Tree Inspections and Hazard Evaluations are conducted either on a regular scheduled basis, or to address specific concerns or problems. Property owners frequently use them to discharge potential liability, which could arise if failure of one of their trees damaged another person's property. For this purpose, trees should be inspected annually.
Very often, trees can and will appear green and healthy for long periods of time after damage has been inflicted on them either through natural causes or human activities. Some of the human activities in question are: trenching to install utilities, driving trucks or equipment over root zones during construction, making even moderate changes to grade such that soil is either added to or removed from the root zone, and bad pruning practices, particularly "topping." These activities can have severe effects on the tree which may not be apparent for up to 10 to 15 years after the damage has occurred, meaning that despite their healthy appearance these trees can often be exceedingly hazardous. These problems would be identifiable during an inspection, and in some cases can be remedied by Tree Restoration. Some of these problems can be avoided by Tree Preservation on Construction and Development Sites.
The fact that decline in trees is so slow to manifest itself is one reason why persons who are contemplating purchasing property with trees would be well advised to have an inspection conducted on the trees in order to identify any major or potential problems or liabilities. This information would be useable in the same way as a structural inspection of the house, and could potentially save many thousands of dollars on the purchase price.
People who have recently purchased properties with trees often need to understand whether the trees are an asset to the property or a liability. A tree inspection can give the property owner this information. In these circumstances, recommendations and specifications for any necessary remedial work would be provided. This should be followed up with a scheduled annual inspection.
Inspections are normally conducted
from the ground and consist of obtaining information on site history, such as
changes in grade or removal of other trees on the same or neighboring sites, changes
in drainage patterns or other impacts on the local micro-habitat. A thorough visual
inspection is made of the site and soil surrounding the tree, as well as the root
crown, trunk, bark, scaffold branches, crown, twigs and leaves. Should there be
reason for concern, or uncertainty about any part of the tree, further investigation
is recommended. This could include climbing the tree to inspect aerial parts in
more detail, excavating the soil around the trunk to examine roots, or in extreme
cases, boring the trunk to confirm presence of decay or to quantify the extent
of decay. We have access to the most reliable and least invasive methods of undertaking
this work, including utilizing a German engineered instrument, the resistograph.
Normally, a written report would be prepared and submitted, detailing the findings and any necessary remedial action. Where required, Tree Work Specification Writing services are available.
The business office is located in Northwestern Washington, near Seattle and can be reached by email at
or by phone at (360) 452-8733
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