Tree Risk Assessment in Boston, MA
When you need to know whether a tree is safe — for peace of mind, a dispute, a construction project, or an insurer — you need an independent, credentialed opinion. Sentinel provides objective, science-based tree risk assessments and expert reports across Greater Boston.
Independent Arborist Expertise
We don't do removals or sell tree work — we provide objective, credentialed assessments and reports. That independence is exactly the point.
An Independent Opinion You Can Actually Trust
Here's the conflict of interest that plagues tree assessments: most are done by companies that also do removals. Ask them if your tree is dangerous, and the crew that profits from taking it down is the one giving the answer. It's no way to make a sound, expensive decision.
Sentinel exists to remove that conflict. We are consulting arborists — we assess, diagnose, and report, and we don't do the removals or sell the tree work. Our opinions are independent and science-based, produced by ISA-Certified, TRAQ-Qualified assessors using recognized methodology. For homeowners, property managers, attorneys, and municipalities across Greater Boston, that objectivity is the entire value. When the answer really matters, you want someone with no stake in it but getting it right.
- ✓Consulting only — we don't sell removals
- ✓ISA-Certified & TRAQ-Qualified assessors
- ✓Objective, science-based methodology
- ✓Trusted by attorneys, insurers & municipalities
How a Real Risk Assessment Works
A credible assessment is a methodical process, not a glance and a guess. Here's the rigor behind every Sentinel report.
Systematic Inspection
We examine the whole tree and its site — roots, trunk, crown, defects, history, and target — using the structured TRAQ framework.
Evidence, Not Impressions
Findings are documented with measurements and photos, so the assessment is defensible and reproducible, not a subjective opinion.
A Defined Risk Rating
We combine likelihood of failure, likelihood of impact, and consequences into a clear, recognized risk rating you can act on.
A Clear Written Report
You receive a professional report with findings, the rating, and specific recommendations — suitable for insurers, boards, or court.
From Request to Report
Getting a professional, independent assessment is straightforward.
Tell Us Your Concern
Reach out with the tree, the situation, and what you need the assessment for — peace of mind, a dispute, an insurer, a build.
On-Site Assessment
A TRAQ-qualified arborist visits and conducts a thorough, systematic evaluation of the tree and its site.
Analysis & Rating
We analyze the findings and assign a clear, defensible risk rating using recognized methodology.
Your Written Report
You receive a professional report with findings, the rating, and specific recommendations you can act on.
When It Pays to Get an Expert Opinion
Most people never think about a formal tree assessment until they need one — and by then it's often urgent. It's worth knowing when an independent opinion genuinely matters: a large tree near your home that worries you; a neighbor dispute over a shared or boundary tree; an insurer or mortgage lender asking for documentation; a construction project that has to protect existing trees to code; or a tree that's already failed and questions of liability.
In every one of those situations, a removal company's opinion carries an obvious conflict, and a guess carries real risk. A credentialed, independent assessment gives you a defensible answer you can act on and stand behind — whether that answer is 'this tree is a genuine hazard' or, just as often, 'this tree is sound and safe to keep.' Either way, you'll know, and you'll have the documentation to prove it.
- ✓A worrying tree near your home
- ✓A neighbor or boundary-tree dispute
- ✓An insurer or lender request
- ✓A construction or liability matter
Greater Boston Relies on Our Assessments
We had a large old oak between our house and the neighbor's and a genuine dispute about whether it was a hazard. Sentinel did a proper, methodical risk assessment and produced a clear, objective report that everyone could trust. It resolved the whole disagreement calmly and professionally. Exactly the independent expertise we needed.
As a property manager I need documented, defensible tree assessments for our portfolio, and Sentinel delivers every time. Thorough evaluations, clear reports, and a credentialed opinion that satisfies our insurers and our board. Their professionalism and the quality of their documentation are simply a cut above.
We were building an addition and needed a certified tree protection plan to satisfy the city and protect our mature trees. Sentinel produced a detailed, expert report and protection specifications that got approved without issue — and our trees came through construction healthy. Knowledgeable, precise, and a pleasure to work with.
I'm an attorney and retained Sentinel as an expert on a tree-failure matter. Their report was rigorous, well-documented, and their analysis held up completely. A genuinely credible, articulate expert who understands both the arboriculture and what a case requires. I'll absolutely use them again.
Request a Tree Risk Assessment
A tree that worries you, a dispute to settle, a report for an insurer or a build — tell us what you need and we'll provide an independent, credentialed assessment you can rely on.
Tree Assessment Questions, Answered
What is a tree risk assessment?
A tree risk assessment is a formal, systematic evaluation of the likelihood that a tree — or part of it — will fail, the likelihood that it will hit something or someone if it does, and the consequences if that happens. A qualified assessor examines the tree's roots, trunk, and crown for defects, considers its site and history, and combines these factors into a defined, recognized risk rating. The result is an objective, documented opinion of the actual level of risk a tree poses — not a guess. We use the ISA's TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) methodology, the industry standard.
Why use an independent consultant instead of a tree company?
Because of the conflict of interest. Most tree assessments are done by companies that also perform removals — so the person telling you whether your tree is dangerous is the same person who profits from taking it down. That doesn't make them dishonest, but it's an obvious conflict when you're making a significant, expensive, sometimes irreversible decision. As consulting arborists we don't do removals or sell tree work, so our opinion is driven purely by the evidence. When the answer really matters, that independence is the entire value.
What do I get at the end — is it a written report?
Yes. You receive a professional written report documenting our findings, the tree's assessed risk rating, and clear, specific recommendations. The report includes the observations and reasoning behind the rating, supported by measurements and photographs, so it's defensible and can be relied upon by insurers, property managers, boards, attorneys, and municipalities. For legal and insurance matters, our reports are prepared to a standard suitable for those uses, and we can provide expert testimony when required.
Do you also do the tree work you recommend?
No, and that's deliberate. We are consulting arborists — we assess, diagnose, and report, and we don't perform removals, pruning, or other tree work. Keeping those separate is exactly what makes our opinion independent and trustworthy. If our assessment recommends work, you're free to hire any qualified tree company you choose to carry it out, and we're happy to review their proposed work for you if you'd like a second set of expert eyes.
Can you assess a tree for a legal dispute or insurance claim?
Yes — it's a significant part of what we do. We provide independent, well-documented assessments and reports for neighbor disputes, boundary-tree disagreements, insurance claims, and liability matters following a tree failure, and we can serve as an expert witness where needed. Because our reports are rigorous, evidence-based, and produced by credentialed assessors with no stake in the outcome, they carry real credibility in these settings. If you're an attorney, adjuster, or homeowner dealing with a tree matter, we can help.
Are you certified and qualified for this work?
Yes. Our assessors are ISA-Certified Arborists who are also TRAQ-Qualified — the International Society of Arboriculture's specific credential for tree risk assessment. We carry $2M in professional liability coverage and are fully insured and bonded. Formal tree risk assessment is specialized work with its own methodology and credentials, and having the right qualifications is exactly what gives our reports the credibility they need to be relied upon. We're glad to provide proof of our credentials and insurance.
Let's Get You a Straight Answer
Tell us about the tree and what you need the assessment for — peace of mind, a dispute, an insurer, or a build — and we'll get right back to you.
- Visit us185 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116
- Call us(617) 555-0129
- Email usoffice@sentinelarbor.com