Download the 7 checks before tree work starts guide (PDF)
Most problems on commercial tree work start before the work starts. Blocked access routes, generic paperwork, an uncontrolled public interface, missed TPOs. Not chainsaw skill. This guide is the checklist worth running before any tree contractor is approved or briefed on site.
What the guide is for
The guide is for the person who has to let a tree contractor on to the site and answer for it afterwards. Facilities managers, site managers, estates teams, developers. It is a two-page printable checklist, not a risk assessment, a method statement or legal advice. It is the set of questions worth asking before you appoint or brief a contractor, so the job does not stall on something that could have been checked in ten minutes.
The seven checks in brief
1. Can they prove competence? Insurance evidence supplied, NPTC or LANTRA competence checked, first aid and a named responsible person. "They said they were qualified" is not evidence.
2. Are the RAMS site-specific? Paperwork should name your site, your access and your exclusion zone. Generic RAMS prove nothing about your job.
3. Is public access controlled? Staff, residents, pupils or visitors kept clear. Footpaths, roads and entrances managed. Signage, barriers or a banksman agreed.
4. Will operations be disrupted? Parking and delivery routes checked, noisy works timed sensibly, emergency access kept open.
5. Are site assets protected? Roofs, fences, lights, CCTV, vehicles and stored materials identified. Overhead and underground services noted.
6. Are constraints checked? TPOs, conservation areas, planning conditions and wildlife constraints checked before the job is priced, not after it has started.
7. Is the handover clear? Waste, cleanup standard, access reopening and sign-off agreed before work starts, so the site is left the way the contractor found it.
How to use it
Print it and walk the checks before you approve anything. Keep the second page for the handover and the photos that make quoting faster. If you want a quick sense-check before that, send photos of the tree or vegetation, the access route and the buildings or footpaths around it. We can tell you whether it looks straightforward, needs a site visit, or needs more planning before a quote. Email [email protected] or call 07423 269635.
See also: Commercial tree surgery: what facilities managers need to know for the wider commercial process, and site clearance for construction for the sequence when trees come out before building starts. After a BS5837 tree survey, this is the practical check before the contractor starts.
This guide is also featured on LinkedIn: Commercial tree work: 7 critical checks before the job starts.
Common questions
- What are the seven checks before tree work starts?
- Competence, site-specific RAMS, public access, operations and disruption, site assets, legal and planning constraints, and handover. The full guide is a printable two-page PDF with the detail for each check.
- Is the 7 checks guide a risk assessment or a legal document?
- No. It is general guidance to help you ask the right questions before appointing or briefing a tree contractor. It is not a risk assessment, a method statement or legal advice.
- Who is the guide for?
- Facilities managers, site managers, estates teams and developers who need to let a tree contractor work on a commercial site and answer for the outcome.
- Can you tell from photos whether a job needs a site visit?
- Usually, yes. Send photos of the tree or vegetation, the access route and the buildings or footpaths around it, and we will tell you whether it looks straightforward, needs a site visit, or needs more planning before a quote.
- Do you provide site-specific RAMS and insurance evidence?
- Yes. We provide site-specific RAMS and our insurance certificate before any commercial work starts, and we work to the site rules, inductions and permits in place.
- Where do you cover commercial tree work?
- County Durham, North Yorkshire and national site coverage, with commercial tree surgery for business parks, schools, industrial estates and developers.
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