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A tree risk assessment answers one question in writing: how likely is this tree, or part of it, to fail and hit something that matters, and what should be done about it. Our ISA Certified Arborists assess trees across Auburn, Kent, Federal Way, Renton, Tacoma and Puyallup using the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) method — the same method several local codes name when they ask for a hazard tree finding. Three of our six certified arborists hold the qualification, and formal assessments are completed by one of them.
Free on-site consultation · TRAQ Qualified arborist on every formal assessment
The level of assessment is matched to the question being asked. Most trees never need more than a thorough ground inspection; some need a climber.
A detailed 360-degree inspection of the tree from the ground: the root zone, trunk, branch unions and crown, checked against a standard form. This is the assessment most homeowners, HOAs and permit applications need.
When a defect cannot be judged from the ground — decay high in the stem, a crack inside a union, or a cavity of unknown depth — the assessment moves into the canopy for an aerial inspection. If the finding needs internal decay testing, the report says so and explains the options.
Every formal assessment rates likelihood of failure, likelihood of impact and consequences, then combines them into a risk rating of low, moderate, high or extreme over a stated time frame.
The report lists what would lower the risk — pruning, cabling, target relocation, monitoring or removal — and the risk that remains after each option, so the decision is yours and it is informed.
An ISA Certified Arborist walks the tree with you, looks at what it could strike, and tells you whether a formal written assessment is actually needed.
Risk only exists where there is a target. We identify what sits within striking distance — the house, a driveway, a play area, a street — and how often it is occupied.
Roots, root flare, trunk, unions and crown are inspected for decay, cracks, included bark, lean, root damage and dead wood, following the ISA best management practices for tree risk assessment.
Likelihood of failure and impact are combined with consequences using the TRAQ matrices to reach a rating, tied to a time frame so the finding means something.
You receive the rating, the observations behind it, and ranked mitigation options with residual risk. If the tree is sound, the report says that too.
A verbal opinion is enough for peace of mind. These are the situations where a written, rated finding is worth having.
A mature tree over the roof is often the single largest unknown on a property. An assessment before closing documents its condition for the buyer, the seller, the lender or the title company, and puts a number on what any recommended work would involve.
Renton, Tacoma, Puyallup and Burien all name TRAQ in their tree codes, so in those cities the assessment is a permit prerequisite rather than a credential on a website. Requirements elsewhere vary by address. Our arborist reports page covers how the written finding carries to the city.
Boards and managers need a defensible record of which trees were inspected, when, and what was recommended. We assess individual trees or whole sites and rank the findings so the budget goes to the highest-risk trees first.
A split union, a lifted root plate or a hanging limb changes the rating overnight. If a tree is actively failing, call (206) 909‑2170 — see emergency tree service. Documenting the condition before cleanup also preserves the evidence an insurer will generally want.
TRAQ is the International Society of Arboriculture’s Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. It trains an arborist to assess risk with a standard method: rate the likelihood that a tree or part fails, the likelihood it hits a target, and the consequences, then combine them into a rating of low, moderate, high or extreme. It is a separate qualification on top of ISA certification, and three of our six ISA Certified Arborists hold it.
Not quite. An arborist report is the written document; a risk assessment is one kind of finding that can go inside it. A permit for a healthy tree in the way of a project may not need a risk rating at all, while a hazard tree removal in a city that names TRAQ does. We will tell you which one your situation calls for before anything is written. See arborist reports for the rest.
We can tell you its risk. Every tree carries some, because any tree can fail in a severe enough storm. What a formal assessment gives you is a rating over a stated time frame, the reasoning behind it, and what would lower it. A tree with a defect and nothing it could hit can still rate low; a sound-looking tree over a bedroom deserves a closer look.
A single-tree basic assessment is usually completed in one visit. Sites with many trees, or trees that need an aerial inspection, take longer. The written report follows the site visit, and if a tree looks like it is actively failing, you hear about it on the day rather than in the report.
No. Removal is one mitigation option among several, and it is often not the best one. Reduction pruning, cabling or bracing, moving the target, or monitoring on a schedule can bring a rating down while keeping the tree. The report lists each option with the risk that remains after it.
A rating is tied to the time frame it was written for, commonly one year. Trees with a known defect, support systems, or recent storm damage warrant a shorter interval. We state the recommended reassessment interval in the report.
Yes, we assess and work on trees adjacent to power lines, but we do not perform line clearance. If the finding involves the utility’s conductors, the report says so and the utility handles that portion.
Pacific Arboriculture works across south King County and north Pierce County from our shop in Auburn. These are the 21 communities we serve and the ZIP codes they cover.
King County
Pierce County
Several of these communities share a ZIP code with a neighbor, so seeing the same number twice is normal. Puyallup includes South Hill, and the Tacoma list covers the Midland, Summit and Parkland areas. Not sure whether you are in range? Call (206) 909-2170 with your address and you will get a straight answer. City-by-city detail is on the areas we serve page.
A written tree risk assessment is priced as an arborist report: residential and right-of-way reports start at $400, and commercial, development and municipal reports start at $800. The number of trees, the level of assessment, and whether climbing is needed move the price. The on-site consultation and the quote are free; the fee applies to the written report. A report documents conditions and supports an application — it is not an approval, and the permit decision rests entirely with the jurisdiction.
Pricing for any work the assessment recommends is separate. See tree pruning or the tree removal cost estimator.
Every certification number below links to that arborist’s credential record with the International Society of Arboriculture, so you can verify it before anyone sets foot on your property.
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Tell us which tree and what is worrying you, and one of our ISA Certified Arborists will come out, look at it with you, and tell you whether a formal assessment is warranted.
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