Aerial Tree Inspections & Climbing Surveys
Some defects cannot be seen from the ground. Urban Tree Management provides aerial tree inspections carried out by qualified climbing arborists — a close, hands-on assessment of the upper crown, union points, and limb structure where a ground-based inspection cannot give a reliable answer.
We work across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, and the wider North West.
When a Ground Inspection Isn't Enough
A standard Visual Tree Assessment is carried out from ground level, and for most trees that is entirely appropriate. But there are situations where the ground simply doesn't tell you what you need to know:
- Suspected defects high in the crown — a union that looks compressed from below, a limb with an unclear attachment, a cavity visible only from above
- Dense crowns where foliage obscures the structure from ground level
- Large mature and veteran trees where the significant limbs sit well above ground-level sightlines
- Trees over high-value targets — a school playground, a car park, a busy footpath — where the consequences of missing something are serious
- Post-storm assessment where hanging or partially detached limbs need close inspection before the tree can be signed off as safe
- Following a failure elsewhere on the tree, where the remaining structure needs proper examination
In each of these cases, an aerial inspection replaces assumption with observation.
What an Aerial Inspection Involves
A qualified climbing arborist ascends the tree using recognised rope and harness techniques, working systematically through the crown to inspect:
- Union and fork structure, including included bark and compression forks
- Limb attachments and any signs of movement, cracking, or shear
- Cavities, decay pockets, and fungal fruiting bodies not visible from below
- Deadwood, hangers, and partially detached limbs
- Previous pruning wounds and how the tree has responded
- Epicormic growth, dieback, and crown vitality at close range
Findings are photographed at height and reported alongside clear management recommendations. Where a defect needs quantifying rather than simply describing, we can carry out decay detection at height using the same access — establishing the extent of internal decay in an upper limb or union rather than estimating it.
Aerial Inspection Combined With Decay Detection
This is where our capability differs from most consultancies. A climbing inspection tells you what a defect looks like; decay detection tells you how serious it is. Being able to do both — on the same visit, with the same access — means a defect found at height can be properly investigated there and then, rather than requiring a second visit or a judgement call based on external appearance alone.
For a mature tree over a school playground or a veteran tree in a public park, that combination is often the difference between a defensible retention decision and an unnecessary removal.
Qualified, Insured & LOLER Compliant
Aerial inspection is skilled, regulated work. Our climbing inspections are carried out by qualified arborists holding the relevant NPTC climbing and aerial rescue certification, working to industry standard rope access techniques. All climbing equipment is inspected and maintained in accordance with LOLER requirements — Carl Riva is an NPTC-qualified LOLER inspector — and every inspection is covered by full site-specific risk assessment and method statement.
We hold £1 million Professional Indemnity and £5 million Public Liability insurance, and all consultants are Enhanced DBS checked for work on school, healthcare, and public sites.
Who We Work For
TWe carry out aerial tree inspections for schools and academies, local authorities, housing associations, historic estates and parkland, healthcare and care providers, commercial property managers, and homeowners with a significant tree — as well as for other arboricultural consultancies who need aerial access and diagnostic capability they do not hold in-house.
Independent — We Inspect, We Don't Fell
Urban Tree Management is completely independent from any tree surgery contractor. We carry out the inspection and specify what is needed; we do not carry out the works. That means an aerial inspection from us is never a route to selling you a removal — the recommendation is based purely on what the tree actually requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I need an aerial inspection rather than a ground survey?
Where a suspected defect is high in the crown, where a dense crown obscures the structure, or where a large tree sits over a high-value target and the consequences of missing something are serious. We will advise if a ground survey is sufficient — most trees do not need climbing.
Will climbing damage the tree?
No — inspections use rope and harness techniques with no spikes or climbing irons, which cause wounding. The tree is left as it was found.
Can you assess decay while you're up there?
Yes — we can carry out Resistograph and tomography work at height using the same access, so a defect found in the crown can be properly quantified on the same visit.
Do you provide a written report?
Yes — every aerial inspection produces a written report with photographs taken at height, a clear account of what was found, and prioritised management recommendations suitable for insurance and duty of care records.
Do you carry out the tree works afterwards?
No — we are an independent consultancy and do not carry out physical tree works. We specify what is needed, and you can pass that specification to any contractor.
Aerial Tree Inspections — North West & Nationwide
If you have a tree with a defect you cannot properly assess from the ground, an aerial inspection gives you a definitive answer. Urban Tree Management provides qualified, insured climbing inspections across the North West and nationally — independent, Level 6 qualified, and backed by full in-house diagnostic capability.
Get in contact with our highly experienced and personable team of arboricultural consultants today, to discuss your requirements and to obtain your zero obligation quotation.
