Arborist St. Augustine, FL — Risk Reports

Short answer

A tree health and risk assessment tells you whether a tree is genuinely dangerous — and often, that it is not. Have Faith Trees inspects the root collar, trunk, unions and canopy plus the target underneath, then gives you written findings with photographs you can hand to a permit office, an HOA board or an insurance adjuster. Second opinions welcome; the assessment fee comes off any work you hire us for.

Call +1 (208) 635-2100 Get a free written quote

A tree assessment is a systematic inspection of the root zone, trunk, unions, and canopy, plus the target underneath: what would be hit if the tree or part of it failed. The output is a plain-English answer to the question you actually asked — is this thing going to fall on my house, and what should I do about it?

When it is worth having a tree looked at

You were told by another company that the tree "has to come down" and want a second opinion
The tree leans, or leans more than it used to
Fungal conks, mushrooms at the base, or a seeping wound on the trunk
Thinning canopy, small leaves, early fall color, or dieback starting at the branch tips
A cavity or hollow section, or bark falling off in sheets
Construction, trenching, driveway work, or a pool dig within the drip line in the last few years
You are buying a property and want to know what the big trees are going to cost you
An HOA, insurer, or neighbor has raised a concern about a specific tree

What’s included with tree health & risk assessment

Every line below is part of the quoted price. No hidden fees, and nothing discovered halfway through the job.

Root collar excavation where the flare is buried, so we can see girdling roots and decay at the point that matters most
Trunk sounded for hollows, and unions checked for included bark, cracks and old wounds
Canopy assessed for deadwood volume, dieback pattern and previous failures
Target assessment — what is actually underneath the tree, and how often people are there
A written summary with photographs: what we found, how severe it is, what we recommend and a rough timeline
Documentation formatted so you can hand it to a permit office, an HOA board or an insurance adjuster

Typical timeline

Half an hour for a single-tree opinion; a couple of hours for a full property survey. Written reports follow within a few days.

Quoted separately

Lab confirmation where a definitive pathogen ID is warranted — we will tell you when it is worth the cost
Any pruning, treatment or removal the assessment recommends — quoted separately, and the assessment fee comes off it

Free estimate for tree assessment in St. Augustine

Call +1 (208) 635-2100 and describe the tree, or send the form below and we will get back to you the same day.

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+1 (208) 635-2100 Get Free Estimate

Tree Assessment on the job in St. Augustine

Real work, photographed on St. Johns County properties.

What the inspection covers

We work from the ground up, because most fatal problems start below eye level.

Roots and root collar

We excavate leaf litter and mulch away from the trunk flare and look for girdling roots, decay, mechanical damage, and soil heaving. A buried root collar — extremely common where sod and mulch have been piled against a trunk for years — causes rot right at the point where the tree needs the most strength. Cut roots from construction show up years later as canopy dieback on the same side.

Trunk and unions

Sounding the trunk with a mallet locates hollows. We look for decay fungi, cracks, seams, old topping wounds, included bark at forks, and the shell-thickness rule of thumb: once decay consumes enough of the cross-section, the remaining wall cannot carry the load.

Canopy and branch structure

Deadwood volume, dieback pattern, over-extended limbs, previous failures, and how the tree has responded to them. Dieback that starts at the top usually means a root or vascular problem; dieback scattered through the interior is often just shading and normal.

Site and target

Risk is not only about the tree. A hollow oak in the back of five acres is a wildlife feature; the same tree over a bedroom is a problem. We assess what is under the tree, how often people are there, and what the realistic failure would hit.

What you get back

You get a written summary with photographs: what we found, how severe it is, what we recommend, and a rough timeline. Recommendations fall into a few buckets — monitor and re-inspect, prune to reduce specific risk, install support hardware, treat a pest or disease, mitigate the target, or remove.

If we recommend removal, the report says why in terms you can hand to an HOA board, an insurance carrier, or a permitting office. St. Augustine and St. Johns County both require documentation for the removal of regulated trees, and a written arborist assessment is usually the thing that gets a permit approved.

Second opinions and the removal-first industry

Tree companies make money removing trees. That creates an obvious incentive problem, and homeowners are right to be skeptical when the first company through the door quotes a $4,000 takedown on a tree that looks fine.

Some trees genuinely need to come down. Plenty do not. A tree with a hollow trunk can be perfectly sound if the shell is thick enough. A tree that dropped a limb may just need the rest of its deadwood cleaned out. A dying-looking oak in August might be drought-stressed and fine by spring. The difference between those cases and a real hazard is diagnosis, not intuition.

That is why we charge for assessments as a standalone service instead of bundling them into a sales visit. When the inspection is the product, there is no reason to find a problem that is not there. If the assessment leads to work you hire us for, the inspection fee comes off that invoice.

Common diagnoses in Northeast Florida

A few conditions account for most of what we find on St. Johns County properties.

Hollowing in mature laurel and water oaks — a species life-cycle issue more than a disease, and the most common reason we recommend removal here.
Ganoderma butt rot in palms and hardwoods, identified by the shelf conk at the base. Untreatable, and a genuine failure risk.
Laurel wilt in redbay and swamp bay, spread by the redbay ambrosia beetle. Rapid wilting and death; the fungal staining under the bark is diagnostic.
Girdling roots strangling the trunk flare, usually traced back to a container-grown nursery tree planted without root correction.
Construction root damage, showing up two to five years after the work as one-sided canopy decline.
Nutrient deficiency in palms and in trees planted in fill dirt, which looks alarming and is usually correctable.
Simple drought stress in the spring dry season, which resolves on its own and does not need a chainsaw.

How tree assessment works, step by step

The same sequence on every job, so you know what is happening and when.

01Start at the rootsWe excavate leaf litter and mulch off the trunk flare and look for girdling roots, decay, mechanical damage and soil heaving. Most fatal problems start below eye level.
02Sound the trunk and read the unionsThe trunk is tapped to locate hollows, and forks are checked for included bark, cracks, old topping wounds and seams.
03Assess the canopy honestlyDeadwood volume, dieback pattern, over-extended limbs and previous failures. Dieback from the top usually means a root problem; scattered interior dieback is often just shading.
04Assess the target, not just the treeA hollow oak at the back of five acres is a wildlife feature. The same tree over a bedroom is a problem. Risk is the tree and what is under it.
05Written findings with photographsWhat we found, how severe, what we recommend and a rough timeline — formatted so a reviewer, a board or an adjuster can act on it.

Why choose Have Faith Trees for tree assessment

8+ years on Northeast Florida trees, 47 five-star Google reviews, licensed and fully insured — and these four things specific to this job.

The diagnosis is the product
We charge for assessments as a standalone service precisely so there is no reason to find a problem that is not there. The fee credits against any work you book.
Second opinions are a real part of the job
Customers regularly tell us another company condemned a tree we then pruned and kept. Sometimes we agree with the first company — you get the reasoning either way.
Hollow does not mean doomed
Trees are engineered as hollow tubes. What matters is shell thickness relative to trunk radius, and that takes measurement rather than a glance.
Documentation that gets permits approved
A written arborist assessment is frequently the thing that turns a questionable removal application into an approved one.

What affects the price

We do not publish flat prices, because an honest tree quote depends on the specific tree in front of us. These are the factors we are weighing when we walk your property.

Number of trees inspected: A single-tree opinion is quick; a full property survey of a wooded acre takes considerably longer.
Depth of report needed: A verbal recommendation costs less than a documented written report prepared for a permit or insurance file.
Root collar excavation: Hand-digging a buried root flare to inspect it properly adds time.
Aerial inspection: Some defects can only be assessed from within the canopy, which means a climb.
Purpose of the assessment: Reports intended for permitting, HOA disputes, or real estate transactions are more detailed than a homeowner opinion.

Tree Assessment questions we get asked

How do I know if my tree is dangerous?

The common red flags are a new lean, fungal conks at the base, large dead limbs, a hollow trunk, cracked or heaved soil at the root plate, and construction damage within the drip line. Any one of those is worth an inspection — several together usually means action is needed.

Can a hollow tree be safe?

Often, yes. Trees are engineered as hollow tubes, and a sound shell of adequate thickness can carry the load fine. What matters is the ratio of remaining sound wood to the trunk radius, plus openings that weaken the tube. That takes measurement, not a glance.

Do you charge for a tree assessment?

Estimates for tree work are free. A formal risk assessment — where you are paying for the diagnosis and a written report — is a paid service, and the fee is credited against any work you hire us to do.

Another company said my tree must be removed. Will you give a second opinion?

Gladly, and we do it often. Sometimes we agree. Sometimes the tree just needs pruning or a support system. Either way you will get the reasoning, not just a verdict.

Can you provide documentation for a permit or insurance claim?

Yes. Written assessments with photographs are exactly what permitting offices, HOA boards, and adjusters want to see, and they are frequently what gets a removal approved.

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Book tree assessment in St. Augustine

Free on-site estimate, written price before we start, and full cleanup included. Same-day response for genuine hazards.

47 five-star reviews
Licensed & insured
24/7 storm response