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A tree condition and risk survey for schools, councils, estates and housing sites. Record each tree with its tag, species, height, stem diameter and crown spread, age, condition, defects, what it could hit, the risk, the recommended work and how soon. The form checks for Tree Preservation Orders and conservation areas before any work, and counts high risk trees and trees to fell. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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A tree survey should record each tree's number, species, location, height, stem diameter at 1.5 m, crown spread and age class, its condition, defects such as deadwood, decay, fungi, cracks, weak forks, root damage or lean, what it could hit if it failed, the risk, the recommended work and its urgency, with photos. It should also note any Tree Preservation Orders and whether the site is in a conservation area.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against GOV.UK: tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, section 2 of the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, Arboricultural Association: managing your trees and BSI: BS 5837:2012 trees in relation to design, demolition and construction.
The tree survey runs on a phone at the base of each tree. Measure the height from a photo, pin the tree's position, photograph each defect, and let the form count the high risk trees and the trees to fell as you go.
Photograph the tree with a person beside it, tap their head and feet, then the base and top of the tree. The height goes into the answer and the marked-up photo stays with it for the report.
How measuring from a photo works →
Mark current location fills the tree's position with GPS coordinates and an OS grid reference, so the next surveyor, or the tree surgeon, finds the same tree.
How GPS location works →
Group trees by area of the site. Each area counts its high risk trees and trees to fell, the whole survey totals them, and a high risk answer shows a reminder to restrict access below the tree.
How calculated fields work →
Each tree takes its own photos and videos: fungal brackets at the base, a crack in the stem, deadwood in the crown. They sit with that tree in the report, not in a separate folder.
Three trees at a fictional primary school, each measured from a photo, with the defects photographed and the work and urgency set. Open it as a filled-in form, or switch to a blank copy and try it yourself.
Answer a few questions and watch it adapt. Your answers are not saved, and any photos you add are deleted within the hour.
Open the completed example to see fictional readings, notes, photos and calculations. Choose Blank form to try entering your own answers.
Want to see one filled in? See a completed tree survey report (PDF), made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit.
Walk Cam route · four guided clips
Film tree identity, crown context, trunk and ground around the base from a safe position.
Record the tree ID, site and ground conditions. From a safe position, show the whole tree before accessible crown, trunk and root-zone context. Do not stand under a suspected unstable branch or enter an unsafe area. Escalate concerns for competent arboricultural assessment.
Show the complete tree and surrounding path or landmark from a safe position; record its ID separately.
A staged park tree is shown with ground context; identity T17 is fictional.
From outside any suspect fall zone, film accessible upper crown without claiming branch strength.
The upper crown is illustrated; no branch safety judgement is made.
Show visible trunk features from a distance; do not infer internal decay from appearance alone.
The trunk surface is shown; internal condition is unknown.
Show accessible ground around the base without digging or disturbing roots.
The staged ground near the base is visible; root stability is not tested.
A fictional six-page example with the four points, twelve stills from the clips, observations, follow-up actions and the limits of a visual record.
View the visual evidence (PDF) ↗ · Download the full sample report
Phone video cannot establish structural stability, decay extent, species-specific risk, hidden roots or treatment needs. It is a dated visual record, not a formal tree safety inspection. Example footage was generated in Google Flow and the observations are scripted; no real site is shown. Walk Cam works inside any form in the app. How Walk Cam works · All visual inspections
A tree condition survey: every tree with its tag, species, size, condition, defects, the people or property it could hit, risk, recommended work and urgency, plus TPO and conservation area checks. 3 sections and 42 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
Record estimated current conditions for this visit. Keep your observations, visibility and local site conditions in the existing field below.
Optional. Film a guided walk-through on the SiteSurvey app.
For example Front garden, North boundary or Car park
Optional. Scan the label or tag to capture its numbers.
Tap Mark current location at the base of the tree so it can be found again.
Measuring from a photo gives an estimate.
Measuring from a photo gives an estimate.
A completed tree survey report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Work on a tree covered by a Tree Preservation Order needs the local planning authority's written consent first, unless an exception applies. For trees in a conservation area that have no Order, give the authority a section 211 notice 6 weeks before most work. A dead tree needs 5 days' notice instead, unless the work is urgent to remove an immediate risk of serious harm. The form asks about both and shows a reminder.
By the tree's condition and defects and what it could hit: a high use area such as a road, path, play area or building is a bigger concern than a quiet corner. The Arboricultural Association says trees close to people or property should be assessed by a competent arboricultural consultant. The form records the target, the risk and the urgency, and warns on a high risk tree.
Yes. Each tree can scan its tag, so the next survey finds the same tree and its history. The form records the date of the next survey.
Deadwood, cavities or decay, fungal fruiting bodies, cracks or splits, weak forks or included bark, root damage or lifting, significant lean, hanging or broken branches, and ivy hiding the stem.
No. This is a condition and risk survey of existing trees. BS 5837 gives recommendations for trees in relation to design, demolition and construction, so it is the standard for surveys around building work.
Arborists and tree surgeons, school and estates managers, council tree officers, housing associations and grounds maintenance contractors. Under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, occupiers owe visitors a common duty of care to take reasonable care that they are reasonably safe.
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