Trees provide many benefits to your property ranging from environmental to economic – they help reduce pollution in urban areas and can also increase property values. Getting your trees properly appraised will help you accurately determine the impact they are having on both the environment and the value of your property.
If something goes wrong and your trees are damaged, an appraisal after the event can help you accurately assess claims through insurance or litigation.
Tree Appraisals Help Determine The Value Of Your Trees
At Hansen’s, our Certified Master Arborist, Skip Kincaid, can perform tree appraisals for property owners and managers, attorneys, and the insurance industry by utilizing current and tested appraisal methodology. During the appraisal, we will take into consideration:
- Species: Some species are more functional and beneficial than others. Oaks, for example, are rated higher than cottonwood or pear trees.
- Size: Larger trees typically provide more benefits than smaller trees.
- Location: A tree that is highly visible and a major part of your landscape is typically worth more than a tree located under overhead utility lines, or located some distance away from your home.
- Condition: The structure and health of the appraised tree can affect its value. Healthier, more stable trees tend to be higher in value than trees that have defects.
All of these factors are utilized to calculate the value of your tree. While smaller trees that are easily replaced are valued simply by calculating a replacement cost, larger trees that are too big to replace are valued for the full range of benefits they provide.
The appraised value of a tree or several trees on your property can be very helpful for insurance or litigation when trees are damaged or cut without your permission.
Hansen’s can also calculate the annual benefits that trees provide to a community by utilizing newly developed tools and models that factor in energy savings, storm water reduction, improved air quality, and increased property value. These annual environmental benefits are calculated utilizing tools developed by the U. S. Forest Service and its partners.
Providing Expert Witness Testimony
Once an appraisal is completed, Skip can provide expert witness testimony at depositions, arbitration hearings, and trials. His unbiased presentation of findings has provided the perfect level of expertise for appraisals that have ranged for a few hundred dollars to well over $4 million.