Tree Inspections: Why Would You Need One, And How Much Do They Cost?

It's not necessarily hard to walk around your property and spot trees with damaged or diseased limbs that need care. Yet, not all problems with trees are easy to spot, and even when it is obvious, you may not be sure how to properly treat the problem. That's where a professional tree inspection is a good idea. Tree inspections allow you to pinpoint areas of concern right away, like a tree that's at risk of falling and causing injury to a person. It can also provide a way to locate potential problems that may occur in the near future, such as if a tree continues to grow in a specific direction.

Having a tree inspection completed by a professional provides you with information on the health and overall safety of your trees, what steps they may need to encourage proper growth, and what type of removal considerations there are. It's an appointment that could take as little as an hour but will shed a significant amount of light on these large, highly susceptible-to-damage assets in your yard. Routine inspections, especially after a storm, are typically warranted.

The cost of a tree inspection can range widely from as little as $40 for a very basic inspection to $800 or more if the tree professional is an arborist offering guidance on tree health and development. Numerous factors determine how much such an inspection will cost. That doesn't include the cost of removing a tree from your yard.

In the ideal situation, trees should be inspected by a professional landscaper or arborist on a routine basis to determine if the tree is safe. Trees are large and heavy, and they can grow for a long time without showing any outward signs of rotting or internal disease that could cause one to tumble down easily in the right storm. A professional can inspect the tree, determine if it's healthy, and, if not, offer strategies for either improving its health or removing the tree.

Some trees have warning signs that there's a significant risk they'll fail soon, such as large cracks with decay visible or callus forming on them, dead branches, leaning, or obvious rot on the exterior. A tree professional will look at factors like the visible condition of the tree, any erosion nearby it, pathogens or diseases that may be obvious from the growth of the tree, any damage from storms or wind, and any factors related to root damage, all of which impact the health of the tree.

The primary goal of most tree inspections is to determine how structurally intact the tree is. Storms, lightning strikes, erosion of the soil supporting the tree, or the presence of infestations can all put a tree at a high risk of falling, which means anything nearby could be hit, whether it's a home or a person. A tree inspection could also shed light on any repairs the tree needs immediately.

Numerous factors will determine what you pay to have a professional come to your home to inspect your tree for structural ability and overall health. First is access to the tree or the problem area. If a professional cannot easily get to the tree for any reason, or the tree limbs in question are very high, this may require the use of heavy equipment or some site planning, which could add to the cost.

You may also find that some inspections are dependent on the type of service being provided. A full arborist report is much more in-depth and detailed, offering more insight into the long-term needs and concerns of the tree and a full assessment of its overall health. That may cost much more than just a visual inspection of the tree to determine if it remains stable. Some tree services may provide a free tree inspection if there is the expectation that you will hire them to remove the tree or its limbs. If you know there are problems with the tree, be sure to ask for a free inspection.

Other times, such as when you learn there is a risk to tree health in the area, such as a neighborhood tree infestation, or when you are buying a home with numerous trees onsite, you just want to be sure the tree is healthy. In that case, expect to pay a fee for the amount of information you need.