TreeBossPro Blog — Tree Service Software

Recording Tree Counts, DBH and Height on Every Property

Ask two estimators to describe the same tree and you will get two different answers. One says it is big. The other says it is a 30-inch red oak around 65 feet. Only one of those is useful to the next person who reads the record.

Tree numbers — how many, how thick, how tall — are the most practical data a tree company can keep. This article covers how to record them so they actually help.

Why the Numbers Matter

The last article, Customer and Property Records Every Tree Company Should Keep, laid out what belongs on a property record. Of everything on that list, the tree numbers do the most work day to day. They drive the estimate, they decide which crew and equipment fit the job and they tell the scheduler whether a stop is a two-hour prune or a full-day removal.

TreeBossPro stores three of them on every property: the number of trees, trunk diameter (DBH) in inches and tree height in feet. They are simple on purpose. Simple fields get filled in.

Measuring DBH the Same Way Every Time

DBH is measured at breast height, and the value of the number depends entirely on everyone measuring it the same way. Decide as a company how you handle the awkward cases: trees on a slope, trees that fork below breast height, multi-stem trees. Write it down and teach it to new estimators.

A diameter tape is the easy answer for consistency. If someone estimates by eye, have them note that in the property's notes so the next person knows the number is approximate.

Record DBH in inches every time. Mixing circumference and diameter, or inches and centimeters, makes the field worthless.

Height Is an Estimate — Treat It Like One

Height is harder to measure from the ground, and most companies estimate it. That is fine as long as the estimate is honest. Round to the nearest five or ten feet and don't pretend to more precision than you have.

What matters is that height on the record is close enough to plan the job: whether it can be climbed and rigged, whether the bucket truck reaches, whether there is room to drop sections or pieces must be lowered. Those decisions belong to the crew leader on site, but a reasonable height on file means fewer surprises.

Counting Trees Without Getting Lost

The number of trees on a property is a planning number, not an inventory. It tells you whether a property is a single-tree job or a customer with a dozen mature trees who might want a regular pruning cycle.

Count the trees that matter for your work — the ones you would realistically prune, treat or remove. If a property has a lot of small ornamentals you don't touch, leave them out or note them separately. Use custom fields if you want to split counts by type.

When a property has several large trees of very different sizes, the single DBH and height fields can only hold so much. Record the main tree or the typical size in the fields, and put the details in the notes: two oaks around 30 inches and 70 feet over the house, one smaller maple by the drive at 14 inches. That gives the next estimator a clear picture without pretending the record is a full inventory.

The count is also a sales signal. A property with one tree is a one-time job. A property with fifteen mature trees is a candidate for a pruning cycle, a plant health care program or both. Sorting customers by tree count is a quick way to find who deserves a phone call in the slow season.

Using the Numbers When You Estimate

Once tree numbers are on the property, estimates get faster and more consistent. The estimator can look at last year's DBH and height before even driving out. A homeowner who calls about the other oak can get a ballpark over the phone.

It also helps price consistency across estimators. If two people quote similar-sized trees very differently, the recorded DBH and height make that visible.

Keep the Numbers Current

Trees grow, fail and get removed. Update the numbers whenever someone is on site: the estimator at a quote, the crew after a removal. When a tree comes down, reduce the count. When the crew notices a tree has grown into the service line, add a note.

Over time, those small updates build a property record that is far more accurate than anything on paper. That is the kind of data TreeBossPro's tree service software is built around. The next article covers the other half of the property record: crew notes for access, gate codes and drop zones.