Domestic Tree Surveys for Glasgow Homeowners
Domestic Tree Surveys Glasgow | BS5837 & Mortgage Reports
✓ Trading since 2005✓ BS3998 standard✓ Fully insured✓ Free quotes
Trading Since 2005
BS3998 Standard
Fully Insured
Free, No-Obligation Quotes
Introduction
If a solicitor, lender, or planning department has asked for a tree report before a house sale or extension can go ahead, a domestic tree survey is usually a quick problem to sort out rather than a drawn-out one. A qualified surveyor visits the property, checks each tree against the standard the request actually needs -- BS5837 for planning, a more general health check for a mortgage query -- and writes it up as a report that a lender or planning officer will accept without sending it back for revisions.
Most requests fall into one of four categories: a homebuyer or mortgage report because a lender has flagged a tree close to the property, a BS5837 survey to support a planning application for an extension or outbuilding, a condition survey because a tree looks unwell or you want a record for insurance and duty-of-care purposes, or support with a Tree Preservation Order application. Whichever applies, the survey is carried out by an NPTC-qualified tree inspector and delivered as a written report with clear retention or removal recommendations, not a verbal opinion given on site.
What Our Tree Survey Actually Covers, Tree by Tree
- Tree-by-tree assessment of species, dimensions, health, and structural condition
- BS5837 A/B/C/U risk and quality categorisation for every tree assessed
- GPS-referenced site mapping showing each tree's position relative to boundaries and buildings
- Root Protection Area (RPA) calculation where building work is planned nearby
- A check of Tree Preservation Order and conservation area status for the property
- Photographic record of any defects, deadwood, decay, or hazards found
- A written report with retention or removal recommendations and a future management schedule
- A follow-up conversation to talk through the findings in plain English
Not Included / Costed Separately
- Carrying out any recommended pruning, crown reduction, felling, or stump grinding -- this is quoted and invoiced as a separate job
- Submitting a TPO or conservation-area works application on your behalf -- this is a distinct, separately priced service
- Out-of-hours emergency call-outs for storm-damaged or fallen trees -- these are priced as emergency assessments rather than at the standard survey rate
- Structural or subsidence engineering reports -- where root-related damage to drains or foundations is suspected, the survey may recommend a specialist structural engineer's report as a separate step
How a Domestic Tree Survey Runs, Start to Finish
- Initial call and scoping: You describe the property, roughly how many trees are involved, and why the survey is needed -- mortgage, planning, or a safety concern -- so the right survey type and price band can be quoted from the outset.
- Site visit: A surveyor visits within 24-48 hours of first contact, walking the garden or grounds to examine each tree's crown, trunk, and root plate for visible defects, disease, or decay.
- Measuring, mapping and checks: Trunk diameter, height, and crown spread are recorded tree by tree and GPS-plotted against the property boundary, alongside a check of the Tree Preservation Order and conservation area register for that address.
- Report writing: Findings are written up against BS5837 A/B/C/U categorisation, with photographs of any defects and clear retention or removal recommendations, delivered within 48-72 hours of the site visit.
- Talking through the findings: A follow-up call goes through the report in plain English, so you know what it means for a mortgage application, planning submission, or your own peace of mind before deciding what to do next.
- Any follow-on work: If the survey flags pruning, felling, or stump removal, that work is quoted and booked as a separate job, carried out by the same team that did the assessment.
What a Tree Survey Costs in Practice
Pricing depends on which survey is needed and how many trees are involved. A homebuyer or mortgage tree report typically costs £299-£450, a BS5837 planning survey £349-£650, a tree condition or safety survey £200-£400, and TPO application support £300-£500.
Access, tree count, and how quickly the report is needed can move the price within those bands, so a figure given over the phone is a working estimate -- a firm price is only confirmed once a surveyor has seen the site, since a garden with one boundary tree and a plot with a dozen mature specimens are different jobs even under the same survey type.
Which Type of Survey Do You Actually Need?
| Survey type | Typical cost | Turnaround | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homebuyer/Mortgage Tree Report | £299-£450 | Report in 48-72 hours (48-hour option available) | Meeting a lender's or solicitor's pre-completion requirement |
| BS5837 Planning Survey | £349-£650 | Site visit in 24-48 hours, report in 48-72 hours | Extensions, conservatories or outbuildings within 15m of a tree |
| Tree Condition/Safety Survey | £200-£400 | Site visit in 24-48 hours | Ongoing duty-of-care checks or a specific health concern |
| TPO Application Support | £300-£500 | Depends on council response time | Trees under a Preservation Order or in a conservation area |
Why Our Tree Reports Hold Up With Lenders and Planners
A tree report only does its job if the person reading it -- a solicitor, a lender's surveyor, or a council planning officer -- accepts it without sending it back for changes. Our surveys are carried out by an NPTC Professional Tree Inspection qualified surveyor and written against British Standard BS3998/BS5837 categorisation, which is what planning departments and lenders are actually looking for rather than a general health check dressed up as one.
Site visits are booked within 24-48 hours of first contact and the written report follows within 48-72 hours -- a turnaround we quote as standard because it's what the process consistently delivers, not a best-case estimate, which matters when a mortgage completion date or planning deadline is already fixed. Quotes are free and given before any commitment, and the same fully insured team that carries out the survey can also carry out any pruning or removal it recommends, so there's no handover to a second contractor starting from scratch on a tree they've never seen.
Domestic Surveys Across Greater Glasgow's Council Areas
Glasgow Trees also carries out domestic surveys well beyond the city boundary, across eight council areas in total. North-west of the city that's East Dunbartonshire (Bearsden, Milngavie, Kirkintilloch) and West Dunbartonshire (Clydebank, Dumbarton); further down the Clyde it's Renfrewshire (Renfrew, Johnstone, Paisley) and Inverclyde (Greenock); to the south, East Renfrewshire (Newton Mearns, Clarkston, Barrhead) and South Lanarkshire (Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Blantyre, Bothwell); and out to Stirling and Falkirk's Bo'ness.
Glasgow's own tree canopy covers around 15% of the city, above the 10% average for UK urban areas, and the older suburbs in this footprint carry a mix of mature street trees, boundary trees, and garden specimens that often predate the houses next to them -- exactly the kind of tree a lender or planning department tends to ask questions about. The same NPTC-qualified surveyor who covers the city works these outlying areas too, so a survey booked in Bearsden or Bothwell gets the same BS5837 categorisation and turnaround as one booked in Glasgow itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tree survey cost?
It depends on what the survey is for. A homebuyer or mortgage tree report typically runs £299-£450, a BS5837 planning survey £349-£650, a straightforward tree condition or safety survey £200-£400, and TPO application support £300-£500. The exact figure depends on how many trees are involved and how easily accessible the site is, so a firm price is confirmed after a short call about the property rather than fixed in advance.
How quickly can a survey be arranged?
Site visits are usually booked within 24-48 hours of first contact, and the written report follows within 48-72 hours after that. If a completion date or planning deadline is close, mention it when you call -- turnaround can sometimes be tightened further depending on how many trees are on the plot.
What's the difference between a mortgage tree report and a BS5837 survey?
A mortgage or homebuyer report answers a lender's specific question about a tree near the property -- usually whether it poses a risk to the building's foundations or is likely to cause subsidence. A BS5837 survey is written for a planning application and covers every tree that could be affected by proposed building work, categorising each one A/B/C/U and calculating Root Protection Areas so the plans can be designed around them. The site work is similar; the report is structured differently for each reader.
Do I need a tree survey for a small extension?
Usually only if a tree -- yours or a neighbour's -- sits within roughly 15 metres of where the extension, conservatory, or outbuilding is planned. Most planning departments will ask for a BS5837 survey at that point, either as a condition of approval or before the application is even validated, so it's worth checking distances before submitting.
What happens if the survey finds a tree needs removing?
The report will say so and explain why, but removing, reducing, or felling the tree is quoted and carried out as a separate job -- the survey fee only covers the assessment and report. If the tree is protected by a TPO or sits in a conservation area, that work also needs council permission first, which is a separate application.
Will the report satisfy my mortgage lender or solicitor?
Reports are written in the format lenders and solicitors expect, with clear retention or removal recommendations rather than a vague opinion. If a specific lender has sent a list of questions or a template, mention it when booking so the report addresses those points directly instead of needing to be redone.
Does a survey cover a tree my neighbour owns?
It can be assessed from your side of the boundary, noting its condition and any risk it poses to your property, but a full inspection from the neighbour's side needs their permission. Where that matters for the report -- a mortgage application, for instance -- this is flagged so you know whether further access is needed.
How long is a tree survey valid for?
Most lenders and planning departments treat a report as current for around 12 months, since tree condition can change with storm damage, disease, or new growth. If a sale or application runs on past that, a quick revisit is usually enough rather than a full new survey.
Book a Survey Before Your Deadline Gets Tighter
Lender and planning deadlines rarely move, but a site visit and report each take a few days, so the earlier a survey is booked the more slack there is if a tree turns out to need a second look or a specialist report. Get in touch with a few details about the property and what the survey is for, and a free quote and provisional date can be given straight away.
0141-483-7485
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