ISA Certified Consulting Arborist

Arborist Letters for Hazardous Trees

An arborist letter is a written opinion from a certified arborist about the condition of a specific tree and the risk it presents. It isn't a form letter. It follows an inspection of that tree, on that property, on a stated date.

Boards and permit offices ask for one because it moves the decision off of opinion and onto a professional record. It also protects you. If a tree comes down on a roof after a board said no, the paperwork matters.

The determination is based on the actual condition of the tree. A letter is not automatically issued because a property owner wants a tree removed. If the tree doesn't meet the risk criteria, we explain what we found and recommend reasonable alternatives instead.

• The tree, its species, size and location on the property
• What is actually wrong with it, described in plain terms
• The targets at risk, meaning what the tree can hit
• The risk rating and how it was reached
• What we recommend, whether that is removal, pruning or monitoring
• The arborist credential and the date of the inspection

What Florida Law Actually Says

There is a state law on this, section 163.045 of the Florida Statutes. In plain terms, a local government cannot require a notice, an application, an approval, a permit, a fee or mitigation before you prune, trim or remove a tree on residential property, if you have documentation from an ISA certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to people or property. It also says the local government cannot make you replant that tree.

The details matter, so read them carefully. The law is written for residential property, which it defines as a single family detached building on a lot actively used for single family residential purposes. The documentation has to come from an onsite assessment done under the ISA Best Management Practices for Tree Risk Assessment, second edition, and it has to be signed by the arborist or the landscape architect. And the tree has to genuinely rate as an unacceptable risk, which the statute ties to removal being the only practical way to bring that risk below moderate.

It doesn't cover everything either. Mangrove protection is carved out and stays under separate state rules. The statute limits what local governments can require. It doesn't rewrite a private deed restriction or an association covenant on its own, and nothing here is a promise that a given tree qualifies. We won't tell you it does until our arborist has stood under it. This is general information about a state statute, not legal advice.

Is Your Tree Safe?

Plenty of the people who call us aren't looking to remove anything. They want an honest answer about whether the tree over the driveway is healthy, structurally sound and being maintained the right way.

Trees can look healthy while carrying hidden structural defects. Others look alarming but can be safely kept with the right pruning, monitoring or care. Telling a manageable condition apart from a genuine safety problem is exactly what the onsite evaluation is for.

• Overall tree health and vigor
• Trunk and branch structure, visible decay, cavities and cracks
• Root flare, root damage and surrounding soil conditions
• Lean, canopy balance and weight distribution
• Dead, broken or poorly attached limbs
• Damage from construction, equipment or grade changes
• Proximity to homes, vehicles, walkways and utilities
• What happens if the tree or a major limb fails

Preservation and Maintenance, Not Just Removal

Removal is not always the best answer. Many mature trees can be safely preserved through the right maintenance and risk reduction work, and a mature live oak is worth preserving when it can be.

When the assessment supports it, that's what we recommend, and because our own crews do professional trimming, the recommendation can go straight to a work order with the same company.

• Selective structural pruning
• Removal of dead or compromised limbs
• Canopy or weight reduction
• Clearance pruning around structures
• Soil, root zone or drainage improvements
• Protection during construction
• Periodic inspection and monitoring
• Removal, when the risk cannot be brought down any other way

Consulting Services Beyond the Letter

The same onsite evaluation supports a range of situations where somebody needs a professional opinion about trees in writing.

HOA and condo boards use us for an outside opinion before they approve or deny a resident request, managers call about a common area tree nobody wants responsibility for, and buyers want the trees looked at before a closing, not after.

• Written tree condition reports
• Pre purchase property tree evaluations
• HOA and community tree assessments
• Construction related tree protection and preservation planning
• Storm damaged tree evaluations
• Insurance and property damage documentation
• Second opinions on pruning versus removal
• Evaluation of contractor caused root or tree damage
• Tree inventories and prioritization of hazardous conditions
• Long term tree maintenance planning