Tree Survey & Arboricultural FAQs

Arboriculture is the practice and science of planting, caring for, and managing trees and woody plants in urban and rural settings, focusing on their health, safety, structural integrity, and role in enhancing landscapes, biodiversity, and public spaces.

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An arboricultural consultant provides expert advice through professional arboricultural consultancy services relating to tree health, tree safety and long-term tree management. Their role includes conducting tree surveys, tree risk assessments, and impact assessments for planning and development, as well as recommending maintenance, protection, or removal of trees.

They work with landowners, developers, and local authorities to ensure tree-related decisions align with safety standards, environmental legislation, and sustainable practices, helping to preserve the country’s valuable tree stock while supporting land use objectives.

A tree survey is a detailed assessment carried out by a qualified tree surveyor to document the species, size, age, health, structural condition and location of individual trees and positioning, often including recommendations for maintenance or removal to ensure safety, compliance with local regulations, and ecological preservation.

Tree Surveys and Risk Assessments →

A tree risk assessment evaluates the likelihood of tree failure and forms an important part of tree risk management and potential impact of tree failure to guide safe management. The Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) uses statistical probabilities to establish risk thresholds, while the VALID method combines structured visual tree inspection with impact likelihood, helping to balance safety with tree conservation.

For more information visit: VALID or QTRA

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) in accordance with BS5837 assesses the potential effects of proposed development, demolition, or construction on existing trees. During a tree survey, it identifies trees for retention, removal, or protection, evaluates tree health, and provides guidance on protective measures to minimise damage during construction. This assessment helps integrate trees sustainably into the design, ensuring compliance with planning standards and successful long-term tree preservation.

Arboricultural Impact Assessments →

An Internal Tree Inspection, sometimes referred to as an Advanced Tree Inspection and historically known as ‘Advanced Decay Detection’, involves using specialised technology to assess the internal condition of a tree's trunk or major branches. Tools such as PiCUS sonic tomography, TreeTronic electrical resistance tomography, PD400 Microdrill resistance drilling and tree statics provide insights into the tree's structural integrity by detecting decay, cavities or weakened areas that may not be visible from the outside. This detailed tree diagnostics process supports informed management decisions, helping arborists to balance safety considerations with tree preservation.

For more information about the PiCUS please follow: sorbus-intl.co.uk/product/picus-sonic-tomograph

For more information about the Resi-PD400 Microdrill please follow: sorbus-intl.co.uk/product/iml-resi-pd

If there are trees on your site, or on neighbouring land close enough that their roots or canopies could be affected, your local planning authority is likely to expect a BS5837 tree survey and an Arboricultural Impact Assessment with your application. It’s best to commission the survey before the design is fixed, so the trees can be planned around rather than designed out late.

Arboricultural Impact Assessments →

A BS5837 tree survey follows British Standard BS5837:2012 Trees in relation to design, demolition and construction. Each tree is recorded with its species, size, condition and root protection area, and given a retention category. The survey shows which trees constrain the site and forms the basis of the Arboricultural Impact Assessment, Method Statement and Tree Protection Plan.

There’s no single legal interval. How often a tree should be inspected depends on its condition and how busy the area around it is: a tree beside a school playground or a busy road needs more attention than one in the middle of a field. Trees are also worth checking after severe storms. After a survey, we’ll recommend when your trees should be looked at again.

Your local planning authority can tell you whether a tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or sits in a conservation area. Work on a TPO tree usually needs consent, and in a conservation area you normally need to give the council six weeks’ notice before working on most trees. It’s worth checking before any work is planned.

Sonic tomography measures how sound travels through a tree’s stem. Sound moves more quickly through intact structural wood and more slowly through altered or decayed timber, so sensors placed around the trunk can produce a tomogram: a picture of the cross-section showing where the sound wood is. We use the PiCUS 3 Sonic Tomograph, often alongside electrical resistance tomography and microdrilling.

Internal Tree Inspection →

It depends on the number of trees, the size of the site and the type of report you need. A single tree inspection can often be done in a visit, while a site-wide or BS5837 survey takes longer. We’ll give you a timescale for the site visit and the report when we quote.

How long is a piece of string? Some companies will offer a fixed rate for a survey, but there are a number of contributing factors that can affect the cost of a survey.

They include but are not limited to, the following:

• Number of trees
• Location
• Level of tree detail required
• Purchase of site map
• Training, Qualifications and importantly EXPERIENCE
• Level of Insurance (if any!)

Every tree survey and tree report is tailored to the individual site and client's requirements, so the best way to get a price is to tell us about the trees and the site. We’ll explain what we’d recommend and give you a clear quote before any work starts.

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Beyond The Bark provides arboricultural consultancy, tree surveys, tree risk assessments and internal tree inspection services throughout Wiltshire, Bath, Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Wales and the wider UK.