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ISA Member
Certified Arborist – TX4602A
Texas Oak Wilt Certified – #TOWQ-436
TRAQ Certified
Member of the Texas ISA
Pesticide Applicator License – #0967351
Texas Dept. Of Agriculture
An arborist consultation is an on-site evaluation of your trees by a certified arborist who assesses health, structure, and risk. An arborist report is the signed written document that comes from that evaluation. Happy Tree Service of Austin provides both across the Austin metro area, from permit-required reports for the City of Austin to risk assessments for insurance claims and construction projects. Call 512-212-0010 or request a free estimate online.
Not every situation requires a written report from a consulting arborist. If you have a tree that looks unhealthy and want to know what is going on, a consultation may be all you need. If you need documentation for the City of Austin, an insurance carrier, a builder, or a court, you need the report.
A free estimate is a quote for specific work like pruning, removal, or treatment. It tells you what the job will cost if you move forward, and there is no charge for it.
A consultation is a paid professional evaluation where the arborist assesses your trees and gives you findings and recommendations, whether or not any work is needed. A report adds formal written documentation to that evaluation in a format that third parties accept for permits, insurance claims, and legal proceedings.
Many companies, including Happy Tree Service, credit the consultation fee toward the work if you hire them for the recommended service.
A tree risk assessment is a formal evaluation of how likely a tree is to fail and what the consequences would be if it does. The ISA developed the TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) methodology as the industry standard for this evaluation, and it rates each tree on a scale from low to extreme based on the probability of failure, the size of the part likely to fail, and what it would hit.
TRAQ assessments are commonly requested for trees near homes, pools, driveways, walkways, and property lines where a failure could injure someone or cause damage. Happy Tree’s ISA Certified Arborist is TRAQ qualified and includes risk ratings in every written arborist report.
When you hire Happy Tree Service for an arborist consultation, a certified arborist evaluates your trees personally. You are not handed off to a salesperson, a general estimator, or an uncredentialed crew member. The person assessing your trees is the same person who writes and signs the report.
ISA Certified Arborist Evan Peter (TX-4602A) performs every consultation and authors every report for Happy Tree Service. He brings 30+ years of Central Texas experience to each assessment, with credentials that include:
Happy Tree Service has a 4.9-star rating across 300+ verified reviews from Austin-area homeowners, property managers, builders, and real estate professionals. We provide honest evaluations. If a tree can be saved, we tell you.
Evan Peter’s ISA certification, TRAQ qualification, and Texas Oak Wilt credential give every report the professional standing that permit applications, insurance claims, and legal proceedings require. His credentials are what give the report its professional weight.
You need an arborist consultation or report whenever a tree situation requires professional judgment, formal documentation, or both. In Austin, the most common triggers are:
Happy Tree’s arborist advises whether your situation needs a verbal consultation, a full written report, or both during the initial conversation.
A certified arborist report from Happy Tree Service documents everything the city, your insurer, a builder, or an attorney needs in a single signed package. Each report includes:
Every finding, rating, and recommendation in the report is specific to your trees and your property.
Happy Tree arborist reports follow ANSI A300, the accepted U.S. standard for tree care operations and documentation, and apply TRAQ methodology for all risk-related findings. Reports prepared to these standards are recognized by the City of Austin, Texas courts, insurance carriers, and construction review boards as legally defensible.
Arborist consultation and report costs in Austin depend on the service type, number of trees, and the depth of documentation your situation requires.
Arborist Consultation & Report Pricing
| Service | Typical Range | What’s Included |
| Free estimate | No charge | Quote for specific work (pruning, removal, treatment) |
| Paid consultation | $150 to $350 | On-site arborist evaluation, verbal findings and recommendations |
| Written arborist report | $350 to $750+ | Signed document with inventory, ratings, photographs, SULE, and recommendations |
| Construction / multi-tree report | $750 to $1,500+ | Tree protection plan, multiple tree assessments, construction-phase documentation |
Factors that push cost higher include the number of trees assessed, diagnostic testing (soil samples, lab submission for disease confirmation), legal or construction complexity, and whether the report needs to support a variance application for a heritage tree.
Call 512-212-0010 for a quote on your specific situation.
Austin’s tree ordinance protects trees 19 inches or larger in diameter at breast height (DBH, measured at 4.5 feet above grade) on residential property. Removing a protected tree without a permit is a violation that carries fines and mandatory replacement plantings.
Heritage trees receive additional protections. A tree qualifies as heritage at 24 inches or larger DBH if it is one of the 10 listed species: all oaks (live oak, red oak, post oak), pecan, bald cypress, cedar elm, American elm, Texas ash, Texas madrone, bigtooth maple, Arizona walnut, or Eastern black walnut.
Removing a protected or heritage tree requires a Tree Ordinance Review Application (TORA) filed through the City of Austin’s Arborist Program. A certified arborist report documenting the tree’s condition, risk, and the justification for removal is part of the application package. Heritage tree removals may also require a variance hearing.
Properties in Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and unincorporated Travis County fall under different rules and thresholds. The Texas A&M Forest Service provides additional guidance on oak wilt management and tree care standards for properties outside city jurisdiction. Happy Tree Service advises on which regulations apply to your property and files the TORA application on your behalf with all required documentation.
Yes, if the tree is 19 inches or larger in diameter at breast height. The City of Austin requires a Tree Ordinance Review Application (TORA) with a certified arborist report, and heritage trees face stricter review. Happy Tree prepares the report and files the application for you.
Free estimates for quoted work like pruning or tree removal cost nothing. Paid standalone consultations typically range from $150 to $350, and written arborist reports range from $350 to $750 or more depending on scope. Happy Tree credits the consultation fee toward the work if you hire us for the recommended service.
Yes. Insurance carriers accept certified arborist reports as professional documentation of tree condition, failure cause, and damage extent. The report’s dated photographs, condition ratings, and signed professional opinion give adjusters what they need to process the claim. In property-line disputes, courts and mediators rely on TRAQ-based risk ratings and documented findings from a credentialed arborist to resolve disagreements about responsibility for a shared or hazardous tree.
Yes, for most Austin projects where construction activity will occur near existing trees. A tree protection plan maps which trees to preserve and how their root zones must be protected during construction. It also identifies which trees can be removed with required mitigation. Happy Tree prepares construction-phase arborist reports and tree protection plans for builders, developers, and homeowners undertaking major renovations. For commercial and HOA projects, we also provide ongoing monitoring reports during the construction period.
Search the ISA’s public directory at treesaregood.org using the arborist’s name or certification number. Evan Peter’s certification number is TX-4602A. Verification takes about 30 seconds and confirms whether the credential is current and in good standing. Always verify before hiring, especially for paid reports that will be submitted to the city or used in legal or insurance matters.
Most written reports are delivered within three to five business days of the on-site consultation. Complex reports involving large properties, multiple trees, diagnostic lab testing, or construction documentation may take longer. Urgent assessments for storm damage, hazard trees, or time-sensitive permits can be prioritized. Let us know your timeline when you schedule.
Anyone can call themselves an arborist, tree expert, or tree consultant. There is no legal restriction on the title. A certified arborist has passed the ISA’s certification exam covering tree biology, diagnosis, risk assessment, pruning, soil science, and safety, and must maintain the credential through continuing education.
Reports and recommendations from uncertified individuals may not be accepted by the City of Austin for permit applications, by insurers for claims, or by courts for dispute proceedings. ISA certification is the professional standard in arboriculture.
Happy Tree Service of Austin provides certified arborist consultations and written reports across the Austin metro area, including Tarrytown, Westlake Hills, Round Rock, Georgetown, Dripping Springs, Lakeway, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Bastrop. ISA Certified Arborist Evan Peter (TX-4602A) evaluates your trees personally and authors every report.
Whether you need a tree health assessment, a risk evaluation, a permit report, or construction documentation, a certified arborist handles the process from your first call through the final signed document. Free estimates for quoted work are always available.
Call 512-212-0010 or schedule your consultation online from our Austin office at 1108 Lavaca St, Suite 110-445.
Evan Peter, Certified Arborist – TX-4602A
