Tree Safety Reports in London

A tree safety report, also called a tree condition survey, is a professional inspection of a tree's health, structure and safety. A qualified arborist assesses each tree for decay, disease, deadwood and structural defects, then provides a written report with clear recommendations for any work needed. In London, these reports are most often commissioned by homeowners, landlords, managing agents, schools and commercial sites to meet their legal duty of care and to document that their trees are being responsibly managed.

GraftinGardeners has surveyed and cared for London's trees for over 15 years. Every report is prepared by an experienced, NPTC-qualified arborist with an extensive working knowledge of tree biology, structural defects, pests and disease. Our recommendations are impartial and made in the tree's best interests, starting with the least invasive option, and removal is only ever advised as a last resort.

Need a tree inspected? Call 0208 123 7653 or request a fixed-price quote, from £260, with inspections usually arranged within days.

Download an example tree safety report (PDF) we prepared for a London client, with details redacted, so you can see exactly what you will receive.

Who Needs a Tree Safety Report?

If you own or manage land with trees on it, the law treats you as responsible for them. Under the Occupiers' Liability Acts 1957 and 1984, you owe a duty of care to anyone who could be harmed by your trees, and for workplaces, schools and public sites the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies too. If a neglected tree drops a limb on a person, a car or a neighbour's roof, the owner who cannot show evidence of regular, competent inspection is the one exposed.

A professional tree safety report is how you meet that duty. In practice, we prepare reports for:

• Homeowners and house buyers, for peace of mind, insurance requirements, pre-purchase tree reports for mortgage lenders, neighbour disputes over a "dangerous" tree, or a post-storm check of a tree that no longer looks right.
• Landlords and managing agents, who need documented proof that trees across their properties are inspected and managed. See our services for landlords and managing agents.
• Schools and commercial sites, where trees stand over playgrounds, car parks and walkways and annual inspection is expected. See our commercial tree services.

Most properties need a professional inspection every three years, and busy sites like schools should have one annually.

What Your Tree Safety Report Includes

Every tree safety report we prepare in London records:

• Species, age, size and condition of each tree inspected
• Health assessment, including signs of disease, fungal decay, deadwood and pest damage such as Oak Processionary Moth
• Structural assessment, including cavities, weak unions, root plate movement and storm damage
• Risk evaluation based on the tree's condition and what is around it, from buildings and boundaries to footpaths, parking and play areas
• Clear recommendations, from monitoring or pruning through to removal, with priorities so you can plan and budget
• TPO and Conservation Area status, checked before any work is recommended, with council applications handled for you

Tree Surveys & 5 Year Management Plans

For sites with multiple trees, we map every tree, record its species and condition, and produce a five year management plan setting out what work each tree needs and when. Landlords, managing agents and schools use these plans to spread costs predictably across budgets while keeping a documented inspection trail.

We also offer single-tree reports for one tree of concern, full-site surveys with mapping, and repeat inspection schedules so your duty of care never lapses.

What's the Difference Between a Tree Safety Report and a Tree Condition Survey?

In practice, the two terms describe the same service and are used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, the condition survey is the inspection itself, the physical assessment of a tree's health and structure, while the safety report, sometimes called a tree condition report, is the written document that evaluates risk to people and property and sets out what should be done. Every report we produce includes both, the full condition assessment and the safety recommendations that follow from it.

The one survey this page does not cover is the planning survey. If you need a tree survey for a planning application or development, that is a BS5837 tree survey, which follows a different standard and format.

How Much Does a Tree Safety Report Cost in London?

A basic tree safety inspection starts from £260, with full-site surveys and management plans quoted individually based on the number of trees and the complexity of the site. Every quote is a fixed written price, so you know the cost before we start. For typical prices across all our services, see our tree surgeon cost guide for London.

Why Choose GraftinGardeners for Your Tree Safety Report?

Most survey providers hand you a report and leave you to find a contractor. We are a family-run London tree surgery company with over 1,000 genuine five-star reviews, so the arborist who identifies the work can also carry it out, to BS3998, fully insured to £10m, with all waste removed and recycled. One team, one point of responsibility, no gap between recommendation and action.

Just as importantly, we are strong believers in tree conservation and preservation, and we never recommend work a tree does not need. Where monitoring or light pruning is enough, that is exactly what your report will say. This impartiality is why our reports stand up to scrutiny from insurers, councils and neighbours alike.

How it works: contact us with your address and a brief description of the trees; we visit and inspect; your written report arrives by email with photographs, findings and priced recommendations; and if you would like the work carried out, we schedule it, usually within a couple of weeks. Explore our full range of tree surveying services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tree safety report?

A tree safety report is a professional inspection of a tree's health, structure and safety by a qualified arborist. It assesses disease, decay, deadwood and structural defects, and results in a written report with recommendations for any work needed.

What is the difference between a tree safety report and a tree condition survey?

They describe the same service. The condition survey is the physical inspection of the tree's health and structure, and the safety report is the written document that evaluates risk to people and property and recommends action. A professional report includes both.

How much does a tree safety report cost in London?

A basic tree safety inspection starts from £260. Full-site surveys and five year management plans are quoted individually based on the number of trees and site complexity, always as a fixed written price.

How often should trees be inspected?

Every three years is the usual recommended baseline for a domestic garden. If you run a school, a commercial site, or anywhere people are regularly underneath the trees, make it annual. After a big storm, get anything that looks different checked straight away rather than waiting for the next visit.

Am I legally responsible for the trees on my property?

Yes, you are. The Occupiers' Liability Acts 1957 and 1984 place the duty of care on whoever owns or occupies the land, and if it is a workplace, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 also applies. The law does not expect your trees to be perfect. It expects you to have had them properly assessed and to have acted on what you were told.

Do I need a tree survey for a planning application?

Planning applications need a BS5837 tree survey, which is a different report prepared to the British Standard for trees in relation to design and construction. We provide those too, from £460.

Book Your Tree Safety Report in London

Call 0208 123 7653 or request a free, no-obligation quote. We cover every London borough and can usually get someone out to you within a few days.