Emergency
A large branch has split or torn but has not come down, and it is sitting in the canopy above the garden, a path or a car.
A tree has come down in high wind and is lying across the garden, a fence, a shed, the house or the road.
High risk
The tree has taken on a lean and the ground on the opposite side has cracked, domed or lifted at the base.
Brackets, shelves or clusters of fungus have appeared on the trunk or at the base of the tree.
An ash has thinning, patchy foliage, dead twigs across the crown and clumps of new growth low on the trunk.
Branches have grown into the overhead cables crossing the garden, or a limb is resting on the line after wind.
Low risk
The council has told you the tree is protected, or you have found it is covered by an order or sits in a conservation area.
Branches from next door's tree hang well over the boundary, blocking light, dropping debris or scraping the roof.
Caution
A large tree stands close to the house, and you are worried about the foundations, the drains or the cracks that have appeared.
A stump has been left in the lawn or border, and it is either sprouting again, rotting away or simply in the way.
Describe the job and get a fixed price from a local tree surgeon.
