What the survey costs and shows
Our survey starts at £485. We visit and record every tree that could affect, or be affected by, your works: species, size, condition and category. Each is plotted on a plan with a root protection area drawn to scale, so you can see where building can and cannot go.
The report then says how the design avoids harm, and how trees are protected during construction. It comes in the form a council asks for, ready to upload.
Trees the law protects
A tree can be protected by a preservation order or by standing in a conservation area. The council's fee for an application to work on either is nil. In a conservation area, six weeks' notice is needed before certain work.
The numbers are large. Westminster records 685 tree preservation orders and Kensington and Chelsea 4,560, on top of the trees in its 39 conservation areas.
Why roots decide the design
The root protection area is the ground around a tree that must be left alone, and on a London plot it may reach into the footprint of a rear extension. Foundations, drainage trenches and even a change of level can damage roots and the tree above them.
Seeing the area on the plan before the design is drawn lets us move the extension, change the foundation type or choose a different layout. That is cheaper than a refusal. Our tree survey page shows an example.
The penalty for getting it wrong
Felling or wilfully destroying a protected tree is an offence, and the court weighs any financial benefit in setting the fine. A builder who removes a tree to get machinery in can put you in that position.
We write protection into the report, with fencing on the plan, so the builder knows where not to go.
Booking
Send the address and tell us which trees concern you. We confirm the number covered and the fee.
The figures, with sources
6 weeks
Notice to the council before certain work on a tree standing in a conservation area.
Source: GOV.UK, Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, checked 25 Oct 2026
£0
No council charge for an application to work on a protected tree or a tree in a conservation area.
Source: Ribble Valley Borough Council, national fee table from 1 April 2026, checked 25 Oct 2026
s210
Section 210 makes destroying a protected tree an offence, with any gain counted against the offender in the fine.
Source: Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 210, checked 25 Oct 2026
685
Number of tree preservation orders on the Westminster City Council register.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk, tree preservation orders dataset, checked 17 Oct 2026
4,560
Number of tree preservation orders on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea register.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk, tree preservation orders dataset, checked 17 Oct 2026
39
Conservation areas, each protecting its trees, designated by Kensington and Chelsea.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk, conservation areas dataset, checked 7 Oct 2026
Questions
Do I need a survey if there is a tree next door?
Possibly: roots and branches cross boundaries. We check whether a neighbour's tree is within reach of your works.
Can I remove a tree myself?
Not if it is protected or in a conservation area without giving notice or getting consent. Ask us first.
Does the survey cover several trees?
A householder survey covers the number stated in the quote. A larger garden is confirmed in writing.
Is there a fee to the council for tree work?
The national table shows no fee for work to a protected tree or one in a conservation area.
The fee for tree survey
What you get
- A site visit recording each tree that matters
- Species, size, condition and category noted
- Root protection areas drawn on a plan to scale
- How the design and build avoid harm
- A report in the form the council asks for
