Herring Most trees in Derby gardens are perfectly healthy and pose no real risk at all — but every homeowner and landlord has a legal duty of care to act on genuine warning signs when they appear. This checklist covers what to actually look for, and what your responsibilities are if you're concerned about a tree on your property.
A Quick Visual Checklist
Walk around the base and look up: is there significant dead wood in the crown, particularly large dead branches? Are there deep cracks or splits in the trunk or major limbs? Is there fungal growth, like brackets or mushrooms, on the trunk or exposed roots — often a sign of internal decay? Has the tree developed a new or worsening lean, especially after a recent storm? Has soil visibly lifted or cracked around the base, suggesting the roots have moved?
Spotting one of these doesn't automatically mean a tree is dangerous — some are perfectly normal depending on species and age — but any of them is a reason to get a proper professional look rather than guess.
Your Responsibilities as a Derby Homeowner or Landlord
You have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent your trees causing harm to people or property — whether that's a passer-by, a neighbour, or a tenant. This doesn't mean every tree needs a formal survey, but it does mean acting on obvious warning signs rather than hoping they resolve themselves, particularly for trees near a boundary, road or footpath.
If a tree does cause damage or injury and it's shown you were aware of an issue and failed to act, the consequences can be serious — both financially and legally.
What a Professional Assessment Involves
We carry out a visual assessment from ground level, examining the trunk, root flare, major limbs and overall crown condition against exactly the warning signs above. In most cases this is enough to recommend a clear course of action — monitoring, a targeted reduction to lower risk, removal of specific dead limbs, or occasionally, full removal.
Where internal decay is suspected but not visible externally, more detailed investigation is sometimes appropriate, and we'll advise honestly if that level of assessment is genuinely warranted for your tree.
- Significant dead wood, particularly large dead branches
- Deep cracks or splits in trunk or major limbs
- Fungal brackets on the trunk or roots
- A new or worsening lean
- Visible root heave at the base
What to Do Next
If any of this sounds like your tree, don't leave it and hope for the best. Call us, describe what you've noticed, and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs urgent attention or can wait for a routine visit — and we'll prioritise genuinely urgent cases.
Booking Dangerous Trees in Derby With Herring
Every dangerous trees job we carry out in Derby is fully insured and starts with a free, no-obligation quotation, so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins. We're a local, experienced team — not a national call centre passing your job on to a subcontractor — so when you book with Herring Trees & Landscaping, we're the ones who turn up and do the work, from the first site visit through to the final clean-up.
For the full range of tree surgery services we provide across Derby, visit our Tree Surgery Derby page. And if you've also got hedges that need bringing under control, our Hedge Maintenance Derby page covers everything we offer there.
As well as Derby itself, we regularly carry out dangerous trees across Allestree, Mickleover, Chellaston, Spondon and the wider Derbyshire area. If you're not sure whether we cover your particular street or village, just ask — in most cases the answer is yes.
Getting started is simple: call us or fill in the enquiry form below and tell us a little about the tree and what you're hoping to achieve. We can usually give you an idea of cost over the phone, and we're happy to arrange a site visit where a more detailed look is needed. Once you're happy with the quote, we'll agree a date that works for you, carry out the work to the standard set out above, and leave the site fully cleared before we go.
Ready to book Dangerous Trees in Derby, or still have a question?
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