Person studying the lean and canopy of a tall fir near a house

Tree Health and Risk Assessments in Bellingham

Is it safe, does it need work, or does it need to come down? A straight answer about a tree before you spend money on it, from a crew with no interest in selling you a removal you do not need.

Book an Assessment Call (360) 555-0119

Root flare, trunk and crown all checked
Findings explained on site
Keep, prune, monitor or remove
No pressure to book the work

Arborist examining the base of a large tree trunk for decay with a mallet

The tree you are worried about may be fine. Or it may not.

Most people who ask us to look at a tree have been watching it for a while. The fir that sways more than the others in a southwesterly. The cedar that browned at the top last August. The maple with the crack that seems longer this year. They do not want to pay to take down a healthy tree, and they do not want to find out the hard way that it was not.

An assessment is how you get past guessing. We look at the whole tree, from the soil around the base to the top of the crown, and at what it would hit if it failed. Then we tell you plainly what we found and what we would do in your position.

Whatcom County trees have their own set of usual suspects. Laminated root rot in Douglas fir works underground for years before the crown shows anything. Western red cedars have been dying back from the top after recent hot, dry summers. Big-leaf maples develop heavy, spreading limbs with weak unions and decay where old branches broke. And the wind matters as much as the tree: a fir that has stood safely in a grove for decades can be at real risk once the trees around it are cleared and it takes the full force of a winter storm on its own.

Sometimes the answer is "leave it alone". Sometimes it is a trim, a cable, or a check again next year. Sometimes it is "this needs to come down before winter". All of those are good outcomes, because you are deciding with facts.

Ask us about the cost of an assessment when you call.

When people call us for an assessment

"Is this tree safe?"

One tree, one worry. A lean, a crack, mushrooms at the base, a dead top, or limbs dropping more than they used to. We look and give you a straight answer.

Before buying, selling or building

Big trees near a house you are buying, trees you need to plan around for an addition, or a yard full of conifers you want to understand before you commit.

After a storm or nearby clearing

Trees that came through a windstorm looking fine, or edge trees newly exposed after a neighbouring lot was logged or cleared. Exposure changes risk, and it is worth a second look.

What an assessment covers

Root flare and soil

The base of the tree and the ground around it: buried root flare, heaving or cracking soil, fungal growth, root damage from trenching or paving, and how wet the ground stays.

Trunk and structure

Lean and whether it is new, cracks and seams, cavities, decay, co-dominant stems with bark trapped in the fork, and old wounds from topping or storm breaks.

Crown and vigour

Dieback, thinning, dead limbs, heavy end weight, and how the tree compares to healthy trees of the same species nearby.

Targets and exposure

What the tree would hit if it or a large limb failed, and how exposed it is to the prevailing storm winds and the winter outflow from the northeast.

Close view of root flare and soil around the base of a large tree

How an assessment runs

Tell us about the tree
What kind of tree, where it is, what worries you, and how long you have noticed it. Photos help us decide what to bring.
Look from a distance
We start by looking at the whole tree from several angles, checking lean, crown shape and how it stands relative to the house and its neighbours.
Get up close at the base
Root flare and soil checked, the lower trunk sounded with a mallet for hollow areas, and any fungal growth identified.
Read the trunk and crown
Cracks, unions, cavities and deadwood checked from the ground, with binoculars for the upper crown.
Talk it through
We explain what we found on site, in plain language, and what the realistic options are.
Written summary on request
A short written summary of the findings and options, with a separate price for any work if you want one.

Why ask us for an honest read

We do not need every tree to come down. A crew that only makes money on removals has an obvious conflict when it looks at your tree. We do removals, trimming, cabling and monitoring advice, and we are happy to tell you the tree is fine.

We explain what we see. You get to look at the crack, the fungus or the heaved soil with us and hear what it means. You should understand the reasoning, not just the verdict.

We know the local trees. Root rot in fir, cedar dieback, weak maple unions, alder nearing the end of its short life: the problems here are specific, and the trees here are big enough that getting it wrong matters.

If you need a formal written report for the city, a lender, an insurer or a property sale, tell us at the start so we can confirm whether we are the right people to provide it.

Stop wondering about that tree

Tell us which tree and what is bothering you about it. We will come and look, and you will get a straight answer.

Book an Assessment Call (360) 555-0119

Tree assessment questions

What are the most common trees in Western Washington?

The native trees you see most are Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, big-leaf maple, red alder and black cottonwood, with vine maple, Pacific madrone and shore pine in some spots. Yards add planted ornamentals like Japanese maple, birch, cherry and sweetgum. Each has its own typical problems, which is why species is the first thing we note.

What is the 10/20/30 rule for trees?

It is a planting guideline used in urban forestry: no more than 10 percent of trees from one species, 20 percent from one genus and 30 percent from one family. The idea is that a single pest or disease cannot wipe out a whole neighbourhood's canopy. On a single property it is a useful reminder not to plant a whole windbreak of one tree.

Is cabling a tree a good idea?

For the right tree, yes. Cabling makes sense for a tree worth keeping that has a specific structural weakness, such as two large stems joined at a weak fork. It is not a fix for root rot, a failing root plate or a trunk full of decay. An assessment is how you find out which one you have.

What is cabling and bracing a tree?

Cabling installs a steel or synthetic cable high between two stems or limbs, usually about two thirds of the way from the weak fork to the tips, to limit how far they can move apart in the wind. Bracing uses threaded steel rods through a weak union lower down. Both reduce movement and the chance of a split, and both are used on trees that are otherwise healthy.

How long does tree cabling last?

It depends on the system, the tree and how fast the tree grows around the hardware. Any cable needs checking regularly, because a slack or worn cable does nothing and a tree can outgrow its fittings. Synthetic systems should be replaced on the manufacturer's schedule.

Can I cable a tree myself?

We would not recommend it. Cables go high in the crown, have to be placed at the right height and tension, and the wrong installation can concentrate stress and make a split more likely. It is work at height in a tree that already has a weakness.

Where we assess trees

We look at trees across Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Everson, Sudden Valley, Birch Bay, Sumas, Deming and Custer, from a single backyard fir to a property full of mature timber.

Every area we cover