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Garden and growing · GG-16
Storm-Damaged Tree Assessment Record
A free printable storm-damaged tree record: hazards dealt with first, then each tree's damage, the decision to make safe, restore, remove or wait, and rechecks.
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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Decide what happens to each storm-hit tree from what you actually found, not the mess. The recheck table catches the trees that looked fine and then declined months later.
Who it is for
Homeowners, smallholders, groundskeepers and anyone responsible for trees after a storm, before and after the arborist calls.
How to use it
- Work through the hazards list before anyone goes close to a damaged tree, and keep clear of any line that is down.
- Give each tree a number and fill in its line: what it could fall on, the damage you can see from a safe place, and your decision.
- Record the work done on page two, with who did it and where the wood went.
- Set your own recheck dates and look again for new growth, dieback, splitting bark and fungi.
- Keep the photos with this sheet for any insurance claim.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Danger dealt with first, then every tree the storm touched: what it could fall on, the damage found and the decision to make safe, restore, remove or wait, with rechecks on dates you set.
Danger first, decisions second. Keep well clear of any line that is down or touching branches, and of anything caught in it, and ring the network operator. A split trunk, a hung limb or work near lines is a job for a qualified arborist. Whether you need permission to fell or cut back a tree is a rule to check where you are.
Write-on lines: Property or site · Storm or event · Storm date · Assessed by · Date assessed · Utility fault reference · Arborist and phone · Insurance claim ref
Hazards first — before anyone goes close to a damaged tree
- Lines down or touching branches: area kept clear
- Utility rung, fault reference written above
- Limbs hanging or lodged over paths, drives or roofs
- Tree or limbs resting on a building, car or fence
- Danger area taped off, people and pets kept out
- Photos taken before anything is moved or cut
- Neighbours told where their side is affected
- Arborist called for climbing, or cutting at height
Damage, tree by tree — decision: M make safe now, R restore, X remove, W wait and see
Also printed: Tree · Species · Underneath · Crown · lost · Limbs · Trunk · Roots · Decay · Photos · Decision · Why · what it could hit · your estimate · broken · split, crack · plate lifted · rot, fungi · refs · your reasoning
Page 2
Work done — make-safe work and everything after it, by tree number
Also printed: Tree · Work done · Done by · Date · Wood and waste · Cost · Permission · what was cut, braced, propped or removed · name, company · where it went · ref, if needed
Rechecks — on dates you set: some trees decline months after a storm
Also printed: Date · Tree · New growth · Dieback · Bark · Fungi · Decision · Next · check · Notes · leaves, shoots · dead twigs, tips · bulging, splitting · brackets, caps · kept or changed · date you set
Questions
Why does the sheet not say how much damage means a tree should come down?
Because that judgement depends on the species, the tree's age and health, where the damage is and what lies underneath. A printed percentage would be wrong for many trees. Write your own estimate and reasoning, and get a qualified arborist's view on anything large, split or near a building.
Why recheck a tree that looks fine?
Trees hurt by a storm can decline slowly: shoots die back, bark splits or fungi appear months later. The recheck table keeps those visits on dates you set, so a tree left to wait and see is actually looked at again.
Do I need permission to cut a storm-damaged tree?
That depends on where you are. Protected trees, conservation areas and felling rules differ by country and council, and some have exceptions for dangerous trees. Check the rules where you are and write any reference in the work table.
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