Hazardous Tree Assessment: Is Your Tree Safe?
A hazardous tree assessment is a professional look at one tree, or a few, to judge how likely it is to fail and what it would hit if it did. The result is a recommendation: leave it and check again, prune it, support it with cables, or take it down. It also gives you something to point to if a neighbour, an insurer or the city asks why you acted.
Describe the job and add your city. Free to request, no obligation.
A tree is not hazardous just because it is old or large. The question is whether there is a defect, such as decay, a crack, a bad lean or damaged roots, and whether the tree stands over something that matters, like a house, a play area, a driveway or a parking space. A defective tree in an empty field is a lesser problem than a sound tree directly above a bedroom.
Some cities ask for a written arborist report before they approve a removal permit, especially for protected trees. If you think you may need one, mention the city and the permit in your request.
What the work includes
- Visual inspection of the roots, root flare, trunk and crown
- Looking for fungus, cavities, cracks and included bark in forks
- Checking the lean and soil for signs of recent movement
- Identifying the species and its known weak points
- Noting what is within reach if the tree or a large limb falls
- Photos of the defects found
- A written recommendation: monitor, prune, support or remove
- Guidance on how often the tree should be looked at again
Warning signs worth an expert look
Mushrooms or brackets growing at the base or on the trunk
A hollow, or a long vertical crack in the trunk or a main fork
A lean that is increasing, or fresh soil cracks beside the roots
Large dead branches in the crown over a roof, deck or driveway
Roots cut by trenching or construction near the trunk
A tight V-shaped fork with bark pinched between two stems
How the work goes, step by step
Tell us what worries you
Give the city, the tree species if you know it, what you have noticed and what stands beneath.
On-site inspection
The specialist walks around the tree, looks at roots and soil, and checks the trunk and crown up close.
Judging the risk
The likelihood of failure and the cost of failure are weighed together, including what is under the tree.
Written findings
Photos, a plain description of the defects and a recommendation are sent to you.
Decide next steps
You choose whether to prune, support, remove or simply monitor, and you can get a separate quote for the work.
What changes the price
- Number of trees
- One tree is a short visit, while a row along a property line takes more time and notes.
- Depth of inspection
- A visual check costs less than a detailed review that includes probing the trunk or roots.
- Report format
- A short written summary is simpler than a formal report written for a permit or an insurer.
- Size and height
- Large crowns need more time to examine, sometimes with climbing.
- Site complexity
- A tree among buildings, wires and neighbours requires more thought about targets.
What a good quote spells out
- The defects found, described plainly, with photos
- A clear recommendation and the reasoning behind it
- What could be hit if the tree or a limb fell, and how serious that would be
- A timeline: act now, act this season or re-inspect in a set period
- Whether the report will satisfy your city or insurer if you need one
Hazard Tree Assessment: questions people ask
How can you tell if a tree is about to fall?
Warnings include fresh soil cracks or heaving near the roots, a lean that has changed, fungus at the base, trunk cracks and large dead limbs. None of these proves failure on its own, but together they justify an inspection.
Does a hazardous tree always need to be removed?
No. Many can be made safer with pruning, cabling or by moving whatever sits under them, and some only need regular monitoring. Removal is recommended when the defect cannot be managed.
Who is responsible if a tree falls on a neighbour's property?
It depends on whether you knew, or should have known, that the tree was a risk. A tree that fell in a healthy state in a storm is often treated differently from one with known decay that was ignored. Check with your insurer and keep records of any assessment.
Can an assessment help with getting a removal permit?
It can. Cities that protect larger or special trees often want evidence of decline or danger, and a written assessment with photos is the usual form. Ask your city what it accepts.
Other Turnex services
A Tree That Needs Work? Get It Looked At.
Fill out the quote form with your city and a short description of the tree. A local specialist follows up to look at the job and give you a written quote. Free to request, no obligation.
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