A board that approves tree work without an independent inventory is approving a contractor's priorities. A board that has one can budget, defend its decisions, and answer an insurer. This practice does not sell tree work, so the priorities are the board's, not a crew's.
What you can order
- Tree Inventory and Risk Management Plan: every tree tagged, measured, rated and mapped, with a 3-year plan and a board summary. $1,250 for up to 5 trees, $75 per tree after; a 60-tree community is about $5,400.
- Annual Inspection Program: yearly walk, updated risk list, inspection letter for the insurer. From $1,800 per year.
- Tree Risk Assessment for a single tree a resident is worried about. $650 to $850.
- Enforcement and dispute opinions: appraisals and expert reports when an owner cuts a common-area tree or contests a decision. $850 to $2,500.
- Permit filing for removals the plan calls for. $750 flat, $600 with a report.
Why the ordinance matters to a board
Common-area trees are protected trees in most of the 56 cities covered here, and the association is the permit applicant. The inventory records protected status and the city's threshold for each tree, so a removal is never approved without knowing whether a permit and a report are needed. The HOA tree liability guide covers the legal side.
Questions boards ask
Will you present to the board?
Yes. One 20-minute summary at a board meeting is included with an inventory or an annual report; extra meetings are $175 per hour.
Can our landscape contractor use the report?
Yes. The spreadsheet lists each tree by tag number with the work and priority, so bids can be compared tree by tree.
Does an inspection program reduce liability?
A documented program is evidence of reasonable care. It does not remove liability, but it changes what a court or an insurer sees.