Trees and planning

Tree surveys for planning and property

If you're building near trees, your council will usually want a BS 5837 tree survey with the planning application. If you're worried about a tree's safety, or a lender or insurer has asked about one, you need a different kind of survey. Here's what each involves, how tree preservation orders work and what surveys typically cost. We can also introduce you to one vetted arboricultural consultant who covers your site.

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Beatrice Vasey is a horticulturist, not an arboricultural consultancy. We introduce you to one vetted arboricultural consultant and are paid a referral fee by that business.

Which tree survey do you need?

For a planning application, start with a BS 5837 tree survey; the assessment and method statement follow once you know the layout. For an existing tree you're worried about, a condition survey is the one to ask for.

Survey	What it involves	When you need it	Typical cost
BS 5837 tree survey	A survey of every tree on the site, and close to it on neighbouring land, recording species, size, condition and a retention category. Root protection areas are mapped on a tree constraints plan.	Before the layout is designed	About £300 to £760 for a small domestic site
Arboricultural impact assessment (AIA)	Shows which trees the proposed layout would remove or affect, and how the rest will be protected.	With the planning application, once the layout is drawn	About £500 to £1,000 together with the survey
Arboricultural method statement and tree protection plan	Sets out how work near retained trees will be done, with a dimensioned plan of protective fencing and ground protection. Some councils accept an outline with the application and the detail later.	With the application, or to discharge a planning condition	About £250 to £500 for a small extension
Tree condition or safety survey	An inspection of a tree's health and structure, with recommendations for any work. The one to ask for if you're worried a tree is unsafe.	Any time	About £150 to £350 for a basic inspection; £350 to £900 for a detailed report on several trees
Mortgage or insurance tree report	A report on trees near a property for a lender, underwriter or insurer, usually covering the risk of subsidence.	When a lender or insurer asks for one	From about £300 plus VAT

Typical prices from published cost guides (see sources below). Your consultant quotes for your site.

How a BS 5837 survey grades trees

Category	What it means
A	High quality, with at least 40 years of life left. Shown green on the plans.
B	Moderate quality, with at least 20 years left. Shown blue.
C	Low quality, with at least 10 years left, or young trees under 150 mm across. Shown grey; not usually a reason to refuse planning.
U	Unsuitable for retention: expected to be lost in the short term whatever is built.

Each tree worth keeping gets a root protection area: a circle centred on the stem, with a radius of 12 times the trunk diameter. Digging, building and storing materials inside it are avoided or tightly controlled, which is why the survey has to come before the layout is fixed.

BS 5837:2012 is still the current standard. BSI put a revised edition out for comment in 2024, but as of November 2026 it hasn't been published, so councils still ask for surveys to the 2012 version.

Councils set out when they want a tree survey in their local validation lists. Many ask for one wherever there are trees on the site, or on neighbouring land close enough to be affected, including street trees.

Protected trees in England, Scotland and Wales

England

Tree preservation orders

Cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting or wilfully damaging a protected tree, including its roots, needs the council's consent. Removing a dead tree needs 5 working days' written notice first. Breaking the rules can mean an unlimited fine and a duty to plant a replacement.

In a conservation area, give the council 6 weeks' written notice before working on a tree with a trunk over 75 mm across at 1.5 m. If the council doesn't respond or make an order, the work can go ahead within 2 years.

Felling more than 5 m³ of timber in a calendar quarter usually needs a felling licence, but trees in private gardens are exempt.

Scotland

Tree preservation orders

Protected trees need the council's consent for work, unless it is urgently necessary for safety or one of a few other set exceptions applies. The Scottish Government's guidance gives fines of up to £20,000 on summary conviction, and unlimited on indictment.

In a conservation area, give the council 6 weeks' notice before working on a tree with a trunk over 75 mm across, and carry out the work within 2 years.

Felling more than 5 m³ of timber in a calendar quarter usually needs permission, but gardens are exempt.

Wales

Tree preservation orders

Work on a protected tree needs the council's consent, under the same 1990 Act as England. Dead or dangerous trees need at least five days' notice, except in an emergency. The Planning (Wales) Act 2026 will restate these rules, expected from October 2027.

In a conservation area, give the council 6 weeks' written notice before working on a tree, unless its trunk is under 7.5 cm across at 1.5 m.

Felling 5 m³ or more of timber in a calendar quarter usually needs a felling licence, but gardens are exempt.

Bats and nesting birds

All UK bat species are protected, and it is an offence to damage or destroy a place bats use for breeding or resting, whether or not it was deliberate. If a tree has features bats could use, you may need a bat survey before it is felled or heavily pruned.

It is also an offence to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, so tree work in spring and summer needs a nest check first.

How the introduction works

Tell us about the trees and what's planned, using the form below.
We email you the name of one vetted arboricultural consultant who covers your site, then pass your enquiry to them. Your details go to one business only.
They quote you directly and carry out the survey.

We are paid a referral fee by the consultant. If you'd only like advice, leave the consent box unticked and Beatrice will reply herself.

Tree surveys by city

Each city page covers how to check for a tree preservation order locally, what the council asks for with planning applications and the rules that apply in that nation.

Questions about tree surveys

Do I need a tree survey for a house extension?

Often, if there are trees near the work. It depends on your council's validation list: many want a BS 5837 survey wherever trees on the site or next door could be affected, and Edinburgh, for example, asks householders for one where trees are within 12 m of the site boundary.

How long does a tree survey stay valid?

There's no single national rule, but trees change, so councils want recent information. The Tyneside validation checklist used by Newcastle, for example, asks for tree reports no more than 12 months old.

Can I remove a dead tree that has a TPO?

In England you must give the council 5 working days' written notice first, and in Wales at least five days, unless there's an emergency. You'll usually have to plant a replacement. In Scotland, work without consent is only allowed where it is urgently necessary for safety.

What happens if I damage a protected tree?

In England and Wales, cutting down or wilfully destroying a protected tree can lead to an unlimited fine, and you can be made to plant a replacement. Older guidance quoting a £20,000 cap is out of date.

Do I need a felling licence for trees in my garden?

No. Felling licences cover larger amounts of timber, and gardens are exempt in England, Scotland and Wales. A tree preservation order or conservation area still applies, though.

Is Beatrice Vasey an arboriculturist?

No. Beatrice is a horticulturist and botanical surveyor. For tree surveys we introduce you to one vetted arboricultural consultant who covers your site, and we are paid a referral fee by that business.

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Tell us about the site and the trees. Beatrice reads every enquiry.

Sources (20)