Japanese knotweed
The report places a tree preservation order, a crown over the roof and consent the survey does not grant in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
The crown over the roof was inspected, in the sense that it was seen. The tree preservation order, and the consent the survey does not grant, were only named. A crown reaching the roof is a visible relationship between branches and covering. The survey can record overhang, staining or debris. It cannot grant consent to cut, and it has not checked that an order exists. Those are records and permissions. The paragraph names them so they are not mistaken for findings the visit decided.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Branches over a roof can drop leaves into gutters, hold damp against slates, and scrape coverings in wind. That mechanism is why the crown matters to condition. A preservation order, where one exists, is made by the planning authority and limits what can be cut. The surveyor does not hold that register and does not issue consent. Naming the order is a warning that works are not free to start. It is not a search result, and it is not a permission.
Ask the solicitor to check with the local planning record whether the tree is protected, and do not prune on the back of this report. If gutters are blocked by the crown, that is a maintenance point you can raise separately from consent. A tree specialist can advise on the crown once you know whether consent is needed. The survey has not given that consent and has not ordered the tree to be cut.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which part of the roof does the crown actually overhang?
- Has anyone checked the planning record for an order?
- What maintenance, short of cutting, did the survey record?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record the crown as a visible relationship with the roof.
- Ask the solicitor to check whether the tree is protected.
- Do not treat the survey as consent to prune or fell.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Can the survey authorise pruning the crown?
No. Consent is not something a home survey grants. The crown was seen over the roof. Any tree preservation order was only named, not confirmed. Pruning or felling waits on the planning record and, where an order exists, on consent. The report has not issued either.
Who holds the tree preservation record?
The local planning authority holds it. The survey does not. Ask the solicitor to make that check if cutting is in mind. Until the record is checked, the order remains only a name in the paragraph, not a finding that the tree is or is not protected.