Tree Removal
Full removals on tight coastal blocks, including dismantles by rope and crane-assisted lifts.
Learn more →Why the report exists
Councils in the Eastern Suburbs do not take a property owner's word that a tree is dangerous, and they should not. A report from a consulting arborist qualified to AQF Level 5 is the standard evidence Waverley, Randwick and Woollahra accept when assessing an application under their tree preservation controls.
It is also the document that settles arguments. Neighbour disputes over overhanging limbs, strata committees deciding whether a tree is a liability, insurers questioning whether a failure was storm damage or neglect — all of them turn on an independent written assessment.
The situations that need one
- Removal of a mature protected tree, where the council needs evidence beyond "it drops leaves in the pool".
- Any tree work inside the heritage conservation areas of Paddington, Woollahra and parts of Waverley, where the tree is part of the heritage character.
- Development applications — nearly every DA involving excavation near a retained tree needs tree protection zones calculated and specified.
- Structural concern about a specific tree: a split union, a lifted root plate, fungal fruiting bodies at the base, or a lean that has changed.
- Insurance and legal matters, including damage from a neighbouring property's tree.
What a good report does not do
It does not simply record what the client wants. A report written to justify a predetermined outcome is worth nothing to a council tree officer, and experienced officers recognise the pattern quickly. The useful report is the one that describes the tree accurately, sets out the options — retain and monitor, reduce, remove — and explains the reasoning.
Where the honest recommendation is retention with reduction pruning rather than removal, that is what it will say.
How it fits the process
The usual order is: inspection, report, council application, then the work. The permit guide covers the application side, including the fees each council charges, and it is worth reading before you commission anything. For a tree that is failing right now, skip the paperwork and go straight to emergency work — councils accept that an immediately dangerous tree is dealt with first.
If the report ends in removal, the tree removal page explains the method and the cost guide explains the pricing.
Call (02) 9538 7842 to arrange an inspection, or describe the tree and the reason you need a report.
More services
Explore our other services
Tree Lopping & Pruning
Crown reduction, deadwooding and clearance pruning done to keep the tree alive and stable.
Learn more →Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below ground level so you can turf, pave or replant over the top.
Learn more →Palm Tree Removal
Cocos, Bangalow and Canary Island date palms cleaned up, reduced or taken out section by section.
Learn more →Emergency & Storm Work
Fallen limbs, split trunks and trees on roofs after a southerly or an east coast low.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How much does an arborist report cost in Sydney?
Typically between $450 and $600 for a standard report on one or two trees. Multi-tree reports, development applications with a tree protection plan, and reports that need root investigation or resistance testing cost more. The fee is separate from the council's own application fee, which is charged per tree when you lodge.
When does a council insist on a report?
Whenever the tree is significant and the proposal is contested — removal of a mature protected tree, work inside a heritage conservation area, anything near a development, or a claim that a tree is structurally unsafe. For minor pruning within the exempt limits, no report is needed. If you are unsure, ask the council's tree officer what they want before paying for anything.
What is in the report?
Species, dimensions, age class, health and structural condition, a risk assessment against a recognised method, the retention value of the tree, the impact of what you are proposing, and a recommendation. Development reports add tree protection zone calculations and specify what may be built or excavated within them.
Will a report guarantee approval?
No, and any consultant who says otherwise is selling something. A report sets out the evidence. If the tree is healthy, structurally sound and has high retention value, an honest report will say so, and the council will refuse. That answer still saves you money compared with lodging a weak application and being refused anyway.
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