A tree survey for a planning application starts at from £445 with us. The survey is carried out by a partner arboriculturist, and if the council also wants an impact assessment of what the building work does to the trees, that is quoted on top.
On this page
Trees catch out extensions in two ways: the council may want to see them recorded before it validates the application, and the law protects some of them whether or not you are applying. This post covers both, because the second can cost more than the first.
When does a council ask for a tree survey?
When trees on or near the site could be affected, and only if the council has put it on its local list. The government's guidance says a local requirement affects validity only where it appears on a list published on the council's website (MHCLG guidance). Check the list under "trees" or "arboricultural" before commissioning anything.
Typical triggers in London are a large tree in the garden or a neighbour's garden within a few metres of the extension, a street tree outside, and any site in a conservation area with trees on it. A house with no trees on or beside the plot usually needs no survey.
Are my trees protected?
Check two things: whether a tree preservation order covers them, and whether the house is in a conservation area. For a protected tree, anyone wanting to cut it down, top, lop or uproot it must first apply to the council for consent, unless an exception applies (GOV.UK, paragraph 058).
For trees in a conservation area, you must give the council notice six weeks before carrying out certain work, and may start earlier only if the council consents (paragraphs 116 and 117). Unnotified work carries the same penalties as contravening an order (paragraph 119). A planning permission does not remove those duties: the guidance notes that tree consent may be needed alongside or after permission.
What does the survey show?
A plan locating each tree, and a schedule giving its size, condition and constraints. The guidance on tree work says an application must be accompanied by a plan that clearly identifies the trees (paragraph 065), and the same discipline applies to a planning survey: the officer needs to know which tree is which.
The survey tells you where a tree sits against the proposed extension. Whether the extension harms its roots or canopy is a separate question, answered by an impact assessment, which is why we price it separately and say so before we begin.
What does the whole job cost?
Three possible layers. Our survey from from £445. An impact assessment, quoted once the arboriculturist has seen the site. And, if protected trees must be worked on, the council's consent process, which is the council's and which we advise on. If you need the plans as well, the extension plans package prices the drawings and the application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fell a tree in my own garden? Not always. A protected tree needs consent first, and a tree in a conservation area needs six weeks' notice. Check with the council before any work.
Who carries out the survey? A partner arboriculturist. We coordinate it and fit the survey to your drawings.
Does the survey cover my neighbour's tree? It should record trees on neighbouring land that could be affected, as far as they can be seen and measured from your side. Access to the neighbour's land is not assumed.
Is the survey enough for the council? It is what the council asks for first. If the council then wants an impact assessment or a method statement for work near roots, we quote that as a separate step.
