Construction monitoring
An approved tree protection plan only protects trees if it survives contact with the site. I verify the protection, check it through the build, supervise work near roots and document compliance for the municipality.
Why monitoring matters
During construction, conditions change. Equipment ends up where nobody planned. Services hit roots nobody found beforehand. Subcontractors work near trees without having read the plan. Hoarding gets moved for a delivery and never goes back.
Root damage often doesn’t show for one to three growing seasons, by which point it’s too late to fix and the municipality may require remediation, replacement or forfeit the security deposit. Monitoring catches problems while they’re still small and cheap.
What’s included
Scaled to the project
Pre-construction meeting
A walk-through with the site superintendent and contractor: what’s protected, what’s restricted inside each zone, and why. That conversation is worth more than any amount of fencing.
Protection verification
I confirm the hoarding is installed to the approved plan and provide the verification letter the municipality requires before work can start, including Hamilton’s Verification of Tree Protection Letter.
Scheduled site visits
Visits timed to the risky phases, such as demolition, excavation, servicing and grading, with a photo record of the condition of protection and trees.
Supervised work near trees
Where the plan allows work inside a protection zone, I attend, expose roots with an AirSpade, prune them cleanly and document it.
Problems dealt with on the day
When site conditions don’t match the plan, I work out a solution with the contractor and, where needed, handle the amendment with the municipality.
Close-out
A final inspection and report on tree condition and compliance, including Hamilton’s Post-Grading Tree Maintenance Report, to support release of the security deposit.
The same person from plan to close-out
I design and install tree protection hoarding for my projects, so the person who wrote the plan is the person who put it in the ground and checks it through the build. There’s no gap between what the plan says and what happens on site.
If you already have an approved plan from another arborist, I can take on the monitoring. Send me the plan and the permit conditions and I’ll tell you what the monitoring needs to cover.
Related: tree protection plans, arborist reports, infill development. Working in Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton.
Common questions
Is construction monitoring required?
Often, yes. Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville and other municipalities make arborist verification and monitoring a condition of permits and approvals, and Hamilton requires a Verification of Tree Protection Letter before grading, servicing or a building permit. Even where it is not required, monitoring is the cheapest way to keep retained trees alive and the project out of trouble.
How often do you visit the site?
It depends on the project. A simple addition next to one neighbouring tree may need only a pre-construction inspection and a verification letter. A multi-unit site with several large retained trees needs regular visits, timed to the risky phases: demolition, excavation, servicing and grading.
What happens if protection is damaged or moved?
I document it, tell you and the contractor what needs to happen, and where roots have been affected, recommend remediation. Catching it early is usually the difference between a quick fix and a stop-work order.
Can you supervise work inside a tree protection zone?
Yes. Where the approved plan allows work inside a TPZ under arborist supervision, I attend, expose roots with an AirSpade where needed, cut them cleanly and document the work.
Do you install the hoarding?
I design and install tree protection hoarding on my projects, so the person who wrote the plan is the person who put it in the ground and verifies it.
Have tree protection conditions on your permit?
Send me the conditions and the approved plan. I will tell you what monitoring is required and how to schedule it around your build.
brent@bhconsultingarb.ca
Based in Hamilton. Working across Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton.