboriculture, or a Registered Consultant of the Arboricultural Association. Not every tree surgery firm offers this. We list firms that say they offer surveys but don't check individual qualifications, so ask who will write the report, what they hold, and whether they carry professional indemnity insurance.