Why a council asks for one
Price row: the tree survey is £445, no VAT to add. It is written and ordered on our sister site Property Architecture, run by the same team.
Trees are a material planning matter. When an extension or a new house sits close to a tree, the officer wants to know which trees there are, how healthy they are and how far the roots and canopy reach, before deciding whether the building can go where you drew it.
Our fee is £445. A qualified arboriculturist surveys the trees and we draw their constraints onto the site plan, so the layout respects them from the start.
Protected trees and conservation areas
A tree can be protected by a Tree Preservation Order. Anyone who damages or carries out work on a protected tree without permission is guilty of an offence and may be fined.
Unprotected trees in a conservation area are covered too. The same guidance says you must give the council a section 211 notice, 6 weeks before carrying out certain work on them, unless an exception applies. That gives the council time to decide whether to make an Order.
What it does to the design
A tree that survives the survey with a protection zone around it moves a wall, a foundation or a drive. Finding that on paper costs far less than finding it when a contractor reaches the roots.
If the council needs a survey and the application lacks it, it can hold the application back. A refusal means a new application and a new fee, for one house £548.
By the numbers
Offence
Working on a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order without permission is an offence that may be fined.
Source: Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
6 weeks
Notice to the council before certain work on unprotected trees in a conservation area (section 211).
Source: Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
£548
Council fee for a householder application for one house from 1 April 2026, repeated if a refusal forces a new application.
Source: Planning fees: annual indexation from 1 April 2026 (GOV.UK)
Area orders
An Order can protect all trees in a defined area or only certain species.
Source: Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
Amenity
The legal test for making an Order; "amenity" is not defined in law and the council uses judgment.
Source: Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
Tree surveys: common questions
Do I need a survey for a small extension?
Only if trees are close enough to be affected. We check at the start and tell you before you pay.
Can I cut a tree down on my own land?
Not without checking. A protected tree needs permission, and a tree in a conservation area needs notice first.
Source: Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
Who does the survey?
An arboriculturist, through us. Our price includes drawing their findings onto your plans.
Sources
- Tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas, planning practice guidance (GOV.UK)
- Planning fees: annual indexation from 1 April 2026 (GOV.UK)
About the author. Ben Shaukat is Managing Director of Property Architecture Ltd, which trades as Planning Drawings.
Published by Planning Drawings. Checked against the sources above on . Planning rules change; check your council before you build.