Sometimes you don't need a chainsaw, you need a written opinion. Whether you're buying a property with mature trees, defending an insurance claim, applying to remove a Notable Tree, or just want to know whether the big tree next to the bedroom is safe, Alpine Arborism produces independent, written arborist reports.
Types of report we produce
- Pre-purchase tree report. Buying a property with mature trees? We assess condition, identify any liabilities (overhanging neighbour-side, root damage to drives, hazardous species too close to the house) and estimate likely future maintenance costs. Often pays for itself in negotiation.
- Tree risk assessment (TRAQ-style). Using the international TRAQ framework, we assess likelihood of failure, likelihood of impact and consequences, and produce a defensible risk rating with recommended mitigations.
- Council consent arborist report. Notable Trees, trees in significant ecological areas, and trees protected by District Plan rules need a written arborist report as part of a resource consent application. We prepare it to the format your local council expects.
- Insurance & claim reports. Storm-damage claims, dispute about whether a failed tree was visibly defective beforehand, damage-causation reports for boundary or neighbour disputes, written and photo-documented to a standard assessors accept.
- Tree protection plans for construction. Building near a retained tree? We mark up Tree Protection Zones, specify fencing and ground protection, and inspect at agreed milestones to keep your project compliant.
- Pest & disease diagnosis. Honey fungus, myrtle rust, sooty mould, borer, scale, phytophthora, we ID what's going on and recommend a treatment or removal pathway.
What's in a typical report
- Tree identification, species, dimensions, estimated age.
- Photographs from key angles, including any defects.
- Crown, trunk and root assessment, what's visible, what's likely, what's unknown.
- Risk rating with reasoning.
- Recommendations, retain, prune, monitor, remove, with timing.
- Estimated costs of recommended work.
- References to relevant standards and frameworks (such as ISA TRAQ for risk assessment).
- Signed, dated, on company letterhead, suitable for legal, insurance and council use.
How an assessment runs
- You send us the address and a brief on what you need the report for.
- A qualified arborist attends site, typically 45–90 minutes for a single tree, longer for multi-tree assessments.
- Report drafted within 5 working days (faster on request).
- PDF delivered, with hard-copy on request.
Independence matters. If our report supports retention, we're not also trying to sell you a removal. If it supports removal, we'll quote the work separately and you're free to use any contractor. Our reports are written to be defensible on their own merit.
What we can't do from a desk
Some assessments need more than a visual inspection, we'll tell you upfront if we recommend bringing in additional tools:
- Resistance drilling (Resistograph). For suspected internal decay where a visual rate isn't conclusive.
- Sonic tomography. Non-invasive scan of internal trunk condition for high-value or Notable Trees.
- Aerial inspection. Climb-inspection of the upper canopy where ground-level assessment can't see the defects.
- Lab pathology. Samples sent for culture / pathogen ID where disease is suspected.