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Service
Tree removal reports
Council has told you it wants an arborist report before it will consider your application. This is that report, and for most people it is the whole job.
Fixed quote within one business day · agreed in writing before any work starts
What council is actually asking for
Not an opinion that the tree should go. A documented assessment of the tree's species, dimensions, health and structure, the reason removal is proposed, whether anything short of removal would resolve it, and what replacement planting is proposed. Councils are used to reports that skip the middle step, and they notice.
What you get
- Species, dimensions including DSH, age class and estimated useful life expectancy
- Health and structural condition, with the defects that matter actually named
- The reason for removal, set against the specific test your council applies
- Alternatives considered, and why they do or do not resolve the issue
- Replacement planting recommendation, sized to what your council requires
- Photographs, and a plan where one is needed
Which test applies depends on your council
The thresholds are not the same across Melbourne and neither are the measurement heights. Yarra measures trunk diameter, Darebin measures circumference with an added height gate, Merri-bek measures 200 mm lower than everyone else. The council pages set out each one, and getting the wrong test is a common reason an application goes back.
When the answer is no
Sometimes the tree is healthy, structurally sound and not causing the damage it is blamed for. I will tell you that, in writing, and you will have spent one report finding out rather than several thousand on a refused application and a rebuild of the argument.
Common questions
How much is a tree removal report?
It depends on the tree count and whether council also wants a plan. Send me the address and I will have a fixed number back to you within one business day, agreed in writing before I start.
How long does it take?
Residential inspections are typically completed within five business days, with the report following shortly after. Tell me if you have a deadline and I will say honestly whether it is achievable.
Will the report get my permit approved?
It will present the case properly. It cannot guarantee an outcome, because councils decide applications on their own criteria. A report that manufactures a case it cannot support tends to be spotted, and does more harm than good.
Do I need a report for a dead tree?
Usually not, and Clause 52.37 exempts dead trees outright. Whether a tree is genuinely dead rather than dormant or badly declining is worth having assessed rather than assumed, particularly in winter.
Other services
Arboricultural Impact Assessment
DevelopmentClause 52.37 Canopy Tree Report
Residential · PlanningPreliminary Tree Assessment
Before you designTree Protection Management Plan
DevelopmentRoot & Infrastructure Investigation
InvestigationArboricultural Supervision
On siteConstruction Monitoring
On siteTree Risk Assessment
TRAQ qualifiedTree Protection Zone Advice
Written adviceSend me the plans and I will send you a number.
Fixed fee, quoted in writing within one business day, scope written down. If it turns out you do not need this report, I will tell you that instead.