A homeowner wants a large tree reduced because it shades the garden. A contractor quotes, attends on the Thursday and takes forty percent out of it.
The tree was protected. The homeowner did not know, the contractor did not ask, and both of them are now in a situation that a five minute check would have prevented.
The checklist
Do these before anybody quotes and nobody ends up in difficulty.
1. Check whether the tree is protected
With the local authority, which holds the records. It is the first step and it takes minutes.
2. Check whether the property is in a conservation area
Because different requirements apply to trees within one, and homeowners are frequently unaware their street is designated.
3. Explain who is responsible
That both the owner and the contractor can be exposed. It is why a professional checks rather than taking the customer's word.
4. Explain that permission takes time
That there are notification and determination periods, and that work cannot simply proceed while waiting. Customers with a deadline need this immediately.
5. Explain what counts as work
That pruning, reduction and felling may all be covered, not only removal. Owners assume a trim is unregulated.
6. Explain who applies
Whether the contractor handles the application, whether it is charged and what the owner must provide, which is the ground in permission and protected tree questions arborists hear.
7. Explain the exceptions generally
That there are circumstances where urgent work may be treated differently, and that these are specific and should be confirmed with the authority rather than assumed.
8. Explain the dangerous tree situation
That a genuinely dangerous tree is handled differently, that evidence matters and what a contractor should record. It is where most disputes arise, as in fallen tree and storm damage requests.
9. Explain the nesting season consideration
That there are periods where particular care is needed and what that means for timing. Customers planning work should know before booking.
10. Explain neighbour and boundary trees
Who owns it, what can be done to overhanging parts and what requires agreement. It is the most common source of a dispute between neighbours.
11. Explain the tenant and landlord position
Who can instruct work on a rented property and what a tenant cannot decide alone.
12. Publish that you check as standard
It is a genuine differentiator, it protects your customer and it distinguishes you from whoever quoted without asking.
13. Say plainly when you will not proceed
Without confirmation. It occasionally costs a job and it is the reason serious customers choose you.
13b. Explain what happens if permission is refused
An application can come back with a refusal or with conditions attached that change the job entirely. Telling a customer beforehand what the options then are, including reduced work or a later application, means a refusal is a step in a process rather than the end of one.
13c. Keep a record of what you checked
A contractor who noted the authority's response, the date and who confirmed it has a defence that a contractor working on a customer's assurance does not. Explaining that you keep that record tells serious customers exactly what kind of business they are dealing with.
14. Capture the address and photographs at enquiry
So the check can begin immediately, which is the coverage clarity in answering service area questions and the area based answering in delivery area and order questions for takeaways.
Getting started
Publish that you check protections as standard, how it works and what it means for timing, then capture addresses and photographs at any hour. SpideyChat for landscaping and tree businesses answers from your published pages, plans are on the pricing page, and the chatbot ROI calculator works through the numbers.