Melbourne arborist report ranges by report type — permit reports, tree risk reports to AS 4970:2025, and multi-tree development reports. Written in-house by AQF Level 5 arborists — no third-party consultant wait.
Arborist reports fall into three broad categories, and the cost depends on which one you need. A basic council permit report supports a single-tree removal application. A tree risk assessment (written to AS 4970:2025) evaluates the risk a tree poses on a specific site and is used for insurance, permit disputes, or pre-purchase due diligence. A development report (Arboricultural Impact Assessment, or AIA) is written to support a planning application involving multiple trees on a construction or subdivision site.
All TLC reports are written in-house by AQF Level 5 arborists — no third-party consultant, no extra wait. You deal with the same team that quotes the works.
Three bands cover the standard report types. Development-scale reports are quote-only because scope varies enormously.
| Job Size | Typical Range | What's Included / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Council Permit Report Single tree, standard permit application |
$300 – $700 | Supports a single-tree removal or major-pruning application to council. Includes tree identification, condition assessment, justification for the proposed works, and photographs. Turnaround 3–7 business days. |
| AQF Level 5 Consulting / Tree Risk Report AS 4970:2025 assessment |
$600 – $1,500 | Full risk assessment to Australian Standard AS 4970:2025 (protection of trees on development sites) or equivalent tree risk methodology. Used for insurance disputes, pre-purchase due diligence, contested council decisions, or heritage tree assessments. Turnaround 7–14 business days. |
| Multi-Tree / Development AIA Arboricultural Impact Assessment |
Quote only | Full Arboricultural Impact Assessment for a development application — inventory of all trees on site, retention/removal recommendations, Tree Protection Zone calculations, construction protection plans. Scope and cost vary with tree count and site complexity. |
Report type sets the band. Four factors move you within it.
Single-tree reports are the cheapest — the arborist assesses one tree, writes one section. Multi-tree reports (e.g. two trees for the same permit, or a whole boundary hedge) scale roughly linearly with tree count, though shared context reduces the per-tree cost.
A straightforward 'this tree is a dying elm, here's the recommendation' report is faster to write than one covering competing arboricultural opinions, contested heritage classification, or a legal dispute. Complexity is flagged after the initial site visit.
Standard turnaround is 3–7 business days for permit reports, 7–14 for AS 4970 assessments. Rushing to 24–48 hours adds 20–40% because the arborist has to prioritise your job over scheduled work.
Straight-forward front-yard trees are fastest to assess. Multi-level sloped sites, rear-yard trees requiring extensive climbing to inspect canopy structure, or sites requiring aerial inspection add site-visit time — which flows into the total.
Every TLC arborist report quote covers these items as standard. Two things are noted separately below.
Physical inspection of the tree(s) by the AQF Level 5 arborist who writes the report. Ground-level assessment as standard; canopy climbing or aerial inspection if the report scope requires it.
PDF report with photographs, tree identification, condition assessment, recommended actions with justification, and where relevant, the Tree Protection Zone / Structural Root Zone calculations. Formatted for direct submission to council or insurer.
If council comes back with clarifying questions on the report, one round of arborist response is included in the quote. Extensive back-and-forth or writing responses to competing arborist opinions is quoted separately.
For arborist-report-only enquiries (i.e. we're not already on site for a quote or works), a $200 call-out fee applies. This covers the arborist's time to visit and inspect if the report doesn't proceed.
For sites in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO — common in Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik, Cardinia, Mornington Peninsula), we can prepare a BMO assessment together with the arborist report, so you don't need a second consultant. Cost is quoted alongside the report.
Fill in the form and the TLC Team will get back to you the same business day with an obligation-free quote — sized to your actual tree, yard and access, not an off-the-rack rate.
The questions Melbourne homeowners and developers ask most often when getting an arborist report quote.
For 2026: basic single-tree council permit report $300–$700, AQF Level 5 consulting / tree risk report (AS 4970:2025) $600–$1,500, multi-tree development AIA quote-only. A $200 call-out fee applies for report-only enquiries. All reports are written in-house by AQF Level 5 arborists — no third-party consultant, no extra wait.
Most commonly: (1) council requires one as part of a Tree Works permit application before you can remove or heavily prune a protected tree, (2) you're buying a property and want a pre-purchase assessment of a significant tree, (3) you're in dispute with a neighbour, council or insurer over a tree, (4) you're developing a site and need an Arboricultural Impact Assessment for the planning application. If you're not sure whether you need one, call — the TLC Team can advise same-business-day.
A permit report is a shorter document supporting a specific action (removal or major pruning of one tree) — it identifies the tree, describes its condition, justifies the proposed works, and includes photos. An AS 4970:2025 assessment is the Australian Standard for the protection of trees on development sites — it's a full technical assessment used when the tree needs to be protected during construction, or when a formal risk methodology is required (insurance dispute, contested decision). AS 4970 reports are longer, more technical, and more expensive.
Standard turnaround: 3–7 business days for a basic permit report, 7–14 business days for an AS 4970 tree risk report or an AIA. Rush turnaround (24–48 hours) adds 20–40% because it displaces scheduled work. Timing includes the site visit, the written report, and one round of council correspondence if needed.
Yes — for sites in a BMO (common in Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik, Cardinia, Mornington Peninsula) we can prepare the BMO assessment together with the arborist report as a bundled deliverable. You don't need to engage two separate consultants. BMO cost is quoted alongside the arborist report and depends on scope.
Yes. All TLC reports are written by AQF Level 5 arborists (the qualification level Victorian councils recognise for arboricultural advice), formatted for direct submission to council permit systems, and referenced correctly to AS 4970:2025 and AS 4373-2007 where those Standards apply. We've never had a report rejected on qualification grounds. If council disagrees with the report's conclusions, that's a separate matter — one round of clarification response is included in the quote.