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What is a Tree Risk Assessment?
A tree risk assessment is a structured evaluation of how likely a tree is to fail, what it would hit if it did, and how serious the consequences would be. Each is rated separately and combined into an overall rating, with the reasoning shown and the options for managing it, so a decision about the tree, whether that is pruning, monitoring or removal, is documented and defensible.
How the risk rating is worked out
A risk rating is built from two separate judgements, (1) how likely the tree is to fail and (2) how serious the consequence would be if it did fail. The matrix below combines these two judgements into a risk rating which determines what mitigation steps must be taken.
| Likelihood of failure | Negligible | Minor | Significant | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very likely | Low | Moderate | High | Extreme |
| Likely | Low | Moderate | High | High |
| Somewhat likely | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate |
| Unlikely | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Consequence across the top, likelihood of failure down the side: Likelihood × Consequence = Risk rating.
What each risk rating means for your decision
Risk ratings are categorised as Low, Moderate, High or Extreme, and the final risk rating determines what action must be taken to appropriately mitigate risk. Below is a table that shows what each risk category calls for:
| Rating | What it means | What it calls for |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Failure is unlikely, or the consequences would be minor if it happened. | No action required. Safe to leave as is. |
| Moderate | Failure is credible and the consequences would matter, but neither is severe. | Action recommended, but not urgent. Plan pruning or other mitigation, or re-inspect sooner. |
| High | Failure is likely enough, and the consequences serious enough, that leaving it as it is cannot be justified. | Can’t be left as is. Mitigation must be carried out promptly, within the timeframe the report sets. |
| Extreme | Failure is imminent or highly likely, and would very probably cause serious harm. | Act immediately. Keep people out from under the tree until the work is done. |
Do I need a tree risk assessment?
Yes. If a tree could fall on your house, shed or anything valuable, get a tree risk assessment. In Qld you also have a duty of care to keep your trees safe. These are the situations that usually meet that test:
-
A tree is showing defects
Cracks, deadwood over a target, soil lifting at the base, or a limb that has already come down here or next door.
-
A large tree stands over your home
Or over a driveway or play area, especially after a storm and before the next one.
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Someone needs it in writing
An insurer or body corporate has asked for documentation, or a managed site is due for its annual duty-of-care review.
What a tree risk assessment includes
Every tree risk assessment follows a recognised method, so the rating can be checked rather than taken on trust. Each tree is inspected for defects, rated for how likely it is to fail and what it would hit, and given options to reduce the risk. Here’s what you can expect to see:
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Defect and decay inspection
Systematic inspection targeting structural defects and decay indicators
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Failure, impact and consequence ratings
Likelihood of failure, likelihood of impact and consequence ratings
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Overall risk rating, with the reasoning
Overall risk rating with the reasoning shown, not just a conclusion
-
Mitigation options, not just removal
Specific mitigation options — not an automatic removal recommendation
-
Re-inspection interval for each tree
Recommended re-inspection interval per tree
-
Duty-of-care documentation
Documentation that evidences your duty of care
How to get a Tree Risk Assessment
To get a tree risk assessment you should engage an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist trained in a recognised risk method, such as TRAQ or VALID. Before booking a site visit tell the arborist which tree is worrying you, what sits underneath it and why you need the assessment. If an insurer or body corporate has asked for documentation, say so at the start, so the report is written to what they need.
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Not sure where to start?
Not sure whether you need a tree risk assessment? Book a consultation so we can discuss your trees and what’s worrying you. You’ll get a straight answer and a fixed quote.
Arborist risk assessment for insurers and body corporates
Managing trees for a body corporate, a strata scheme or an insurer? A documented tree risk assessment is how you show the risk was identified and acted on. If a limb comes down, the question is rarely whether the tree was risky. It is whether you knew, and what you did about it.
Each tree is reported with its own risk rating, a recommended action and a date to look at it again, written so committees, property managers and claims assessors can act on it without an arborist to interpret it. That dated record is what protects you, and what a verbal opinion on site can’t.
Assessing several trees, or a whole site? Portfolio pricing applies when several trees are assessed in one visit, and each tree’s re-inspection date keeps your records current.
Tree Risk Assessment questions
Is a hazard tree risk assessment the same as a tree risk assessment?
Yes — one report, several names. Hazard tree assessment, hazard tree risk assessment and arborist risk assessment all describe a tree risk assessment, and insurers and body corporates in particular tend to request it under the "hazard tree" wording. The name on the request does not change what has to be in the document: the likelihood of failure, the likelihood of impact, the consequences, an overall rating, and a recommended action with a timeframe.
How long does a tree risk assessment stay valid?
There is no fixed expiry, because a tree is not static. Every assessment here carries a recommended re-inspection interval for each tree, and that interval is part of the finding — a sound tree with a minor defect might be twelve to twenty-four months, one being actively monitored considerably less. Two things void it early regardless of the date on it: a severe storm, and any visible change such as a new crack, a fresh lean, lifting soil at the base or a limb coming down. On a managed site the practical answer is an annual review, because that is what demonstrates a continuing duty of care rather than a single historical snapshot.
What is TRAQ, and does my tree risk assessment need it?
TRAQ is the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification — an internationally recognised framework for assessing tree risk in a structured, repeatable way. Rather than an arborist simply declaring a tree "dangerous", TRAQ requires the assessor to separately rate the likelihood of failure, the likelihood of the failed part striking a target, and the consequences if it does. That structure is what makes a conclusion defensible if it is ever questioned — by a council, an insurer or a tribunal.
What is the VALID method?
VALID is a tree risk-benefit approach that puts a quantified figure on the risk a tree presents and weighs it against the benefits the tree provides. It exists because pure risk assessment has a built-in bias toward removal — every tree presents some risk, and none of it disappears until the tree is gone. VALID forces the benefits into the same equation, which matters when the tree in question is mature, protected, or genuinely valuable.
Does a risk assessment mean the tree gets removed?
Usually not. Most identified risks are managed by targeted pruning, by reducing the target — moving what sits beneath the tree — or by scheduled monitoring. Removal is one option among several, and a sound assessment sets out the alternatives rather than defaulting to the most drastic one.
Why does a body corporate need this in writing?
Because duty of care is evidenced by what you did, not what you intended. A dated assessment showing you identified and acted on tree risk is the document that matters if a limb comes down and the question of reasonable care is raised.
How often should trees be re-inspected?
It depends on species, age, condition and what sits underneath. Every assessment nominates a specific re-inspection interval per tree rather than applying a blanket figure.
My neighbour’s tree looks dangerous. Can you assess it?
Yes. We can assess a tree from your property and document the risk it presents to you. That report is what supports a formal notice under Queensland’s neighbourhood tree provisions, or a QCAT application if it comes to that.
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Request a quote for a tree risk assessment
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- Honest answer if you don't need the report
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Related
Often needed alongside this
Arborist Report
A written assessment of your tree by qualified arborists at AQF Level 5 — the document councils ask for when you apply to prune or remove protected vegetation.
Read more →Tree Health & Disease Treatment
Most declining trees are a soil problem wearing a canopy symptom. This is the diagnostic work that finds the actual cause before you spend money treating the wrong thing.
Read more →Expert Witness & Dispute Reports
Independent arboricultural evidence on tree damage, cause and value: for insurers, loss adjusters, solicitors, courts and QCAT.
Read more →Not sure what you need?
Describe the situation and you will get a straight answer about which report your council actually requires — including when the answer is that you do not need one.