A resident raises a concern
The board needs a current field record before responding, authorizing work, or closing the matter.
Independent HOA Tree & Landscape Documentation
Give the board a clear record before it makes the decision.
We Inspect. We Diagnose. We Document.
ArborSolutions documents tree and landscape conditions, reviews contractor scopes, and organizes the findings for boards, managers, committees, contractors, and advisors.
The result:
a clearer record of the concern, what was observed, what still needs explanation,
and the practical options available to the board.
ISA Certified Arborist #WE-9985A
TRAQ Qualified
QWEL Landscape Water Auditor
Consultations only — No pruning or removal work
Document the condition
Clarify the scope
Support the next board decision
What is HOA tree and landscape documentation?
It is a professional written record of observable site conditions, supporting photographs, scope questions, priorities, and practical next steps. The documentation can help a board or manager review a resident concern, contractor recommendation, recurring maintenance issue, tree-risk question, irrigation problem, or planned property decision.
When a Separate Record Helps
The board should not have to decide from a complaint, proposal, or photograph alone.
A separate inspection helps organize what is known, what is visible on site, and what still needs to be resolved before money is approved or a formal response is issued.
A contractor recommends major work
The scope, urgency, alternatives, and expected outcome need clearer explanation before approval.
Maintenance results are disputed
Observed conditions can be compared with available contract language, schedules, and service expectations.
A tree may affect people or property
A TRAQ-qualified review can document visible defects, targets, site conditions, and risk context when tree risk is in scope.
Irrigation or water use is unclear
Runoff, dry areas, seasonal settings, turf use, and plant-water needs can be documented for planning and contractor discussion.
The board needs a durable record
Photos, observations, priorities, and limitations are organized into a document that can be retained with the property file.
What We Provide
Documentation written for the decision the board actually needs to make.
The assignment is scoped to the concern. The final document focuses on usable findings, clear limits, and practical next steps—not generic landscape commentary.
Tree Condition & Risk Documentation
Independent review of tree health, structure, visible defects, site conditions, and risk context when appropriate.
- Tree condition observations
- Visible defect documentation
- Target and occupancy context
- Recent failure or storm-damage review
- TRAQ methodology when tree risk is in scope
- Practical mitigation and monitoring options
Contractor Scope & Proposal Review
Review of available tree or landscape recommendations before major work, budget, or contract decisions are approved.
- Removal and pruning recommendations
- Landscape maintenance scopes
- Unclear objectives or missing details
- Priorities, alternatives, and sequencing
- Questions for the contractor
- Post-work documentation when requested
Landscape & Irrigation Documentation
Field observations that help boards understand recurring landscape performance, water-use, and maintenance concerns.
- Irrigation operation observations
- Runoff, overspray, and dry-area documentation
- Seasonal scheduling questions
- Turf use and conversion planning
- Plant-health and maintenance observations
- QWEL-informed water-efficiency review
Board-Ready Findings
Clear documentation organized for board packets, manager follow-up, contractor discussion, counsel review, or the permanent property record.
- Property and assignment summary
- Dated site observations
- Organized photographs and captions
- Priority findings
- Practical options and next steps
- Scope limitations and follow-up needs
AB 130 & The Board Record
When enforcement depends on a written finding, the field record matters.
ArborSolutions can document observable tree and landscape conditions within its professional scope. The board and its counsel remain responsible for legal interpretation and enforcement procedure.
$100
California Civil Code generally limits an HOA monetary penalty to the lesser of the association’s schedule or $100 per violation.
The health-and-safety exception is specific.
A penalty above $100 may be imposed when a violation may result in an adverse health or safety impact on the common area or another association member’s property. Before imposing that penalty, the board must make a written finding specifying the impact in a board meeting open to members.
ArborSolutions does not decide whether the statutory exception applies. We inspect and document relevant tree or landscape conditions so the board and its advisors have a clearer factual record.
Important boundary:
ArborSolutions provides arborist and landscape documentation—not legal advice, enforcement decisions,
or guarantees that a condition satisfies a statutory standard.
What the Board Receives
A record that can be read, discussed, and retained.
The deliverable is matched to the assignment. Not every concern requires the same report length, testing, or level of tree-risk assessment.
Assignment & Property Context
What was requested, who requested it, the area reviewed, and the decision the documentation is intended to support.
Dated Field Observations
Conditions visible at the time of inspection, written in direct language and separated from assumptions or reported history.
Organized Photographs
Images selected and captioned to show the condition, location, relationship, or scope question being discussed.
Priority Findings
Items arranged by urgency, decision relevance, or need for additional information rather than presented as an undifferentiated list.
Practical Options
Reasonable next steps, monitoring needs, contractor questions, or further assessment requirements within the assignment scope.
Limitations
What was not visible, not accessible, outside the assignment, or dependent on specialized testing or another professional discipline.
California Planning Dates
Two landscape requirements worth planning for now.
These are planning references, not a substitute for association counsel, local-agency review, water-supplier requirements, or project-specific compliance advice.
Effective June 30, 2025
AB 130 — HOA Monetary Penalties
Most penalties are subject to the statutory cap. A higher penalty requires the specific health-and-safety finding and open-meeting procedure described above.
January 1, 2029
AB 1572 — HOA Common-Area Turf
Potable-water irrigation of nonfunctional turf in HOA and common-interest-development common areas is prohibited beginning January 1, 2029, subject to statutory exceptions.
Water needed for trees, perennial nonturf plantings, or an immediate health-and-safety need is not prohibited by that section.
Effective January 2, 2025
Current MWELO Regulations
The current state MWELO regulations took effect January 2, 2025. Applicability depends on project type, landscape area, and local implementation.
Local agencies may adopt requirements that are at least as effective as the state model.
How It Works
A clear assignment. A documented inspection. A usable result.
The process is designed to keep the board, manager, and consultant working from the same question.
1
Define the Decision
Tell us what happened, what has been proposed, who needs the documentation, and when the board expects to act.
2
Review the Records
We review the available complaint, proposal, contract language, photographs, prior reports, notices, or board questions.
3
Inspect the Property
Relevant tree, landscape, irrigation, target, access, and site conditions are inspected and photographed within the agreed scope.
4
Deliver the Record
Findings, limitations, priorities, and practical next steps are organized for board, manager, contractor, or advisor review.
A Separate Professional Role
Contractors maintain the property. ArborSolutions documents the decision.
These roles can work together. The distinction matters when the board needs an independent record before approving work, addressing a dispute, or making a formal finding.
Tree & Landscape Contractors
Contractors provide essential field knowledge and perform the maintenance or corrective work the property requires.
- Maintain, prune, remove, repair, install, or replace
- Develop work proposals and schedules
- Respond to operational property needs
- Implement the approved scope
ArborSolutions
ArborSolutions provides a separate, documentation-focused review before or after the work, depending on the assignment.
- Inspect observable conditions
- Diagnose within professional scope
- Review available recommendations and records
- Document findings, limitations, and next steps
Who We Help
Written for the people responsible for the property.
HOA Boards
Current findings for budget, enforcement, maintenance, safety, and property-record decisions.
Property Managers
Clear documentation that organizes resident concerns, proposals, and contractor follow-up.
Landscape Committees
Independent field information for recommendations before the full board acts.
Association Counsel
Subject-matter documentation that counsel can review alongside governing documents and legal requirements.
Common Questions
What HOA boards and managers ask first.
What is HOA tree and landscape documentation?
It is a written record of observable conditions, photographs, scope questions, priorities, practical options, and limitations prepared for a board or manager decision.
Can ArborSolutions document a possible health or safety concern?
Yes, within our professional scope. We can document relevant tree and landscape conditions. The board and its counsel decide how the information relates to the law and governing documents.
Can you review a contractor proposal or maintenance scope?
Yes. We can compare the available proposal or scope language with observed conditions and identify unclear items, priorities, alternatives, or questions for follow-up.
Will every concern require a full arborist report?
No. The correct deliverable depends on the assignment, number of trees or landscape areas, risk context, intended audience, and level of detail needed.
Do you perform the corrective work?
No. ArborSolutions provides consultations, inspections, reports, and documentation. We do not perform pruning, removal, landscape installation, or corrective maintenance.
What areas do you serve?
Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County, including communities from Carpinteria and Montecito through Santa Maria, the Santa Ynez Valley, Five Cities, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles.
Describe the HOA Concern
Tell us what the board needs to decide.
Include the property city, the concern, who raised it, any contractor recommendation, and the date of the next meeting or decision. We will identify the most practical first step.
If a formal report is not needed, we will say so.