A tree audit form is the record of every tree on a property and the state it is in. Property managers, schools, churches, HOAs, campuses and estate owners use one to know what they have, spot the trees that need work before they cause trouble, and plan and budget that work over the next few years. This template is an inventory and condition survey: one entry per tree, then the totals and a plan. Fill it in on this page and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Decide the scope before you start
Say up front which trees are in the audit. Every tree on the property? Only trees above a certain trunk diameter? Only those near buildings, parking and playgrounds? A sample of a large woodland? Each is a reasonable choice, and the report is only useful if the reader knows which one you made.
Then say how trees are identified. Numbered tags make the next audit far quicker; GPS points and a site plan work too. Whatever you choose, someone else should be able to stand in front of tree 47 next year and know it is tree 47.
Busy areas first
Not every corner of a property matters equally. A tree over a school drop-off, a church entrance or a parking lot deserves more attention than one in the back of a woodlot. The form asks you to describe which areas count as high, moderate and low use, and to put each tree in one of them, so the report can be sorted by where trouble would hurt most.
One line per tree
Each entry records the tag, species, location and use zone, trunk diameter at 4.5 ft, height, crown spread, age, an overall condition and the tree's health, the defects you saw, any conflict with buildings, paving, drains or lines, the work you recommend and how soon. A photo of each tree helps whoever does the work find it and see what you saw.
Poor or dead trees and anything marked urgent or high priority go straight to the summary of findings, so the person paying for the work sees those first.
From inventory to a plan
An audit earns its keep in the plan that follows it. The last section asks for the work to do this year, the work for the next few years, where to plant replacements and what species to favor, and how often the property should be surveyed again. Type the summary counts from the list so the owner can see the size of the job without reading every line.
Common questions
What is a tree audit?
A survey of the trees on a property that records each one — species, size, condition, defects and the work it needs — and turns that list into priorities and a plan. It is sometimes called a tree inventory or a tree condition survey.
How is a tree audit different from a tree risk assessment?
An audit covers many trees at a moderate level of detail to plan work and budgets. A risk assessment looks closely at one tree to judge how likely it is to fail, what it would hit and what to do about it. An audit often ends by listing the trees that need a risk assessment.
How often should a property's trees be audited?
Many owners do it every one to three years, with busy areas checked more often and extra checks after major storms. Schools, parks and public sites often follow a yearly cycle set by their insurer or governing body.
Who should carry out a tree audit?
Ideally a certified arborist, especially where trees stand over people, buildings or roads. Facility staff can keep the inventory up to date between audits, but defects and work recommendations should come from someone trained to judge them.
Why are the summary counts typed instead of added up?
So the form works the same on paper, on the web and in the app. Count the trees in each condition and priority from your list and type the totals; it takes a minute and you can check them against the entries.