Brent Hocking, Board Certified Master Arborist
Consulting Arborist Serving Developers, Architects, and Property Owners Across the GTA
I came to consulting from the canopy, not from behind a desk. I'm one of fewer than 40 Board Certified Master Arborists in Ontario, which puts me in the top 2% of arborists globally.
Credentials establish trust. Field experience is what backs it up.
I spent seven years in tree care operations: climbing hazard trees, managing and training crews, and working around utility infrastructure as a licensed Utility Arborist. I've been in the canopy when my assessments mattered most. Not for the report, but for my life. I've swayed with trees, read their body language, and made decisions in real time.
I've dealt directly with consequences when things went wrong.
Consulting works when the person doing it has actually done the work. The field experience transfers directly. I came to the consulting side already understanding what I was looking at, because the trees had spent years teaching me things no classroom ever could. I know what a report that holds up looks like because I've written them and been the one on site executing what they specify. I know what actually fails on a tree under load because I've been in the canopy when it mattered.
Ontario is entering the biggest construction push in a generation, and every new project needs arborist involvement from day one. Here's what the housing boom means for your project. Whether you're a homeowner trying to understand what's happening with a tree you love, a developer who needs the arboricultural side handled without surprises, or a design professional working around a constrained site, the approach is the same: show up, look carefully, and make sure you're never left guessing.
That's the job, and that's what I show up to do, every time.
Precision in practice, partnership in approach
The Credentials Behind The Work
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist #ON-2667B
The BCMA is the highest credential in arboriculture, held by fewer than 40 arborists in Ontario. It requires demonstrated mastery across tree biology, risk assessment, preservation, management, and advanced arboricultural practice, verified through a rigorous examination in soil science, plant physiology, pathology, and professional standards.
I earned my ISA Certified Arborist certification in December 2020 and my BCMA in November 2025, after five years of continued field experience, professional development, and exam preparation.
Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ)
TRAQ certification demonstrates proficiency in systematic tree risk evaluation using ISA's standardized methodology. This is the industry standard for defensible risk assessment documentation that satisfies municipal, insurance, and legal requirements.
The methodology means more when you've spent years trusting your own assessment of tree conditions with your life. My risk evaluations are informed by direct experience with storm damage, post-failure analysis, and years of understanding how trees actually behave under load: the true forces they're subjected to, the true mass of their structures, and what conditions actually warrant concern versus what can be left alone.
Additional Qualifications & Affiliations
444B Journeyman Utility Arborist #413696573
A provincially recognised trade certification through Skilled Trades Ontario, earned after a four-year apprenticeship and journeyman examination. My background in high-voltage line clearance goes well beyond the field exposure of most consulting arborists.
Qualified Professional - Butternut Health Assessment
Qualified professional with training through the Forest Gene Conservation Association to identify and assess Butternut trees in Ontario. This specialized expertise is required for projects that may impact this threatened native tree.
International Society of Arboriculture (Ontario Chapter)
Active member maintaining continuing education requirements and staying current with industry best practices through professional development, peer networks, and industry events.
$2,000,000 coverage for both Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) and Commercial General Liability (CGL), providing comprehensive protection for clients on projects requiring proof of insurance.
Professional Insurance Coverage
Let’s Work Together
Whether you're in early planning or facing an urgent permit requirement, I respond within one business day.