There is no single inspection interval that suits every commercial site. What matters is proportionate care: landowners owe a duty of care for their trees, and a planned, documented inspection cycle is how a site demonstrates that the duty is being met. In practice, most sites settle into a regular programme, with busy areas checked more often than quiet ones. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What the law actually expects
The starting point is simple. If trees stand on your land, you owe a duty of care for them. What counts as reasonable care depends on the site: where the trees stand, who passes beneath them, and what condition they are in.
So the useful question is not “is there a set interval?” but “what would a reasonable occupier of this particular site do?”. For most commercial sites the answer is a recurring tree risk assessment, carried out on a cycle that reflects how the site is used, recording the condition of the trees, any defects found, any works recommended, and when each tree should next be looked at.
Zone the site by how it is used
The most practical way to set an inspection cycle is to divide the site into zones based on how often people and vehicles are near the trees.
- High-use zones. Entrances, car parks, footpaths, seating areas and delivery routes. Trees here are inspected most often, because the consequences of a failure are highest.
- Moderate-use zones. Areas people pass through occasionally, such as overflow parking or the edges of working yards.
- Low-use zones. Fenced-off land and quiet boundaries that people rarely visit. These can usually run on a longer cycle.
Condition matters as much as position. A mature tree with known defects in a high-use zone may justify a check every year, while a young, healthy group in a quiet corner will not. Severe weather is the other trigger: after a major storm it is worth walking the high-use zones again, whatever the diary says.
Why written records matter
If a tree fails and causes damage or injury, the questions asked afterwards tend to be simple ones. Did you know what condition your trees were in? Was there a system for checking them? Was it followed?
A written survey report answers all three. Dated findings, a clear list of recommended works and evidence that those works were completed show that the duty of care was taken seriously. Insurers ask the same questions, and a documented inspection history is far easier to stand behind than an assurance that somebody kept an eye on things.
The record is the point. An inspection that lives only in someone’s memory does very little for you three years later.
Check for protected trees before any work follows
Inspections usually produce a list of recommended works, and that is where protection rules come in. Trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order need council consent before works are carried out, and works to trees in a conservation area need six weeks written notice to the council. Penalties for unauthorised works on protected trees can include unlimited fines, so confirm the status of every tree before anyone starts cutting.
Our free checker at /is-my-tree-protected/ reads the national planning dataset and gives an indicative answer in seconds. It is indicative only: the council register is definitive, so check with your council before work starts.
What a managed survey programme looks like
For a site with more than a handful of trees, the tidy answer is a managed programme rather than one-off visits. That means a baseline survey of the whole site, zones agreed with you, a re-inspection date set for each zone, and every report held in one place so the paper trail builds itself.
Our tree surveys are priced and delivered on their own. The findings are what the trees need, nothing more, and the report is yours to take to any contractor you choose. If you would rather one firm handled the whole cycle, we can also carry out the recommended works as an ARB Approved Contractor (AC2637). We are Constructionline Gold registered, our survey work is backed by £1m professional indemnity, and we work across Preston, Lancashire and the North West. Quotes go out within one working day, survey visits are booked within days, not weeks, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
If you manage a commercial site and are not sure what cycle your trees need, use our free scope check at /tree-surveys/#survey-enquiry or call our office on 07884 274693. Tell us how the site is used and our surveyors will suggest a proportionate way to keep on top of it.
