Short answer: A danger tree assessment is an on-site inspection of a tree’s defects, the targets beneath it and the likelihood of failure, ending in a plain recommendation: monitor, prune or remove. A standalone property assessment typically runs $150 to $300 in the Fraser Valley, and single-tree looks are usually free with an estimate.
What Is a Danger Tree Assessment?
A danger tree assessment is a structured, on-site evaluation of whether a tree poses a meaningful risk to the people and property around it. Following industry-standard arborist practices, we look at three things together: the tree (species, structure, defects, health), the site (soil, drainage, exposure to the valley's storm winds, recent disturbance), and the targets (what the tree or its parts could actually hit, and how often people are there). A defective tree over an empty back field is a different conversation than the same tree over a child's bedroom. The outcome is a clear recommendation: no action, monitoring, pruning to reduce the hazard, or removal, and if you need it in writing for a municipality, insurer or strata, we provide a photographed report.
What Warning Signs Do We Look For?
Five categories account for most residential tree failures in this valley: root and lean problems, dead tops, decay fungi, cracks and weak unions, and hanging deadwood. Each one is assessed against what stands underneath it.
Lean and root failure
The most urgent category. A long-standing lean with a full, balanced crown can be stable; a new lean means roots are letting go. The confirming evidence is at your feet: cracked, lifted or mounded soil on the side opposite the lean is a root plate starting to rotate. In Fraser Valley winters, when weeks of atmospheric river rain saturate the ground, root failure is the dominant way big conifers come down, and it is why we treat fresh lean plus cracked soil as a same-day call.
Dead and dying tops
A brown or bare top on a fir, cedar or hemlock signals serious trouble below: root disease, bark beetles, or the cumulative drought stress that has been visibly killing cedars across the valley since the heat dome years. Dead tops also become missiles: dry, brittle wood two storeys above your roof, waiting for a gust.
Fungal conks and decay
Shelf fungi on the trunk, flare or major roots are fruiting bodies of decay already established inside the wood. Certain fungi on certain species (conks at the base of an older Douglas fir, for example) are red flags for root and butt rot that hollows the tree's anchorage invisibly. We identify what is fruiting, probe what it implies, and factor it into the risk picture.
Cracks, splits and bad unions
Vertical cracks in stems, splits where co-dominant tops meet (especially with included bark), and old topping wounds sprouting heavy regrowth are all structural failure points. Many of the cedars that snap mid-trunk in windstorms break exactly at an old defect that was visible for years to anyone who looked.
Deadwood and hangers
Large dead limbs, and broken limbs hanging in the canopy after storms, are the "small" hazards that cause a disproportionate share of injuries because they fail on calm days. These are usually a pruning fix, not a removal, and a cheap one.
Read as a quick reference, the same five categories look like this:
| What you can see | What it usually means | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| New lean, cracked or mounded soil at the base | The root plate is moving | Urgent, get it looked at now |
| Dead top or thinning upper crown | Decline from drought, root disease or root damage | Assess before storm season |
| Shelf-like conks on trunk or root flare | Established internal decay | Assess soon, photograph the conks |
| Vertical crack, split union, included bark | Structural failure point under wind load | Assess soon |
| Large deadwood or hung-up broken limbs | Falling hazard on calm days | Usually a pruning fix, book it |
What Do You Get From an Assessment?
- On-site evaluation of the trees you are worried about, or a full property walk
- Straight verbal findings on the spot, in plain language
- A written, photographed report when you need documentation
- Clear recommendations: monitor, prune, or remove, with firm pricing for any work recommended
- Honest triage: we regularly tell owners their tree is fine, because it is
If work is recommended, you are never obligated to use us for it, though the assessment fee is credited against the job if you do. The point of the assessment is the answer, and the answer is the same either way. When removal is the recommendation, our tree removal crew handles it; when reduction or deadwooding will do, it goes to pruning.
When Should You Book an Assessment?
The best month for an assessment is September: trees are in full leaf, the evidence of summer stress is visible, and there is still time to act before the storm track returns. The second-best time is right after a major windstorm, when new cracks, fresh lean and hangers need finding. And the mandatory time is whenever something changes: a top goes brown, mushrooms appear at the base, soil cracks after a wet week, a crack shows after an outflow wind. Trees rarely fail without notice. They fail without anyone reading the notice. An hour of professional attention converts "that tree worries me" into a plan, and most plans are cheaper than the worry.
Danger Tree FAQs
What are the warning signs of a dangerous tree?
The big five: a new or increasing lean, especially with cracked or mounded soil at the base; a dead or dying top; fungal conks (shelf mushrooms) on the trunk or root flare; cracks or splits in the stem or where major limbs join; and large dead limbs hanging in the canopy. Any one of these on a tree standing within falling distance of a house, driveway or play area is worth a professional look.
How much does a danger tree assessment cost?
A single-tree look is often free as part of a removal or pruning estimate. A standalone walk-through of a property with verbal findings typically runs $150 to $300 in the Fraser Valley, and a written report with photos for insurers, municipalities or stratas is quoted based on the number of trees documented. We put the price in writing before booking, like everything else.
Does a leaning tree need to be removed?
Not necessarily. A tree that has always leaned and grown that way (with compensating wood and a full crown) can be stable for decades. The dangerous lean is the new one: soil cracked or lifted on the side away from the lean means the root plate is moving, and that tree needs action now. Telling those two apart is exactly what an assessment is for.
Are mushrooms at the base of my tree a problem?
Often yes. Shelf-like conks on the trunk or root flare are the fruiting bodies of wood decay fungi, meaning decay is established inside the tree where you cannot see it. Species matters, extent matters, and some conks are far worse news than others, so photograph them and have the tree assessed rather than knocking them off, which changes nothing inside the trunk.
Can you provide a report for my municipality or insurance company?
Yes. We provide written assessments with photos documenting the defects observed, the targets at risk and our recommendation, following industry-standard arborist practices. These reports are commonly used to support municipal tree removal permit applications, insurance discussions and strata council decisions across the Fraser Valley.
My neighbour’s tree looks dangerous. What can I do?
Start with a friendly conversation and, ideally, share an assessment. In BC, a tree owner who has been put on written notice of a documented hazard carries much more liability if the tree later fails, so a professional assessment tends to focus minds. We do discreet assessments of boundary situations regularly and can address the report to both households.