What is a mortgage tree report?
A mortgage tree report is a short arboricultural assessment produced when a lender's valuer flags one or more trees on or near a property. The report identifies each tree, evaluates its species, size, condition and distance from the building, and gives a professional opinion on the risk it poses — usually subsidence risk from root-induced clay shrinkage, but occasionally direct damage risk from an unstable stem or branch.
The lender uses the report to decide whether to proceed with the mortgage, require a retention, insist on remedial works (crown reduction, felling, root barriers) or simply note the trees on file. A good report gives the lender a clear answer, not a hedge.
When does a lender ask for one?
Most UK lenders follow guidance from the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the RICS. In practice, a tree report is triggered when the valuer records any of the following:
- A mature tree within roughly one to one-and-a-half times its height of the building
- The property sits on shrinkable clay soil (much of London, the South-East and the Midlands)
- Existing crack damage that could be tree-related
- A large or vigorous species close by — oak, ash, willow, poplar, elm and horse chestnut are the usual suspects
- A tree with obvious defects (leaning, cavities, dieback)
What's in a good mortgage tree report?
A report that satisfies a lender first time contains six things:
- Site plan — showing the building, each tree and the measured distance between them.
- Tree schedule — with species, estimated age class, height, stem diameter, canopy spread and condition.
- Soil context — indicating whether the property is on shrinkable clay (a BGS map extract is usually enough).
- Risk assessment — for each tree, with a clear conclusion on subsidence and direct-damage risk.
- Recommendations — either no action required, monitoring, or specific works — with priorities and timescales.
- Consultant details — name, qualifications, professional body membership and PI insurance.
How Arbrium reports are produced
Every report is delivered by a UK-registered arboriculturist using the Arbrium platform. Site visits are geotagged, photographs are captured against each tree, and the final PDF is compiled from live survey data — not typed up from paper notes days later. Data is stored securely and can be re-issued or updated later if your lender comes back with follow-up questions.
Get a quote
Send us the property address and, if you have it, a copy of the valuer's comment about the trees. We'll come back within 24 hours with a fixed-price quote and the earliest available site visit.