Been asked to look at the condition of some trees and offer up a maintenance plan

[samiad]

Hello there

 

Ive been asked to give some advice and carry out some work on some trees growing around a green in a residential area. Im going to meet up and look at the job in the next few days but wanted to get your top tips first. Can i do this sort of thing if im not insured as a consultant?Im aware that even though i do some reading and have some years of practical experience, my advice might not stand up i court if a problem occurred in the future. The management company are an important source of work for me. Im worried if i turn the job down they'll look elsewhere. Do you think some General pruning advice and a maintenance plan for the trees is something i could offer as a man with some experience and a brace of cs qualifications or am i not allowed?!

 

Cheers!

[Hodge]

Could you not take a look and advise a written tree survey by a consultant? Maybe call a local consultant and explain the situation, he may do you a deal on price and you can tell them you will get a survey done and then do the work needed??

[FatherJack]

If you don't have PI, then providing formal advice could leave you exposed. I suspect that your 'customer' will be looking for a solution, not uncertainty and further enquiries. Previous poster gives good advice.

[samiad]

Cheers. Yes i suppose i could get a consultant to do a survey then do the work. Just seems a bit much for a few small trees which i suspect will be in fairly good health.Where do you draw the line on this kind of thing? If ive done cs40 prune trees does that allow me to give any advice at all without leaving myself liable?cheers.sam

[Mark Bolam]

Nowt wrong with having a look, I'm in the same boat.

You could at least highlight anything that is obviously hazardous.

 

For a legit report though, Hodges advice is spot on.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[Hodge]

Cheers. Yes i suppose i could get a consultant to do a survey then do the work. Just seems a bit much for a few small trees which i suspect will be in fairly good health.Where do you draw the line on this kind of thing? If ive done cs40 prune trees does that allow me to give any advice at all without leaving myself liable?cheers.sam

 

 

IMO CS 40 means you are qualified to prune trees correctly. Not carry out surveys.

You can look at the trees and identify any problem brances, IE rubbing or damaged, inclusions etc, you could look for signs of root heave or if any fungi present. But you do not have credibility as someone with a degree in arb etc. nowadays it's the letters after your name rather than experience that count. My PL insurance has indemnity insurance included and even though I hold no formal qualification in that area if I offered advice on a tree and didn't chafe for doing so I am covered.

[Hodge]

Charge not chafe:)

[ReubenHayes]

Hodge, is right. In order to give advice you will require professional indemnity insurance, in case what you say is wrong, or if something happens! If you speak with a local consultant (doesn't have to be AA approved), they should be able to help you out. Some may offer a discount if you use them on a regular basis, also it will help with your marketing as you can sound like you are a much bigger firm offering extra services that the small companies can not offer.

 

If you do want to carryout inspections you will need a minimum of a level 3 qualification (but ideally level 5 and above), check out Lantra awards and the professional tree inspection course.

 

What area of the UK are you working in?

[samiad]

Cheers for the advice. Good stuff. I interpret cs40 the same as you. Its enough to offer some general advice but not enough to carry out surveys. Do you think its enough to put a schedule of proposed work together for free (im talking routine stuff here like ocassional thinning/deadwooding, removing epi etc? Feels like i should be able too but perhaps not in legal terms! Im with arborisk,going to call them now to see what they consider consultancy. Im based in manchester. Good call though on hooking up with a consultant. Needs to be done. Il look at doing one of those courses soon. Myerscough do a bsc online in arb. Ive got a bsc in ecology so maybe with some bridging modules they'll let me on! Maybe the lantra one is the way forward if not.

 

Cheers

[samiad]

So i just finished on the blower and sure enough I'm not covered to advise my clients on pruning trees!i need to pay up an additional premium if im to do that and even then commercial clients can then make up a maximum of 10% of my consultancy. Ive asked if they can check with the underwriters which qualifications would they require of me to be able to be covered for general advice.im finding it all a bit worrying. Makes me wonder if something was to go amiss with a tree ive offered free advice (but not surveyed) and then pruned in the past am i now in the dangerzone?!

Whos your cover with hodge if you don't mind me asking