Arboricultural consulting for projects with trees on them

Most people don’t need a lecture on arboriculture. They need to know whether a tree is safe, whether their project can go ahead, and what it will take to get there. That’s what I focus on.

I’ve spent nearly a decade working trees from the ground up: as a climber, crew lead, trainer, utility specialist and consulting arborist. You get someone who has been in the trees, not just studied them.

I work in Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton, and prepare reports to each city’s own submission standards.

If your project needs a permit, an application or a municipal approval, there’s a good chance it needs an arborist report. Getting it right the first time matters, because revisions cost time and time costs money.

I write reports that municipalities accept. I know what reviewers look for, how to structure a report to cut down the back-and-forth, and how to design protection that works on site, because I’ve installed it myself.

Arborist reports for development and permits

Tree inventory, condition assessment, impact analysis of the proposed work and recommendations to retain or remove, formatted for site plan approval, building permits, minor variances and development applications.

Tree protection plans

Which trees stay, where the hoarding goes, what’s restricted inside each root zone and what monitoring construction needs. Written for your site, your trees and your municipality, never boilerplate.

Tree inventory and assessment

A systematic inventory of the trees on a property, with condition ratings, observations and management recommendations. Useful for developers assessing a site before purchase, municipalities managing street trees, and property managers planning maintenance.

Before I ever wrote a risk assessment for a client, I assessed trees for a different reason: I was about to climb them. Reading a tree’s structure was how I decided whether to trust my life to it. That’s the foundation of every assessment I do now, with ISA’s standardized TRAQ method applied on top of it.

A tree doesn’t have to look unhealthy to be a risk. Structural defects, decay, root problems and old damage can all compromise stability in ways that aren’t obvious without a trained eye. If you have a tree you’re unsure about, a complaint from a neighbour, storm damage to assess or a portfolio of trees to prioritize, this is where I start.

• Level 1, limited visual: a walk-through to find the trees that need a closer look. Suits large properties, campuses and municipal inventories.
• Level 2, basic: the standard assessment. A ground-level inspection of the whole tree covering likelihood of failure, likelihood of impact and consequences, with a written report, risk ratings and recommended actions.
• Level 3, advanced: when Level 2 raises concerns that need closer investigation, such as a climbing inspection, sounding or other diagnostic tools.

More about tree risk assessment

Sometimes you don’t need a full report. You need a BCMA-level opinion on a specific question, a second read on an existing assessment, or someone to walk the site with you and tell you plainly what you’re dealing with.

• Site consultations for property owners with specific tree concerns (see tree diagnosis)
• Pre-design advice for architects and landscape architects before drawings are locked
• Review of existing arborist reports or municipal conditions
• Contractor consultations when site conditions raise tree questions mid-project
• Peer review for arborists who want BCMA-level input on a complex or high-stakes assessment
• Phone or video consultations when a site visit isn’t needed, through TreeTruth

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is a species at risk in Ontario. Under O. Reg. 830/21, landowners and developers may need a qualified Butternut health assessor to assess any Butternut before work that could affect it. I’m trained for this assessment.

If there are Butternuts on your property or in your project area, I can carry out the health assessment, classify each tree under the provincial criteria and provide the documentation you need to comply. Getting this wrong has real regulatory consequences.

AirSpade root investigation

Root mapping, root collar excavation and soil decompaction with an AirSpade 2000 that I own and operate. Fast mobilization, accurate documentation and no guessing about what’s underground.

Climbing inspections

Some defects can’t be seen from the ground. When a full canopy inspection is warranted, I climb the tree myself with professional climbing equipment. If the information is in the upper canopy, I’ll go and get it.

Construction monitoring

Pre-construction inspections, verification letters and site visits during the build to keep protection in place and retained trees alive.

Each city has its own tree bylaw, submission standards and review process, and I prepare reports to each one. How I work in your city: Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton. For a side-by-side comparison, see tree bylaws by city.

I’m one of fewer than 40 Board Certified Master Arborists in Ontario. I also hold the ISA TRAQ qualification, the 444B Journeyman Utility Arborist certification and Butternut health assessment training.

Almost a decade ago I started as a groundsperson with no background in the industry, and worked up through climbing, utility pruning, crew leading, training and consulting. I’ve been on hundreds of job sites across Southern Ontario, and that experience is in every observation and recommendation I make.

I work independently. When you hire me, you’re working with me: not a junior consultant or a rotating cast of staff. You get a direct line, a fast turnaround and someone who treats your trees like they’re in his own backyard.