Independent Consulting Arborist · Greater Boston Metro West
No crews. No conflicts of interest.
We help homeowners, contractors, and project teams navigate tree permits, assess risk, and produce clear documentation for the towns that require it. We don't remove trees or sell treatments, so the assessment you get is the honest one.
Coppinger Company Inc. has provided independent consulting across Greater Boston Metro West since 1985.
Most people find us because a town is asking for an arborist letter, a tree protection plan, or documentation they weren't expecting. We handle the inventory, the permit strategy, and the paperwork so the project keeps moving.
For properties where mature trees are part of the value - privacy, aesthetics, or the insurance file - we provide quarterly monitoring, written condition records, and independent contractor scopes.
No field crews, no removals, no chemical applications. We assess and document; we don't sell the work.
ISA Certified Arborist NE-6630A · ISA TRAQ · ASCA Consulting Academy.
Cambridge · Brookline · Newton · Wellesley · Weston · Concord · Lexington · Winchester · Dover & surrounding areas.
Where the work usually starts
Arborist letters, tree protection plans, and construction-phase consulting for towns with active tree ordinances. Most new matters begin here.
Retained monitoring, written condition records, and independent contractor scopes for estates and properties where the canopy needs to be managed deliberately over time.
TRAQ assessments, valuation, insurance documentation, attorney support, and technical reports when the arboricultural record needs to hold up under scrutiny.
Every town handles tree permits differently. These pages break down the triggers, thresholds, and paperwork so you know what you're dealing with before you file.
Protected trees start at 6" DBH. Construction within 30 feet of a protected tree triggers a Tree Protection and Mitigation Plan. Mitigation scales up fast on larger removals.
Significant trees start at 6" DBH, with a 1.5x multiplier on Exceptional Trees at 30" and above. Duty-of-care expectations apply on construction sites.
The March 2024 ordinance protects trees starting at 6" DBH and restricts work inside the Tree Save Area, including on adjoining lots.
Demolition and major construction can trigger protected-tree review in the setbacks. Mitigation gets steep at 24" and above.
More plan-driven than it looks. Tree Yard rules, a 12-month lookback, and a protected-tree table that extends 50 feet from the limit of work.
Article 16 requires a Tree Plan for demolitions and major construction. Protected trees start at 6" DBH in the setback area, with a 12-month lookback for prior removals.
Trees on a project site? Talk to us before you file - not after review comments arrive.
