Free Hazard Tree Assessment

It’s that time of year we start getting requests for Hazard Tree Evaluations in preparation for the change in weather! We are not certified arborists. This is a free community service to, we hope, mitigate injuries and/or damage to property based upon decades of experience.

"Trees have several basic needs, including sunlight, air, water, essential minerals, and adequate growing space above and below ground. When all these fundamental needs are fulfilled, a tree can survive, grow and flourish. If any of these is lacking, the tree will suffer and perhaps die." - ISA 

Trees are visited and evaluated using Visual Tree Assessment, or VTA, based upon the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) protocol as developed by the International Society of Arboriculture. The TRAQ risk rating is derived from a combination of variables, including likelihood of falling, likelihood of impacting a target (s) and consequences of partial, or total, failure and impact.

Even the healthiest trees grow old and can become hazardous.

It can take up to seven years for a tree to fall after it has died. In that period of gradual decay, the integrity of the tree’s structure becomes compromised and increasingly fragile, prone to breaking in strong winds.

Some obvious signs of decay are an abundance of dead branches. Some dead wood is natural and should still be pruned annually before storm season. Look for “Widow Makers”, large hanging branches, waiting to fall.

Other, more subtle, things to look for is the presence of pests or parasitic organisms, soil conditions, degree of lean, and a trees age.