Tree Survey Guides & Answers
Straight answers on tree surveys, protected trees and planning conditions.
AIA vs AMS vs TPP vs TCP: Which Tree Report Do You Need? (2026)
AIA vs AMS vs TPP vs TCP explained: a clear decision matrix showing which BS5837 tree report you nee
How Much Does an Arboricultural Impact Assessment Cost? (2026)
Arboricultural impact assessment cost in the UK: standalone AIA prices, what drives them up, how it
What Does an Arboricultural Report Look Like? (Annotated Example)
A tree survey report example walked through section by section — the schedule, BS5837 categories, RP
Blanket TPOs, Area & Woodland Orders Explained (2026)
What is a blanket Tree Preservation Order? The four TPO types — individual, group, area and woodland
BS5837:2012 — What the Standard Actually Requires (2026)
A clause-level plain-English guide to what BS5837:2012 requires: tree categories, the RPA formula, t
The 5 Outputs of a BS5837 Survey: Survey, TCP, AIA, TPP, AMS
The types of tree survey explained: how the BS5837 survey, Tree Constraints Plan, AIA, Tree Protecti
BS5837 Tree Categories Explained (A, B, C, U)
What the BS5837 tree categories A, B, C and U mean, the retention value and life expectancy behind e
The BS5837 Tree Survey Process, Step by Step (2026)
The BS5837 tree survey process explained step by step: desk study, site visit, tree schedule, constr
Buying a House With a TPO: What You Need to Know (2026)
Buying a house with a Tree Preservation Order? Here is what a TPO means for conveyancing, extensions
Can a Tree Preservation Order Be Removed or Overturned? (2026)
Can a tree preservation order be removed? The objection, consent, appeal and revocation routes expla
Can You Build in a Root Protection Area? Options for 2026
Can you build in a root protection area? Sometimes — with no-dig, cantilever or pile-and-beam method
Cheap Tree Surveys: The Hidden Costs of Cutting Corners
A cheap tree survey can cost more than it saves. See the hidden costs of a rejected report — invalid
How to Discharge an Arboricultural Planning Condition (2026)
Got a pre-commencement AMS condition? The step-by-step process to discharge an arboricultural planni
Do I Need a Tree Survey for Planning Permission? (2026)
Do you need a BS5837 tree survey for planning? A clear three-part test, worked examples, when you ca
How Long Does a Tree Preservation Order Last? (2026)
How long does a Tree Preservation Order last? Confirmed TPOs are indefinite, but a new order has a 6
How Long Does a Tree Survey Take? Survey to Report (2026)
How long does a tree survey take? Typically 1–2 weeks from instruction to report for a straightforwa
How Much Does a BS5837 Survey Cost in 2026?
BS5837 survey cost explained: what a BS5837 tree survey and full planning package cost in 2026, why
How Much Does a Tree Survey Cost in 2026?
Tree survey cost in 2026: typical UK prices for a BS5837 survey, full planning package, AIA and meth
How Often Should a Tree Survey Be Carried Out? (2026)
How often should a tree survey be carried out? Re-survey intervals for planning, safety and construc
How to Apply for a Tree Preservation Order (Protect a Tree)
How to get a Tree Preservation Order: you ask the council to make one. Who can request a TPO, the am
How to Calculate a Root Protection Area (Formula + Worked Examples)
Calculate a root protection area with the BS5837 formula: RPA radius = 12 x stem diameter, capped at
How to Check if a Tree Has a TPO (Map & Search Guide 2026)
How to check if a tree has a Tree Preservation Order: there's no national TPO map, so search your co
How to Choose a Qualified Arboricultural Consultant 2026
Vet an arboricultural consultant properly: AA Registered Consultant status, ICF chartered credential
How to Read Your Arboricultural Report (Plain-English Guide) 2026
Just been handed a tree report? This plain-English guide explains how to read an arboricultural repo
No-Dig Construction and Cellular Confinement Near Trees 2026
No-dig construction near trees explained: cellular confinement systems, ground protection and how to
Piling and Foundations Near Trees (Building in the RPA) 2026
How piling and engineered foundations let you build in a tree's root protection area. Piling in root
What Happens to Protected Trees During a Planning Application?
How protected trees are handled in a planning application: TPO consent, conservation-area rules, tre
Pruning or Felling a Tree With a TPO: How to Get Consent (2026)
Can I prune a tree with a preservation order? Yes — with LPA consent. The step-by-step consent appli
TPO Fines and Penalties: What Happens if You Break One (2026)
Tree Preservation Order fines reach £20,000 in the Magistrates' Court and are unlimited in the Crown
TPO and Overhanging Branches: What You Can and Can't Cut (2026)
A neighbour's tree overhanging your garden but it has a preservation order? What common law lets you
TPOs vs Conservation Area Trees: The 6-Week Notice Rule (2026)
TPOs and conservation area trees are protected differently. The 6-week Section 211 notice rule, how
TPOs in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland (2026 Guide)
How tree preservation orders work in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — the devolved legislation
When Does a Driveway or Hardstanding Need a Tree Survey? (2026)
Does a driveway or hardstanding need a tree survey? How root protection areas, permeable surfacing,
Trees and Home Extensions: Survey Requirements 2026
Do you need a tree survey for an extension? When a BS5837 survey is required, how root protection ar
Tree Survey for a Householder Application (Extensions & Loft) 2026
Do you need a tree survey for a householder planning application? When extensions, loft conversions,
Tree Survey for a Mortgage: What Lenders Require 2026
When a mortgage lender asks for a tree survey, why trees near a property trigger it, what a tree rep
Tree Survey Rejected at Validation? Here's What to Do (2026)
Your planning application was returned because the tree survey was rejected at validation. Here's ex
Tree Survey Report Templates & Examples (What Good Looks Like) 2026
A tree survey template checklist for BS5837:2012 reports — the exact fields, schedule columns and dr
What's Inside a Tree Survey Schedule? The 11 Data Points (2026)
A tree survey schedule records 11 key data points per tree — species, DBH, height, condition, RUL, c
Do I Need a Tree Survey to Fell or Remove a Tree? (2026)
Do you need a tree survey to remove a tree? A UK guide to the TPO, conservation area and felling lic
Tree Survey vs Arboricultural Survey: Same Thing? (2026)
Tree survey, arboricultural survey, BS5837 survey, AIA — the terms overlap and confuse buyers. A pla
Trees and Subsidence: When Insurers Demand a Report 2026
When insurers require a tree report over subsidence, how clay soils and species drive risk, heave af
Trees and Outline vs Full Planning Applications (2026)
What tree survey is needed for outline vs full planning? How BS5837 documents sequence across outlin
What Affects the Price of a Tree Survey? (7 Cost Factors)
The tree survey cost factors that decide your quote: tree count, site size, access, report type, pro
What Is a BS5837 Tree Survey? (2026 Explainer)
What a BS5837 tree survey is, the five documents it produces, its legal status, categories, costs an
What Is a Root Protection Area (RPA)? Plain-English Guide 2026
A root protection area (RPA) is the below-ground rooting zone a tree needs safeguarded during constr
What Is a Tree Constraints Plan (TCP)? A Plain-English Guide (2026)
A tree constraints plan maps Root Protection Areas, shade and future growth onto your site so trees
What Is a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)? A Plain-English Primer
What a Tree Preservation Order protects, how consent works, the exemptions homeowners get wrong, the
What Is a Tree Protection Plan? Barriers, Fencing & No-Dig Zones (2026)
A tree protection plan shows where protective fencing, exclusion zones and ground protection go duri
What Is a Tree Survey? (And When You Actually Need One)
A plain-English guide to what a tree survey is, the situations that trigger one, what an arboricultu
What Is an Arboricultural Method Statement? (AMS Explained, 2026)
An arboricultural method statement (AMS) is the detailed methodology for protecting retained trees d
Which Local Planning Authorities Require a Tree Survey? (2026)
Which local planning authorities require a tree survey? How LPA validation lists differ, why the tri