Planning BS5837 · Surrey

Building Control Tree Survey Surrey

Has Building Control, an engineer or warranty provider asked for tree information? Send their wording with the current plans. A Building Control tree survey answers a different question from a BS5837 planning survey.

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You can send the plans and the wording you have received. We will confirm what information is needed before you instruct.

What this service is for

Tree information for foundation and Building Control decisions

Trees can influence foundation design where vegetation, soil conditions and proposed structures interact. The survey provides reliable vegetation information for the engineer, Building Control Body or warranty route without pretending that a planning report automatically answers the same question.

Planning and Building Control are separate processes. A project can have planning permission and still need additional tree information for foundation design, particularly where established vegetation and shrinkable soils are relevant.

The survey normally focuses on the vegetation information requested by the engineer, Building Control Body or warranty provider. That can include species, distances and information relevant to mature size, depending on the requirement.

If you also have a BS5837 planning requirement, tell us. The two pieces of work can be coordinated where useful, but each needs to answer its own technical question.

What you receive

The exact output depends on the site and project stage, but the work should always be clear, coordinated and usable by the people making the next decision.

Identification of trees and significant vegetation relevant to foundations
Species and likely mature-height information
Distances from proposed structures
Condition/context notes where relevant
Coordination with engineer or Building Control request
Clear distinction from any separate BS5837 planning requirements

The finished information should be easy for the client and design team to understand, technically defensible for the Local Planning Authority and practical enough to carry forward into the next project stage.

Delivered by Arbor Cultural: read the main Building Control Tree Survey service information →

What matters technically

The details that make the document useful.

The strongest arboricultural documents are not generic. They connect the tree information to the live drawings, explain the points that matter and leave as little room as possible for contradictory interpretation.

Who requested the information

The wording from Building Control, the engineer or warranty provider should drive the information collected.

Species and mature size

Reliable vegetation identification and size information can be relevant to foundation design in shrinkable soils.

Distance to proposed work

The relationship between vegetation and the proposed foundations needs to be recorded clearly.

Separate planning duties

A Building Control survey does not remove any separate BS5837 planning, TPO or conservation-area requirement.

How it fits into the wider BS5837 process

Keep the Building Control question separate from the planning question, even when the site visit can be coordinated.

The planning process asks how the development relates to trees in design and construction. Building Control may ask how nearby vegetation influences the structural or foundation solution.

Where both are needed, consistent tree references and coordinated site information can make the project easier to manage without confusing the purpose of the two reports.

01Survey & constraints

02Design & AIA

03AMS & TPP

04Supervision & sign-off

Before you request a quote

Send whatever project information you already have.

You do not need to build a perfect technical brief. Start with the site address, the current drawings and the exact wording from the council, tree officer, architect, engineer or Building Control team. If a previous arboricultural report exists, include it. If the design has been revised, send the latest revision.

Send the exact request from the engineer, Building Control Body or warranty provider with the current foundation or planning drawings. That lets us see what information they are expecting.

If there is a planning submission, condition-discharge or construction deadline, include that date as well. Programme matters because some services depend on a site visit, drawing information or an earlier BS5837 stage being complete.

We would rather tell you that a document is not needed than sell the wrong one. The aim is to identify the information that unlocks the next real project decision.

Where clients normally need this

Typical project situations

This is common on extensions, new dwellings and other foundation work where established trees or significant vegetation may affect the structural design.

Extension foundations

Established trees or vegetation sit close enough to the proposed foundation to require additional information.

New dwelling

The engineer or Building Control Body requests vegetation data before foundation design is finalised.

Shrinkable-soil assessment

Tree species, distance and mature size are relevant to the structural design process.

Planning + Building Control

The same project needs both BS5837 planning information and separate foundation-related vegetation data.

After instruction

What happens once you go ahead.

The exact sequence changes by service, but the working principle is the same: review the live project, complete the technical work, keep the drawings coordinated and issue information that has a clear purpose.

Project review

We check the current drawings, authority wording and any previous arboricultural information. This establishes what is already known and prevents the new work being prepared in isolation.

Site work where required

Survey-based services include the relevant site inspection and measurements. Later-stage documents may rely primarily on approved information, current construction detail and targeted site context.

Technical coordination

The Building Control Tree Survey is prepared against the project information that actually matters to the decision. Drawing references and tree numbers should remain clear throughout.

Issue and next step

You receive the finished information for the project team. Where another BS5837 stage follows later, the report should make that obvious rather than leaving the client to guess what happens next.

Where the design changes materially after issue, send the revised drawing. We can check whether the document remains applicable or whether a focused amendment is required. Keeping the technical information aligned is far easier than explaining inconsistent documents after submission.

A useful report is more than a compliance exercise

It should help somebody make a decision.

A technically correct document can still be difficult to use if it is vague, disconnected from the drawings or written without the next project stage in mind. Good arboricultural work should reduce uncertainty rather than add another layer of terminology.

For the client, that means understanding what has been found and what it means for the project. For the architect, it means tree information that can be coordinated with the design. For the planning authority, it means a clear evidence trail. For the contractor, it means protection and construction requirements that can actually be followed on site.

We also distinguish between what is important now and what belongs later. There is little value in preparing construction-stage detail while the planning layout is still changing, just as there is little value in repeating feasibility discussion once a pre-commencement condition is the only thing stopping the build.

Keep the project moving

Tell us what decision is waiting.

If the application cannot be validated, send the validation request. If the tree officer has asked a question, send the full response. If a planning condition is preventing commencement, send the decision notice and approved drawings. If the engineer needs foundation-related tree data, send the Building Control request.

The fastest way to get the right answer is to show us the real blockage. From there, the Building Control Tree Survey can be considered in the context of what the project needs to achieve next.

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What good looks like

The report should give the structural team the vegetation information they actually asked for.

There is little value in repackaging a planning report if the engineer is asking a different question. The requested information needs to be explicit and easy to use.

If the request changes or the foundation design moves, send the updated information so the arboricultural data remains relevant to the structural decision.

Keep the report and drawings on the same revision.

A surprisingly common problem is a technically competent report that refers to an old layout. If the footprint, access, levels, drainage, services or surfacing change, send the revision. We can then confirm whether the arboricultural information still stands or whether a targeted update is required.

That becomes even more important once the project reaches construction. The contractor needs documents that reflect what was approved and what is actually going to be built. Clear, coordinated information is easier for everybody: client, architect, planning officer, tree officer and site team.

Who we work with

Clear information for the whole project team.

Homeowners: you do not need to arrive with a technical brief. Send the council wording and drawings you have. We will explain what the request means and what information is needed next.

Architects and planning consultants: we can work directly from the live design information and keep the arboricultural documents tied to the correct revision. That is especially useful where the proposal is changing and tree constraints need to be considered as part of the design rather than after it.

Developers: consistent tree references and a clear document sequence make it easier to carry the same evidence from feasibility through planning and into construction.

Contractors: once permission is in place, the language needs to become practical. Protection zones, excavation methods, access restrictions and hold points should be obvious enough to use on site.

Tell us what you already have.

If somebody has already surveyed the trees, send the report. If the council has already accepted part of the arboricultural package, send the approved documents. If the architect has revised the scheme, send the new drawing as well as the old report.

Existing work is useful context. It helps us avoid repeating information unnecessarily and makes it easier to see where the project has genuinely changed.

If you are starting from scratch, that is fine too. An address and current plan are enough to begin the conversation, and the original council or consultant wording is the best guide where a formal request has already been made.

Questions clients ask us

Building Control Tree Survey FAQs

These are general answers. If you have project-specific wording, send it with the drawings and we can tell you how it applies to your site.

Is this the same as a BS5837 planning survey?

No. There can be overlapping tree data, but the planning and Building Control processes answer different technical questions.

Can I need both?

Yes. A development near trees can require planning information and separate foundation-related vegetation information.

Who uses the Building Control survey?

Depending on the project, the information may be used by the structural engineer, Building Control Body or warranty provider.

What should I send?

The request you have received, the site address and the current drawings. Include any existing tree information if available.

When should it be done?

Ideally before the relevant foundation design is finalised, particularly once an engineer or Building Control professional has identified the need.

Ready to move it forward?

Get the Building Control tree information prepared for the question being asked.

Send the drawings and request for a clear fixed-fee proposal.

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