Identify who can arrange the visit
Provide the authorised property or site contact and explain their role in arranging access. Identify who should meet the consultant, how arrival is coordinated and who can answer questions about the survey area. If another organisation controls part of the site, discuss its involvement rather than assuming one contact can arrange entry everywhere.
Supply the included area
Share a plan or clear boundary description and identify the trees included in the enquiry. Flag adjacent land, locked areas and areas outside the commission. An enquiry about a neighbouring tree does not itself establish permission to enter that property. Access arrangements should be confirmed by the responsible parties.
Explain practical restrictions
- Agreed arrival contact and meeting location.
- Access times and site procedures.
- Locked gates or areas requiring an escort.
- Areas excluded from the agreed visit.
- Known restrictions relevant to reaching or viewing the trees.
- Plan and tree references used by the site team.
Provide necessary private access instructions through the agreed direct channel. Do not put gate codes or sensitive contact details into public website copy or widely shared project files.
An example access enquiry
Illustrative brief: “The survey concerns trees in the marked western garden. Our property contact will meet you at the agreed entrance. Access to the service area requires a separate arrangement, and neighbouring land is outside the proposed visit. Please confirm whether this access supports the inspection scope before booking.”
Discuss unavailable areas before the visit
Tell us if a tree or feature cannot be reached or viewed under the proposed arrangements. Discuss how this affects the scope, what will be recorded as a limitation and whether another arrangement or visit is needed. Do not promise unrestricted access until the relevant contact has confirmed it.
Keep changes with the brief
If access times, boundaries or contacts change, update the consultant and retain the current instructions with the project. The blank download is a planning aid, not a legal permission form or a site safety assessment.
See preparing for a Sorbus visit and recording inspection limitations. Discuss survey services for your property.
Prepared by Sorbus Arbor Consulting.