Free tree surgery and locksmith document templates

Two specialist trades with one thing in common: a legal check that must happen before the work starts, and which nobody can undo afterwards.

For tree surgery, that check is the tree's protected status. Many trees are covered by a Tree Preservation Order, and almost all trees above a modest size in a conservation area are protected, requiring written notice to the local planning authority — usually six weeks — before work. Carrying out work to a protected tree without consent is a criminal offence and can carry a substantial fine, and the liability does not sit only with the householder who asked for it. The pre-works check template prompts the TPO search, the conservation area check, the planning condition check and the nesting bird assessment, and records the answers with dates. Nesting birds matter too: all wild birds, their active nests and eggs are protected, and the main nesting season runs roughly March to August, so a bird check before every job during that window is the standard expectation.

The site assessment covers the work itself — hazards, drop zones, exclusion areas, public highway and footpath management, overhead services, and the aerial rescue plan that must be in place whenever a climber leaves the ground.

For locksmiths, the equivalent gate is authority. Before opening any property you need a record that you satisfied yourself the person instructing you was entitled to be there: what identification you saw, what evidence of occupancy or ownership existed, and what you did if it was unsatisfactory. The proof of identity and job authority template gives you that record, alongside a job sheet capturing lock types fitted, keys issued and to whom, and any BS 3621 or insurance-standard specification the customer requested.

All files are editable Word documents written for UK law and practice.