Questions & steps
Answers, in the order people ask
The screens, one by one
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The base and the lean
2 answers
Start at the bottom, where the tree meets the soil. A tree that has always leaned is usually fine; one that started leaning recently is the emergency.
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The trunk
3 answers
Run a hand along the trunk and look for anything that was not there last year: a seam, an opening, a bracket of fungus.
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The crown
3 answers
Deadwood is the commonest thing that falls on a person and the easiest defect to see from the ground. Look for limbs with no leaves in summer, and for a fork splitting with bark trapped inside it.
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What is underneath
2 answers
A defect is only a hazard if something below it matters. Be honest about how much the space is actually used rather than how it looks on the day you answer.
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Your risk rating
The answer
A rating from low to extreme, the defects that drove it, and the action that follows — written so you know whether to prune, to move people, or to call now.
Questions
What are the signs that a tree is dangerous?
A new lean or a heaving root plate, mushrooms or conks at the base, deep cracks or seams in the trunk, large cavities, an unusual amount of deadwood, and sudden dieback in the crown. Any of those over a road, a roof or a path deserves a professional assessment.
My tree leans. Is that a problem?
A lean a tree grew into is often normal. A lean that appeared recently — especially with soil lifting on the far side — is a root-plate failing, and that is an emergency. The key is which of those it is.
Can a dangerous tree be saved?
Sometimes. Pruning, deadwooding, thinning and support systems can reduce load on a tree with a sound base. Where the base or root plate is compromised, no cable or brace will hold it, and removal is the honest answer.
How often should a large tree be inspected?
Annually for a tree over a house or a road, and after every significant wind or fire event. Older trees with known defects deserve a written re-inspection each year.
The tree looks healthy. Can it still be a hazard?
Yes — the defects that fail first are usually the ones you cannot see. Conks at the base mean decay inside a trunk that still carries a full crown, and a fork with bark trapped in the union can look completely normal. That is why the rating counts defects rather than the tree's general appearance.
How soon should a high rating be acted on?
Before the next wind event rather than before the next convenient month. A high rating means a significant defect over something that matters, so keep people, vehicles and pets out from under the tree in the meantime. A written assessment and a firm price usually land within a week of your call.
Terms, and what these figures are not
Every figure this tool returns is an estimate or general information — not a quote, a bid, an offer, an appraisal, an inspection or legal advice.
Talk to our team
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