Tree Risk Quick Check — TRAQ-style Assessment
A free 10-question structured assessment that gives you an indicative risk rating for any tree on your site. Built around the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) framework that NSW councils, courts and insurers accept as the standard for formal tree risk assessment.
Answer all 10 questions then click Calculate risk rating. The result panel appears on the right (or below, on mobile).
Disclaimer & conditions of use
Purpose. This is an indicative tool designed to help property owners, managers and institutional buyers self-screen trees for potential risk. It is provided for education and triage only.
NOT a formal Tree Risk Assessment. The output of this tool is not a Tree Risk Assessment within the meaning of ISA TRAQ, the ISO 31000 risk-management framework, AS 4373, or any council, insurance, court or regulatory standard. It cannot be used as evidence in insurance claims, legal proceedings, council disputes, occupier’s-liability defences or duty-of-care matters. A formal Tree Risk Assessment must be conducted by a person holding the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and documented in writing.
Inputs. Output is only as accurate as your answers. Many tree defects (especially internal decay, root-plate failure, structural cracks hidden by bark) cannot be detected from visual inspection alone — a TRAQ-qualified arborist will use a resistograph, sounding mallet, root inspection and other instruments to find what the eye cannot.
Factors not modelled. A formal TRAQ assessment considers species-specific failure modes, biomechanical analysis, internal-decay extent (resistograph drilling), wind-load modelling, root architecture, the tree’s history, neighbouring tree dynamics, recent weather events, and the assessor’s professional judgement built over years of TRAQ practice. None of those are modelled here.
Time-limited. Tree condition changes with seasons, storms, drought, insect outbreaks and ageing. A result today does not bind tomorrow’s condition. Reassess after any major weather event, after observed change in foliage, or annually for any tree with a target.
No warranty, no liability. Provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Assurance Trees Pty Ltd accepts no liability for any loss, injury, property damage or other consequence arising from use of or reliance on this tool.
If in doubt — engage a TRAQ-qualified arborist. Tree failures cause deaths, serious injuries and major property damage in Australia every year. The cost of a formal TRAQ assessment ($800 per site and up) is a fraction of the cost of one failure with a target underneath. Call Assurance Trees on 1300 859 510 or email sales@assurancetrees.com.au.
Result was Moderate, High or Extreme? Book a formal TRAQ assessment.
Assurance Trees provides ISA TRAQ-qualified Tree Risk Assessments across NSW — schools, body corporates, councils, hospitals, insurance assessors, large landholders. From $800 + GST per site. The written report is council- and court-ready and includes mitigation recommendations and a review cycle. See what’s in a TRAQ assessment or call 1300 859 510.
What is TRAQ, and what is it for?
The ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) is the international standard for tree risk assessment, run by the International Society of Arboriculture. NSW councils, insurers, courts and large institutional landowners recognise it as the framework a defensible tree risk assessment is built around.
Likelihood of Failure
How likely is the tree (or a part of it) to fail in the assessment period? TRAQ uses four levels: Improbable, Possible, Probable, Imminent. This calculator considers visible defects to estimate this informally.
Likelihood of Impact
If it fails, how likely is it to hit a target? Depends on the target’s position, occupancy, and the tree’s lean / size. Very low, Low, Medium, High in formal TRAQ.
Consequences
If the failure hits the target, how bad is the outcome? Negligible, Minor, Significant, Severe. A child’s playground sees Severe consequences; an empty paddock sees Negligible.
This calculator’s job. A real TRAQ assessment combines these three dimensions through a matrix into a final Risk Rating: Low / Moderate / High / Extreme. This calculator approximates that combined outcome from 10 visible questions — useful for self-screening, but not a substitute for someone with TRAQ training inspecting your tree in person.
Who needs a formal TRAQ assessment?
Anyone with a duty of care over trees that could fail and hurt someone or damage property. Common buyers Assurance Trees works with:
- Schools and education providers — mature trees over student areas. Annual or biannual TRAQ cycles standard.
- Body corporates / strata managers — trees over common property, driveways, play areas. Owner liability if a failure injures a resident or visitor.
- Councils — street trees, parks, public-land assets. Risk management programs across the asset.
- Government infrastructure agencies — NSW Health, NSW Property, Transport for NSW. Risk-managed asset registers.
- Mining and utilities — site-wide vegetation risk, easement-adjacent tree risk.
- Aged care, hospitals, hotels — institutional duty of care over public-access areas.
- Insurance assessors and lawyers — post-incident assessment, dispute resolution.
- Large rural and residential landholders — estates with mature trees, country properties.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between this calculator and a real TRAQ assessment?
This calculator asks 10 questions you can answer from the ground. A real TRAQ assessment is conducted on-site by a qualified arborist using sounding mallets, resistograph drills, root inspection, biomechanical analysis, species-specific failure-mode knowledge, weather history, and trained professional judgement. The real TRAQ produces a written, signed report that’s accepted in insurance and legal proceedings. This calculator produces an indicative rating only.
If the calculator says “Low” can I stop worrying about the tree?
A Low rating from this calculator means none of the obvious risk indicators are present, but it doesn’t rule out hidden defects. A tree can have substantial internal decay or compromised roots with no visible symptoms. If the tree has a target (people / vehicles / building), the safer practice is an annual visual check by someone TRAQ-trained, with a formal assessment every 3–5 years depending on species and exposure.
Why does occupancy matter so much?
Risk in formal TRAQ is a combination of likelihood (will it fail?) and consequence (what happens if it does?). A massive failure into an empty paddock is low-consequence. A small branch into a busy playground is high-consequence. Even a healthy-looking tree over a school yard or busy road warrants more conservative management than the same tree in a rural backyard.
I just had a storm — should I run the tool again?
Yes, and inspect carefully. Storms can crack hidden wood, lean trees by failing root anchorage, or break branches in ways that aren’t obvious from the ground. Re-run after any significant storm, and book a formal TRAQ assessment for any tree where the result moves up a tier.
What’s the cost of a formal TRAQ assessment?
Assurance Trees’ TRAQ assessments start at $800 + GST per site. Single-tree assessments (for insurance disputes, post-incident analysis) are quoted separately. Annual or biannual programs for institutional clients (schools, body corporates, councils) get a programmed rate. Includes written report, photographs, mitigation recommendations and review cycle.
Can this rating be used in an insurance claim or court?
No. Insurance, court and council proceedings require a formal written assessment by a TRAQ-qualified arborist (or equivalent). Use this calculator for self-screening only. If you’re already in a dispute, engage a qualified arborist for a formal report from the start.
I’ve ticked a “critical risk indicator” — what now?
Critical indicators (severe lean, deep cracks, mostly dead canopy, fungal bodies on live tissue, major dead limbs over an occupied target) push the rating to High regardless of other answers. They mean: stop using the area underneath the tree, set up an exclusion zone, and engage a TRAQ-qualified arborist urgently — ideally within days, not weeks.
Definitions — key terms
Terms used on this page, drawn from the ISA TRAQ framework and Australian arboricultural standards.
- TRAQ — Tree Risk Assessment Qualification
- International qualification administered by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). A holder has completed structured training in risk assessment methodology and passed a formal examination. NSW councils, courts and insurers recognise TRAQ as the standard for defensible tree risk assessment in Australia.
- Risk rating (Low / Moderate / High / Extreme)
- The combined output of Likelihood of Failure × Likelihood of Impact × Consequence in TRAQ. Low = manageable through routine inspection. Moderate = active management. High = priority mitigation. Extreme = immediate action including possibly removing the target or removing the tree.
- Target
- People, vehicles, buildings or property that would be hit if the tree (or part of it) failed. A tree with no target poses little risk regardless of its condition; a tree with a high-occupancy target needs more conservative management.
- Likelihood of Failure
- How likely the tree (or a part of it) is to fail in the assessment period. TRAQ uses four levels: Improbable, Possible, Probable, Imminent.
- Likelihood of Impact
- If failure occurs, how likely the failed part is to strike a target. Depends on the target’s location, occupancy and the tree’s lean / size.
- Consequence
- Severity of the outcome if the failure hits the target. Negligible (no damage), Minor (small property damage), Significant (substantial damage or minor injury), Severe (serious injury or death).
- Critical risk indicator
- A defect that, by itself, escalates the risk to at least High regardless of other factors. Examples used in this tool: severe / recent lean, deep opening cracks, mostly dead canopy, fungal fruiting bodies on live tissue, major dead limbs over an occupied target.
- Fungal fruiting body on live tissue
- Mushrooms, brackets, conks or other fungal structures growing out of the live wood or root flare. Indicates internal decay extending into structurally important wood — one of the strongest predictors of failure in mature trees.
- Resistograph
- A small drill used by qualified arborists to measure internal wood density. Detects decay invisible from the outside. Assurance Trees uses an IML resistograph for decay testing as part of formal TRAQ assessments.
- ISO 31000
- International Standard for risk management. TRAQ aligns with ISO 31000 principles, which is why TRAQ assessments are accepted as evidence in risk-related legal and insurance proceedings.
- AS 4373 — Pruning of amenity trees
- Australian Standard governing pruning methodology. Often referenced in TRAQ-recommended mitigations (e.g., crown reduction to reduce wind load, deadwood removal).
- Mitigation
- Actions to reduce risk to an acceptable level — without necessarily removing the tree. Common TRAQ mitigations: removing the target (e.g., move a seating area), pruning to reduce wind load, cabling and bracing weak unions, formal monitoring cycles, or as a last resort, tree removal.
Need a formal Tree Risk Assessment?
Assurance Trees holds the ISA TRAQ qualification and writes council-, court- and insurance-ready Tree Risk Assessments for schools, body corporates, councils, hospitals, insurers and large landholders across NSW. From $800 + GST per site. 24-hour quote turnaround.
1300 859 510or email sales@assurancetrees.com.au
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