Healthy-looking leaves do not rule out weakness in the trunk or roots.
A visible defect needs context; it does not automatically mean removal.
If there is immediate danger, contact the emergency services and keep away.
Look for change rather than a perfect shape
Trees naturally vary in shape, and an unusual outline is not itself a diagnosis. More useful information includes a recent change in position, a crack that has opened, or a substantial branch that has died since previous seasons. Describe when you first noticed the change.
Consider what lies within reach: regularly used paths, buildings, parking areas and neighbouring gardens. This explains potential consequences without declaring the tree dangerous. Do not approach a suspect tree simply to obtain a closer photograph or complete a checklist. A quiet day does not establish that damaged wood is stable.
Report cracks, cavities and damaged unions
A fresh split, torn branch attachment or opening between major stems deserves attention. Cavities, old wounds and missing bark can also be relevant, but their significance depends on position and surrounding wood. A hollow does not automatically establish that a tree must be felled.
Avoid poking inside openings, peeling bark or striking the trunk to judge its sound. These actions cannot provide a reliable safety verdict. Explain what is visible and enquire about a tree survey, describing urgent changes when making contact. A visual inspection has limits and may point towards specialist investigation.
Include roots and recent ground disturbance
Roots anchor a tree as well as taking up water. Trenching, driveway excavation, construction and changes to ground levels can damage them, sometimes without immediate changes in the crown. Mention nearby works even if they happened before the visible decline.
Fresh soil cracking, lifting around the base or movement of the root plate can indicate instability. Keep away rather than checking movement yourself. Exposed roots or lifted paving alone do not prove imminent failure, and cutting roots to repair a surface can create additional problems. Tell an assessor where machinery travelled or soil was stored.
Treat decline and fungi as evidence
Sparse foliage, dead upper branches and repeated branch shedding can indicate declining condition. They can also have different causes, so leaf colour alone cannot establish structural safety. Record whether symptoms affect the whole crown or a particular area and whether they appeared suddenly.
Fungal growth near the base or on the trunk is worth reporting, especially alongside decline. Identification and location matter. The honey fungus guide explains a cause of root disease; do not assume every mushroom means that infection or dig around a suspect tree to investigate.
Recognise when observation must stop
Sudden movement, falling large branches, a widening split or a suspended broken limb calls for keeping people away. Do not stand beneath damaged branches, climb the tree or attempt to pull anything down. For immediate danger to people, contact the emergency services.
Stay away from trees touching electricity lines and contact the network operator. For urgent private tree work, use emergency tree works. If the change followed severe weather, the storm-damaged tree guide provides further precautions. Do not make emergency safety arrangements depend on filling in an online quotation form.
Responsibility is separate from making it safe
If a tree falls across a boundary, ownership alone does not settle every question about damage or payment. Liability can depend on the circumstances, including what was reasonably known about its condition. A fall does not automatically make the tree owner legally liable.
Take photographs only from a safe place, retain relevant correspondence and contact the landowner and your insurer where appropriate. Avoid accepting responsibility or arranging disputed work on someone else's behalf without agreement. Seek legal advice if responsibility remains contested. This guide is general information, not a determination of any particular claim.
Ask for a reasoned next step
Assessment may lead to monitoring, pruning, further investigation or removal. Identifying a defect does not dictate the outcome. Check tree protection requirements before non-emergency work, while never delaying an emergency call where people are in immediate danger.
Need it sorted? Book tree removal to discuss a tree that may need removing, and describe the signs through the quote form. State if you need assessment rather than assuming removal is necessary.
