What Happens During a Professional Tree Health Assessment?

Starting From the Ground Up

A proper tree health assessment starts at the root flare, not the canopy. The arborist looks for girdling roots that have wrapped around the trunk and begun to strangle the cambium, soil compaction from foot traffic or construction equipment, root collar burial from over-mulching or grade changes, recent excavation damage that severed major buttress roots, fungal fruiting bodies (mushrooms or shelves of conk fungi) indicating internal decay, and signs of decay in the buttress roots themselves.

Many serious tree problems are visible at ground level long before the canopy begins to decline. A homeowner looking up at a thinning crown is often looking at a symptom whose cause is buried near the trunk. The first ten minutes of any thorough assessment happen with the arborist's eyes on the ground.

Trunk and Bark Inspection

Working upward, the arborist evaluates trunk taper (a healthy tree typically tapers smoothly from base to top), bark condition, cavities, frost cracks, woodpecker activity (often a sign of insect infestation underneath), oozing or weeping spots that indicate bacterial or fungal infection, and any included bark in major branch unions where two stems grew together without proper fusion.

A sounding mallet — essentially a rubber-headed hammer — may be used to detect hollow areas in the trunk based on the change in pitch when the wood is struck. Advanced cases sometimes warrant resistograph testing, which drills a tiny pin into the trunk and measures resistance to map internal decay without significant damage, or sonic tomography that creates a cross-sectional image of the trunk using sound waves. These tools turn an educated guess into a confident diagnosis on high-value trees.

Canopy Evaluation

From multiple vantage points around the tree, the arborist assesses canopy density relative to what is normal for the species, leaf size and color (smaller-than-normal leaves often signal stress), annual shoot growth measured by the length between bud scars from previous years, deadwood percentage, branch architecture, presence of water sprouts or epicormic growth (often a sign of stress), and any visible pest or disease symptoms.

Binoculars are an essential tool — a skilled arborist can read a great deal about tree health from a hundred feet of distance with the right angle and the right magnification. Crown class, exposure to neighboring trees, and competition for light all factor in.

Site Conditions

The tree is part of a site, and the site shapes everything. Drainage patterns, recent construction (any digging within the dripline in the past several years), nearby grade changes, irrigation systems that may be over- or under-watering, neighboring trees and their condition, sun exposure, microclimate effects from buildings or pavement, and historical land use all factor into the diagnosis.

Sometimes the answer to 'why is this tree declining?' is 'because someone graded six inches of fill soil over the roots three years ago when they built the addition.' Or 'because the new sprinkler system is watering daily and the roots are drowning.' Or 'because the lawn was treated with a broadleaf herbicide that the tree absorbed.' Without site context, the canopy symptoms can mislead.

The Written Report

A professional assessment concludes with a written report that summarizes findings, prioritizes concerns by urgency (immediate hazard, address within the year, monitor and reevaluate), and recommends specific actions with cost estimates. Photographs document each major finding. The report is invaluable for insurance claims, real estate transactions, HOA disputes, and long-term property planning.

Many homeowners use these reports proactively — before listing a property, before a major renovation that will affect existing trees, after acquiring a property to understand what they have, or simply every few years as routine due diligence on a significant property asset.

Trusted Local Tree Care in Chattanooga

Trees do not announce their problems with warning lights. Every property is different, and the best decisions come from a real conversation with someone who has worked in your neighborhood, knows the soils on your block, and has climbed the species growing in your yard.

Chattanooga Tree Care Pros is a locally owned, fully licensed and insured tree care company serving Chattanooga, East Ridge, Hixson, Signal Mountain, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Collegedale, Ooltewah, Cleveland, Harrison, and our neighbors across the Georgia state line in Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe, and Dalton. Our crews are led by ISA-certified arborists and backed by decades of combined experience working specifically in the soils, slopes, and species of the Tennessee Valley.

Whether you need a single tree evaluated, a full property assessment, routine pruning, emergency storm response, or a multi-acre clearing project, we provide written estimates, honest recommendations, and meticulous cleanup. Call (423) 555-0162 today or request a free estimate through our website. We answer the phone, we show up when we say we will, and we treat your property like our own.