Tree surveys, or arboriculture surveys as they are also known, are vital as they help to detect and solve possible risks and hazards associated with trees.
The survey is especially important if you believe that a tree might be at risk of causing harm or damage to property, regardless of whether that is a domestic or commercial setting. Therefore, if a tree is considered a risk, then it is the owner’s legal duty of care to others to ensure that they have their trees inspected by professionals. Furthermore, if any recommendations are made, the work should also be completed in accordance with the tree report Essex that is supplied by the professionals.
What is a Tree Survey?
The survey is designed to provide a full inspection of the health and the risk of the associated tree or groups of trees and the survey will provide a range of information including:
- The species of tree, the age and conditions
- Any issues that might require remedial work
- Work that has to be prioritised
A tree survey is not necessarily a legal requirement, but tree owners have to look at the risk associated with the trees that they own. Should those trees cause damage or harm, then they will be held legally responsible and that is where problems can arise. This could lead to fines and even imprisonment in some instances, depending on the outcome.
A tree survey will assess any potential defects as well as physiological issues and pathogens. It will also look for any problems that might arise in the future.
After the survey has taken place, you will be given all of the relevant information in a clear and concise form, that makes it easy to digest and understand. This will then enable you to see the recommended action that you will need to take in order to maintain your duty of care while also helping to keep your tree and surrounding trees healthy. This could include work such as shortening an exposed limb that might fail in high winds.
How often should a tree be inspected?
As mentioned, it is not a legal requirement but of course, you wouldn’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of the law if your tree caused damage and you had not had it inspected. Therefore, the government recommends that a survey should take place every five years. However, if you do spot a problem or risk, then you should have a survey carried out as soon as possible.This will ensure that the tree can be correctly assessed. Furthermore, you should also check your trees after any adverse weather conditions with the aim of looking for any possible damage that could pose a risk.
So, you should make sure that you use a professional arborist to carry out the survey. This will ensure that they use their experience, knowledge and qualifications to ensure that your trees are safe and are not going to become a risk to you, others and property located nearby.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
