Free Online Arborist Tools — NSW
Eight free interactive calculators and wizards built by Assurance Trees — AQF Level 5 Consulting Arborists with 15+ years of NSW practice. Whether you’re designing around trees, removing one, valuing one, or worried a contractor damaged yours, there’s a tool here that will give you a useful answer in under a minute.
Every tool is free to use and works on mobile. Each produces a branded PDF you can keep, share with council, your insurer, your builder or your architect. Pick the tool that matches your situation below — or start with one and the next-step buttons will guide you across.
If you’re designing around trees or preparing a DA
Three tools for architects, town planners, designers, project managers, builders and developers preparing a Development Application that involves retained trees.
PAR vs AIA Decision Tool
5 questionsWhich arborist report do you actually need? Routes to PAR, AIA, TPP, expert witness or “no report”.
TPZ / NRZ / SRZ + Encroachment Calculator
AS 4970-2025Calculate the Tree Protection Zone, Structural Root Zone and 3-tier encroachment classification (Minor / Moderate / Major) for any tree under AS 4970-2025.
Replacement Planting Calculator
NSW DCPsEstimate council-required replacement plantings for any tree being removed. Pot sizes, install cost, 2-year maintenance, specifications. Generic NSW + Hunter Region LGA-specific rules.
If you own a tree and want to do something with it
Three tools for property owners thinking about removing, pruning, or worrying about a tree on their land.
Do I Need a Permit to Remove a Tree?
NSW wizard6-question wizard. Tells you whether you need council permission, a DA, an emergency-works pathway, or whether your tree is likely exempt. Handles street trees, boundary trees, heritage, and the 10/50 rule.
Was My Tree Pruning Legal?
AS 43738-question check against AS 4373 “Pruning of Amenity Trees”. Identifies topping, lopping, stub cuts, flush cuts, over-pruning and council-consent breaches.
Tree Risk Quick Check
TRAQ-style10-question structured assessment based on the ISA TRAQ framework. Gives an indicative Low / Moderate / High / Extreme risk rating for any tree on your site.
If you’re managing a construction site with retained trees
For builders, site supervisors, project managers running NSW construction projects with trees that must be protected.
Construction Tree Protection Checklist
AS 4970 + DA12-question self-audit for NSW builders. Scored compliance %, gap list, legal-exposure tier (Low / Moderate / High / Critical), and cost-of-fix vs cost-of-breach framing.
If you have an insurance claim, dispute or valuation question
For homeowners, body corporates, lawyers, insurance assessors and anyone with a tree-related claim.
Tree Valuation Calculator (STEM)
Burnley methodIndicative tree valuation using the STEM (Burnley) method — the most widely used Australian arboricultural valuation framework. DBH + species + condition + ULE + location + heritage = dollar value, with the working shown.
One quick reminder. Every tool here gives an indicative result. None of them are a substitute for a certified arborist report. They will tell you which way to lean, what the question really is, and whether engaging a consulting arborist is the right next step. If your situation involves a DA, an insurance claim, a court matter, a council dispute, or a serious tree-safety question, get certified advice on top of the tool’s output. Call 1300 859 510 or email sales@assurancetrees.com.au for a quote.
Why we built these
Most consulting arboriculture sits behind a paywall — you don’t know whether you need a report until you’ve paid for the conversation. We think that’s broken. The eight tools here exist so that:
You can self-screen
Before spending money on a consulting arborist, you can use a tool to understand whether you actually need one, what type of report, and roughly what the answer is likely to be.
You can ballpark the cost
Every tool surfaces indicative cost ranges for the next step — PAR, AIA, TPP, valuation, project arborist, verbal consultation, expert witness. No more “ring us for a quote” without any sense of what to expect.
You leave with something
Each tool generates a branded PDF you can save, share with council, attach to a quote request, or hand to your insurer / builder / contractor. Even if you don’t engage us, the tool was worth your time.
About the tools
Are these tools really free? What’s the catch?
Yes, free. To download the PDF result we ask for your name, email and a brief description of your tree / project — that’s how we know which leads to follow up. We don’t sell your contact details. We don’t spam. If the tool’s result was useful and you don’t need to engage us, that’s fine.
What’s the difference between an “indicative” result and a certified report?
An indicative result is based on the inputs you provide against published methods (AS 4970-2025, AS 4373, STEM, TRAQ). It’s useful for screening, decision-making and ballpark cost. A certified report involves a qualified consulting arborist on-site with measurement equipment, photographs, written professional opinion, regional adjustments and (where needed) signed declaration for court / insurance / council use. The certified report is what gets accepted as evidence.
Can I use the PDF result in a council application or insurance claim?
The PDF can support a council application or claim as a working document, but it generally won’t be accepted as the primary evidence. For DAs, councils want an Arboricultural Impact Assessment. For insurance and court, they want a certified valuation or expert witness report. The tools’ PDFs help you frame the question and decide whether to commission the certified report.
Why are some tools more detailed than others?
The detail matches the complexity of the underlying question. AS 4970-2025 encroachment classification is genuinely complex (multi-zone, multi-stem, geometric union of overlapping zones) — the TPZ calculator reflects that. “Do I need a permit?” can be answered with 6 simple questions — the removal wizard reflects that.
What’s NSW-specific about these tools?
AS 4970-2025 and AS 4373 are Australian Standards used nationally, so those references work anywhere. The Tree Removal Wizard and the Builder Checklist reference NSW DA, DCP and EP&A Act practice specifically. The Replacement Planting Calculator has NSW Hunter Region LGA-specific rules. If you’re outside NSW, the broad principles will hold but the specific dollar penalties and council procedures will differ.
Will more tools be added?
Yes — this is a growing suite. If there’s a specific tool you’d find useful and we haven’t built it yet, send the suggestion to sales@assurancetrees.com.au. Tools that target real arboricultural questions for NSW property owners and project teams will get prioritised.
Who built these tools?
Assurance Trees Pty Ltd — AQF Level 5 Consulting Arborists, NSW Licensed Builder, ISA TRAQ qualification, 15+ years of NSW practice. We write Arboricultural Impact Assessments, Preliminary Arboricultural Reports, Tree Protection Plans, certified Tree Valuations and Expert Witness reports across NSW. The tools reflect the day-to-day questions we get asked.
Indicative tools only. The calculators and wizards on this page are provided for education, triage and self-screening. They do not constitute certified arboricultural advice and are not substitutes for site-specific assessment by a qualified consulting arborist. Each tool carries its own detailed disclaimer accessible on the tool page.
No warranty. 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, dispute outcome, penalty, planning refusal or other consequence arising from use of or reliance on these tools.
Need certified advice? Call 1300 859 510 or email sales@assurancetrees.com.au. We provide certified arboricultural services across NSW from $250 + GST.
Need certified arboricultural advice?
The tools are a great starting point. When you need the certified report — for a DA, an insurance claim, a council dispute or a court matter — Assurance Trees writes the report. AQF Level 5 Consulting Arborists, NSW Licensed Builder background, in-house GIS and air spade.
1300 859 510or email sales@assurancetrees.com.au
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