A basic BS5837 tree survey in 2026 typically costs around £295–£760 for a small domestic site, while a full planning package (survey plus tree constraints plan, impact assessment, protection plan and preliminary method statement) usually costs £400–£1,500 or more, and large multi-tree sites can reach several thousand pounds. The figure you'll actually pay depends mostly on how many trees are involved and which documents your local planning authority requires.
The prices below are indicative UK market ranges refreshed for 2026. Every arboriculturist prices to the specific site, so treat these as a budgeting guide, not a fixed tariff. For report-specific detail on the most common survey type, see how much a BS5837 survey costs; for the full breakdown of what drives price and how to compare quotes, see our main tree survey cost guide.
Tree survey prices in 2026 at a glance
| Deliverable | Typical 2026 price range |
|---|---|
| Basic BS5837 tree survey (small domestic, few trees) | £295–£760 |
| Full BS5837 planning package (survey + TCP + AIA + TPP + preliminary AMS) | £400–£1,500+ |
| Tree survey + arboricultural impact assessment (typical development) | £500–£1,000 |
| Arboricultural impact assessment as a standalone add-on | from ~£200 |
| Detailed arboricultural method statement (post-permission) | additional fee, larger sites materially more |
| Large / complex sites, many trees, phased schemes | £1,500 to several thousand pounds |
A "tree survey" for planning is rarely just the survey. The BS5837 survey records every relevant tree, but a development also needs a tree constraints plan, an arboricultural impact assessment once a layout exists, and often a tree protection plan and method statement. Each is a separate deliverable, which is why quotes range so widely — you're comparing different scopes, not different prices for the same thing.
What pushes the price up or down
- Number of trees. The single biggest factor. Two garden trees is a short visit and a simple schedule; a wooded plot means dozens of individual records, each with species, dimensions, condition, BS5837 category and a calculated root protection area at 12 × stem diameter.
- Which documents you need. Survey-only is cheapest. Adding the AIA, TPP and a method statement multiplies the work and the drawings.
- Site size and complexity. Level changes, dense canopy, off-site neighbouring trees whose RPAs cross the boundary, and phased construction all add hours.
- Location and travel. Rural or distant sites carry more travel time; London and the South East tend to price higher.
- Protected trees. TPO or conservation-area trees, veteran/ancient trees (enhanced RPA of 15 × stem diameter) and ancient woodland nearby raise the level of assessment and scrutiny.
- Accreditation of the consultant. A report from an accredited consultant — an Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant or ICF Chartered Arboriculturist — costs more but is far less likely to be challenged by the tree officer.
Two worked examples
A householder extension. You're extending near a single mature tree in your own garden, stem diameter 400mm. Its RPA is 12 × 0.4 = a 4.8m radius (roughly 72 m²). A survey and simple constraints plan confirm your footprint sits outside it. This is close to the bottom of the range — a short site visit and a concise schedule, typically £295–£500. If part of a patio or footing clips the RPA, you tip into needing an AIA and a no-dig method note, moving you toward £500–£800.
A small residential development. A plot with fifteen trees along two boundaries, three of them off-site in neighbouring gardens with RPAs crossing in. Here you need the survey and TCP first — ideally before the layout is drawn, so the constraints shape the scheme — then an AIA once a layout exists, a TPP for fencing and exclusion zones, and a preliminary AMS. That's a full package in the £1,000–£1,500+ bracket, with the detailed AMS to discharge conditions coming later as a further fee.
The false economy trap
The cheapest quote is often the most expensive route. The most common reason a planning application is delayed over trees is a missing or inadequate arboricultural document at validation — the council won't even register the application. A thin survey that omits the RPA calculations, uses optimistic tree categories, or ignores neighbouring trees gets bounced by the tree officer and forces a resubmission. The delay and redesign dwarf the few hundred pounds saved.
Two red flags that a quote is too thin to trust: a schedule with no RPA figures, and a category column showing "Category R" — a legacy 2005-edition code. The correct BS5837:2012 removal grade is U (unsuitable for retention); "R" signals a consultant working from outdated guidance. A report that passes validation first time is the real saving, and that usually means a "suitably qualified and experienced" arboriculturist. See how to find a tree surveyor.
Don't forget the post-permission cost
Many people budget only for the pre-application survey and forget that a detailed method statement and final tree protection plan are frequently imposed as a pre-commencement condition. You cannot lawfully start work — even with full permission — until that condition is discharged in writing by the authority, and preparing the detailed AMS, applying to discharge the condition (a fee is payable) and any conditioned site supervision during construction are all further costs. Factor them in from the start so they aren't a surprise.
Timeline
For a straightforward site, expect roughly 1–2 weeks from instruction to report: a site visit plus desk write-up. Large or complex sites, or those needing a revisit, take longer. BS5837 assessment can be done year-round (it doesn't need leaf-on, unlike many ecology surveys), but if bat or nesting-bird surveys are triggered alongside, those have tight seasonal windows that can dominate your programme. See how long a tree survey takes for more, and how often a survey should be repeated if yours has aged.
Prices — and requirements — are set locally
There is no national tariff, and just as importantly, no national rule on what you must submit. The requirement for a tree survey is set by each local planning authority's validation list, and those lists genuinely differ: some demand a full AIA, TPP and preliminary AMS at submission, others accept a survey and condition the rest for later. Local TPO density, conservation-area coverage, tree-officer strictness and the presence of ancient woodland or veteran trees all vary by area — and each of those moves both what you need and what it costs.
So before you commission anything, check your own council's requirements. PlanWatch tracks live tree-related planning activity per authority, so you can gauge how trees are being handled where you're building — compare, for example, Nottingham, Manchester or Bristol, and look up your own area from the tree surveys hub. (This guidance is England-centric; BS5837 applies UK-wide as a British Standard, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run parallel but distinct planning regimes.)
Bottom line
Budget £295–£760 for a simple garden survey, £400–£1,500+ for a proper planning package, and more for larger or protected-tree sites — then add the post-permission method statement and any discharge and supervision fees. Scope, tree count and accreditation, not headline price, decide value. See the full tree survey cost breakdown and, for report-specific pricing, how much a BS5837 survey costs.