Need a tree report for a managed site, an insurer’s request or a planning application? Start with what you need to decide. We can arrange a separately quoted survey with the inspection scope, report author and fee agreed before you book.
Commercial Tree Surgery is operated by Ross Webster Tree Services. We cover County Durham, North Yorkshire and the North East, helping property and estates teams turn a concern about trees into a clear brief and a usable written record.
Send the site postcode, any existing report and the wording of the request you have received. You do not need to know the technical name of the survey.
Request a survey quote · Call 07423 269635
A formal survey or report is a paid service. A free visit to quote for tree work does not include one.
Which report do you need?
The reason for the report determines the work involved. These are useful starting points when you enquire.
| What you need to do | What to ask us about | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Review trees around an occupied site | A survey of the agreed site areas, with recorded findings and prioritised recommendations | A site plan, how the grounds are used and any existing tree references |
| Establish a register of all trees in an agreed area | An inventory with agreed identification, mapping and data fields | The boundary, existing tags or plans, and the format your team needs |
| Supply information for development or planning | A planning survey and the particular documents your application requires | The proposal, current drawings and the planning officer’s request or condition |
| Respond to an insurer’s request | A report scoped to that request; specialist investigations may be needed | The insurer’s exact wording and any engineer’s or previous consultant’s findings |
A condition report does not automatically include a full inventory. A planning survey does not automatically include every assessment or method statement required for a development. We set out the proposed deliverables so you can check the quote against the request.
For a development project, see the planning-survey service from Ross Webster Tree Services, the business behind this website.
Know what will arrive in your site file
Before commissioning, agree how the trees and findings will be recorded. For a commercial condition survey, the quotation should specify:
- The trees or areas included, and any areas excluded or inaccessible.
- Whether every tree receives an individual record, or the record focuses on trees requiring attention.
- How references will match the site plan, existing tags or other identifiers.
- The condition information, recommendations and priorities to be recorded.
- The inspection method and its limitations.
- The report format and expected delivery date.
If your organisation needs a spreadsheet, a particular asset-reference format or photographs for each recommendation, say so at the quotation stage. These requirements affect the scope; they should not be discovered after the report has been written.
Who will inspect the trees?
Your quotation identifies the proposed inspector or report author and the basis of their relevant competence. Ask for their inspection experience, qualifications and appropriate insurance information before appointing them. Where another professional is involved, the appointment and reporting arrangement should be clear.
Practical tree-work certificates and public liability insurance are useful contractor checks, but they are not substitutes for checking the competence and insurance relevant to a commissioned report.
HSE describes competence in terms of relevant training, skills, experience and knowledge, with specialist assistance where an issue falls outside the inspector’s expertise. HSE guidance on tree inspections.
A useful inspection has defined limits
A ground-level visual inspection records what can reasonably be assessed from the accessible viewpoints at the time. It cannot reveal every concealed defect or guarantee that a tree will never fail.
If a finding requires closer investigation, the next step might involve a specialist assessment, an aerial inspection or another investigation. That work needs its own agreed scope and price. The initial report should make clear what remains unresolved.
Inspection frequency should also reflect the site and its trees. A busy entrance, an infrequently used boundary and a tree with a known defect may need different arrangements. The National Tree Safety Group does not prescribe one inspection interval suitable for every situation. NTSG guidance, second edition, inspection procedures.
Recommendations you can act on
Receiving the report is the start of the management decision. Your team needs to know which recommendations need attention, who will arrange them and how completion will be recorded.
If tree work is recommended, we can price the specified work separately. You can use the report to seek other quotations, approve particular items or plan suitable phases. Commissioning a survey does not authorise pruning or removal.
Keep the original tree references when requesting work. They help you compare prices and connect the completion record to the recommendation. If you already have a report, use our guide to quoting recommended tree works or send it with your enquiry; a new survey is not automatically the first step.
For a continuing arrangement, ask about commercial tree maintenance.
What affects the survey price?
The fee depends on the area and number of trees, their accessibility, the assessment required and the amount of recording and reporting. Existing plans and a clear brief can make it easier to define the work.
A single-tree assessment, a survey across several occupied sites and a complete tree inventory are different commissions. We confirm what is included, any additional investigations excluded and the expected timetable before booking.
Questions before commissioning
Will the report satisfy my insurer?
Send the insurer’s written requirement first. We can establish whether the proposed scope is suitable for that request; acceptance remains the insurer’s decision. If the issue concerns building movement, a general tree condition report may be insufficient.
Can you quote without a complete tree list?
Yes. Start with a site plan or an approximate description of the area. We will explain what else is needed to define and price the survey. Do not spend time creating a detailed inventory just to ask for a quote.
Can you meet a deadline?
Include the required report date and why it matters. We will confirm availability and the expected delivery date before you commission the work.
What if a tree looks immediately unsafe?
Keep people clear and call us with the location and the concern. An urgent site problem needs a direct conversation rather than waiting for a routine survey enquiry. See emergency tree work.
Tell us what you need the report to answer
Send your site postcode, the purpose of the report and any request, plan or previous findings you already have. We will explain the proposed scope and provide a written fee quotation.
Request a survey quote · Call 07423 269635
No obligation to commission the survey or any subsequent tree work.
Request a quote
Send the site details and we will explain the next step. Call 07423 269635 or use the enquiry form below.
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