Do I need a tree survey?
Tree surveys are an important tool that is used by developers and individual property owners. They are used to take note of various elements of their landscaping and to ensure that the trees on the property are healthy and maintained. A tree survey that is done properly can provide tree care and other information that can save a landowner thousands of dollars later on down the road. This is due in part because of the enormous range of tree ages and types that can be found on a property. Knowing the particular types of trees is essential to ensuring the good health of the landscape in general.
For example, you may not know that you have an aging tree right next to a sapling that is just developing roots. This may kill the sapling and lead to many problems with the aging tree as well. A tree survey will help to record the size and location of each tree and can be used to manage the life of the trees on your property. A tree survey can also be used to develop future landscaping on your property as well. There is nothing more important than a tree survey to check the health of any tree to make sure that they grow in a healthy manner and prosper in light of infestation, age, and other causes of death. Let’s look at some of the other various reasons that you may need a tree survey.
Developing Close to Trees
With the importance of trees to our environment, any time you are developing on your land close to trees, a tree survey is often required before anyone will consider your development proposal. This is because anything you develop from a golf course to a house will affect the surrounding trees. Usually all trees over a certain diameter need to be included in the tree survey. This includes any off site trees or other vegetation within 10 metres of the boundary that you are developing on. Certain things that the tree survey must include are the orientation of the tree as well as the height. Other features such as shrub areas, hedges, or regenerating woodland must also be included. The tree positions are particular important and should be marked up on a topographical site which will show all relevant site features including existing buildings, roads, street lighting, drains, walls, fences and everything in relation to what is being proposed. Any reliable tree survey company will be able to do this for you at a cost, because without it, you will not be able to develop any land that has even one tree on it.
Carrying Out Work on a Tree with a Tree Preservation Order
A tree that has a tree preservation order on it means that it is protected because it may be under threat or has a public interest of some sort such as if it can be seen from a public place. A tree preservation order is specifically put into effect if they feel that someone can take it down to develop land or having inappropriate work being done on it. If you are planning to carry out work on a tree that has a tree preservation order then it is absolutely necessary to get a tree survey done. Usually the work that needs to be done on a TPO tree may consist of taking down a tree that is dying, or cutting down parts of a tree that are dead or significantly aging. A tree survey will be able to tell you and the council whether or not the tree should be taken down. This tree survey can then be brought to the council so that they can give you written permission to remove or fix the tree. If a tree survey is not done then it is offence to work on a tree with a TPO and you can be heavily fined. If the particular tree you want to work on is in a conservation area then you are especially in need of a tree survey to prove that the work absolutely needs to be done.
Nuisance or Neighbour Disputes
One of the most common reasons that people need a tree survey is to deal with the inevitable neighbour complaint or dispute. For example, one of the most general reasons is tree root damage. Quite often a person who owns land with a growing tree may hear from their neighbours that the roots are causing damage to the neighbour’s home. They often ask for the cost of repairing the damage, but without a tree survey no one will ever know what exactly caused the damage. Therefore by getting a reliable company to do a tree survey you can have the surveyor inspect the property to find out how bad the damage is, confirm that the roots caused the damage and what if anything can be done with the tree. This tree survey can then be given to a builder or repairman in order to find out the proper estimate to fix the damage. A tree survey should also be used in case there is a dispute on who the tree belongs to or if someone wants to carry out work on it and is not sure how it will affect the nearby homeowner. In every case that a tree may be in question the proper thing to do is to get a tree survey to avoid any unnecessary neighbour complaints later on.
Subsidence Site Tree Surveys
In as many as 80% of subsidence cases, the trees or shrubs are suspected as having contributed to the building’s movement. This can all be avoided with the use of a tree survey. Trees can cause the movement due to soil water abstraction by tree roots which in turn can cause clay shrinkage between the foundations. A tree survey can be used to check the vegetation appraisal, root identification, soil analysis and off level monitoring to help avoid problems that could arise. In subsidence cases tree surveys should be done every few years.
Hazard Evaluation for Personal Injury or Damage Claims
To know if you have a hazardous situation you may want to get a tree survey done. A tree is hazardous due to many reasons such as decay or structural weakness. If it shows any of these signs then the person who owns the land on which the tree stands can be held liable under the UK law. This pertains to any personal injury sustained in the falling or breaking of the branches or the tree itself. The person who’s land the tree is on has the common duty to take care of the tree for anyone walking by, or someone who is on the property itself. This is why it is so important to do a tree survey periodically to make sure there is no risk to a person or their property while they are on your land. The frequency of the tree survey depends on the location of the trees and how many people pass by it on a daily basis as well as its condition. When a tree survey is done you will know if there are any hazards associated with the tree and you will find out the recommendations to control or eliminate that risk.
Mortgage and Insurance Tree Reports
Living in a well landscaped area with mature trees can enhance your property value. However, many mortgage providers as well as insurers may require a tree survey to be done when the trees are in close proximity to other buildings. This will assess any likely risk that is posed to the other structure from subsidence on shrinkable clay soils, as well as hazardous trees or blocked drains. Because of the proximity to many other buildings with new homes and new developments being built, it is much more common for a mortgage lender or insurer to ask for a tree survey. It may be in your best interest to have it ready if you are planning on purchasing a home with mature trees located next to other buildings or homes.
Conclusion
These are the most common reasons that you may need a tree survey but at any time a tree survey can be requested or even required by various county or municipal boards before making improvements to a property or approving new construction. They can be extremely useful for insurance purposes as trees can add considerable value to a property. The tree survey is the only thing that can document their existence. If you need to locate, identify or measure the trees on your land a tree survey is the perfect opportunity to find out the position, type, diameter and more. It can be combined with a topographic survey for even greater accuracy and detail. Whether you are just curious about the trees on your property or you need one for the above mentioned purposes it is important to deal with a company that can meet your needs and give you the tree survey that you desire.