Become an ARB Approved Contractor

Are you interested in becoming an ARB Approved Contractor?

Register your interest here

Find your nearest free ARB Approved Contractor Workshop

Contractor courses

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Accredited Scheme:

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TrustMark is open to all ARB Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

Please contact us for further details on arbac@trees.org.uk.

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List of OPM Specialist ARB Approved Contractors

ARB Approved Contractor is the only comprehensive accreditation scheme for professional tree surgery businesses in the United Kingdom.

Becoming an Approved Contractor demonstrates the ability and desire of your business to work to best practice, achieve higher levels of knowledge and skill, and your ambition to promote and raise the professional standards of the industry.

Click on an option to learn more

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What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

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ARB Approved Contractor Scheme Standards

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The Benefits of being ARB Approved

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How to become ARB Approved

What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

An ARB Approved Contractor (ArbAC) is a business that has been assessed by the AA, has met and continues to uphold the AA's Standards (both the ArbAC Standard relevant to the size of the business and the AA's Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct and has paid the appropriate annual scheme management fee.

The Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor scheme has been setting the standards for tree surgery work for more than 40 years. The Arboricultural industry is not regulated by government but has a high accident potential and a responsibility to care for the UK's rich tree heritage.

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A Recognised Benchmark

The new mark

In 2012 the scheme attained ISO 9001 (UKAS) accreditation in recognition of its quality management systems and is now a registered member of SSIP (The Safety Schemes in Procurement forum - the umbrella organisation for recognised health & safety schemes in the UK.) This brings further acceptance and credibility to the scheme and its members who uphold the national standard for arboricultural contracting businesses.

The old mark

Expand Your Business with Professional Accreditation

The ARB Approved Contractor scheme offers a recognised benchmark for arboricultural contracting throughout the UK and Ireland and is increasingly demanded by Local Authorities and other large commercial organisations. ARB Approved Contractor is also of considerable benefit in the domestic sector as a quality mark assuring the client of good quality tree care undertaken safely and efficiently. To find out more please view the scheme booklet and/or download an application form below and/or give us a call today.

Apply Online

Download the Application Form Last Modified: 27 July 2016

Download the 2024 Fees Last Modified: 26 April 2024

Technical Standards Summary

A full schedule of the technical standards can be found in the documents below. Refer to notes on business size to see which Standard applies to you.

Module	Section		Business size up to 5	Business size more than 5+
Module 1 Site safety	1.1 On site operation
Module 2 Finished work	2.1 Completed works (pruning & planting)
	2.2 Arboricultural knowledge
	2.3 Reference material
Module 3 Office support	3.1 Customer care and office systems	Basic
	3.1 Customer care and office systems	Detailed
	3.2 Insurances
	3.3 Licences
	3.4 Wildlife and ecology
Module 4 Health and Safety	4.1 Health and safety management	Basic
	4.1 Health and safety management	Detailed
	4.2 Health and safety communications and controls			Up to 19
	4.2 Health and safety communications and controls			20+ & multi site
	4.3 Training and competence
	4.4 Environmental policy	Basic
	4.4 Environmental policy	Detailed
	4.5 Workshop	Basic
	4.5 Workshop	Detailed
	4.6 Yard (if you have one)	Basic
	4.6 Yard (if you have one)	Detailed
Download technical standards in full (scroll up for summary) Scheme documents last modified: 07-06-2021			Up to 5	More than 5 Businesses with more than 5 employees

An achievable standard

The ArbAC scheme sets a standard that is achievable by all good tree work contractors.

ArbAC Appeals Procedure

Should your application to become an ARB Approved Contractor result in a fail at Assessment or is refused and you feel that you wish to appeal, the Arboricultural Association has set out an appeal procedure. If you wish to appeal a decision, then please download the document below and read it carefully.

Download the Appeal Procedure Document Last Modified: 22 July 2021

The Benefits of ARB Approved Contractor Status

Use of the Approved Contractor Shield*
Listed in ARB Approved Contractor online directory (6,000 views per month)
ARB Approved Contractors get more business (2014 Survey Result)
Your Peace of mind - you’ve achieved the industry standard
Their Peace of mind - the customer knows they're using a professional
Ability to charge a professional fee for a professional service
Access to select contracts that require ArbACs (Some National Trust Regions, Local Authorities for example)
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) points in some contracts
Set yourself apart - compete with your contemporaries, not with the cowboys
A focus for continuous improvement and investment
Access to TrustMark™ (Government Endorsed Scheme)
Discounts for the contractor and staff on AA Training Courses
Access to the supplier discounts catalogue - great financial discounts

*The Arboricultural Association take misuse of the Approved Contractor Shield seriously. Non Approved Businesses purporting to be ARB Approved and lapsed scheme members failing to remove the emblem have been prosecuted in the past.

The benefits to TREES are:

Trees are living, dynamic organisms that need appropriate management and care to ensure their safety, longevity and continued contribution to the landscape.

The benefits to tree OWNERS are:

Quality assured tree care services from contractors assessed and approved by the nation’s largest representative arboricultural body bring security to tree owners and managers in an industry renowned for more than its fair share of unscrupulous contractors. Tree owners can rely on ArbACs for appropriate advice and services.

Apply Online

Download the Application Form Last Modified: 23 January 2021

Download the 2024 Fees Last Modified: 26 April 2024

Here to help

The AA is here to help:

Technical standards, see below (please note you will need to work out your business size to determine whether you need the standard for i) ‘up to 5 people,’ or ii) ‘more than 5 people.’) You can also use our new WTE tool to calculate the full-time equivalent of your part time employees.
Our web resource technical guidance where you can find the relevant generic HSE guidance and also the AA’s arb-specific guidance.

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Don’t just take our word for it

Achieving ArbAC is a great accolade for us all and we have worked very hard to achieve this accreditation… ArbAC status has given us the direction and confidence to move forwards with the business and to show our customers that we are dedicated to providing a quality service. Rob Drinkwater – Drinkwater Tree Services Ltd

ARB Approved status qualifies us to promote the company as having reached the highest standards in arboriculture. Jack Thompson – Thomspon Tree Services

I’ve been Arb Approved coming up 6 years, it has opened doors for some of the well-paying work that we do now; for example the National Trust near us will only use Arb Approved Contractors. John Shutler – John Shutler Tree Services

I became ARB Approved in July and have won approximately £10k in commercial work that I wouldn’t have been asked to price without being ARB Approved. Kevin Stephenson – Stephenson Trees and Landscapes

We have always aimed to keep customer service and quality work as the most important elements of Ridleaves, and ARB Approved status was an ambition from day one. Dominic Ridley – Ridleaves Arboriculture

Accredited Scheme:

TrustMark is open to all Arb Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

Please contact Polly Stone for further details on arbac@trees.org.uk.

Become an ARB Approved Contractor

Are you interested in becoming an ARB Approved Contractor?

Register your interest here

Find your nearest free ARB Approved Contractor Workshop

Accredited Scheme:

TrustMark is open to all ARB Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

ARB Approved Contractor Scheme Standards

The Benefits of being ARB Approved

How to become ARB Approved

What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

A Recognised Benchmark

The new mark

The old mark

Expand Your Business with Professional Accreditation

Technical Standards Summary

An achievable standard

ArbAC Appeals Procedure

Download the ArbAC standards in full:

Fewer than 5 employees standards

More than 5 employees standards

The Benefits of ARB Approved Contractor Status

The benefits to TREES are:

The benefits to tree OWNERS are:

Download the ArbAC standards in full:

Here to help

Don’t just take our word for it

Accredited Scheme:

TrustMark is open to all Arb Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

Page Title

Become an ARB Approved Contractor

Are you interested in becoming an ARB Approved Contractor?

Register your interest here

Find your nearest free ARB Approved Contractor Workshop

Accredited Scheme:

TrustMark is open to all ARB Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

ARB Approved Contractor Scheme Standards

The Benefits of being ARB Approved

How to become ARB Approved

What is an ARB Approved Contractor?

A Recognised Benchmark

The new mark

The old mark

Expand Your Business with Professional Accreditation

Technical Standards Summary

An achievable standard

ArbAC Appeals Procedure

Download the ArbAC standards in full:

Fewer than 5 employees standards

More than 5 employees standards

The Benefits of ARB Approved Contractor Status

The benefits to TREES are:

The benefits to tree OWNERS are:

Download the ArbAC standards in full:

Here to help

Don’t just take our word for it

Accredited Scheme:

TrustMark is open to all Arb Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.