Is That Tree Too Close to Your House?

A rough rule, and its limits

• A common guideline is planting large-maturing shade trees at least 20 feet from the foundation, and very large species farther.
• That guideline is for planting. It does not mean an established tree closer than that must come out.
• What actually matters: can it reach the house if it fails, is it structurally sound, and is it causing damage now.

Real problems worth acting on

• Limbs on the roof or siding. Abrasion damages shingles and gives squirrels and roof rats a bridge. Pruning fixes this - removal is not required.
• Gutters constantly packed. Overflow dumps water at the foundation, which is a genuine issue in North Alabama's clay soils.
• Roots lifting the driveway, patio, or walkway. Sometimes solvable with root pruning, sometimes not.
• Roots in the sewer lateral. Usually a symptom of an already-cracked line. A camera inspection tells you which problem you have.
• Foundation cracking where a large tree sits close in clay soil, because the tree draws moisture and the clay shrinks. This one is worth taking seriously.
• Anything touching or growing into power service. Call Huntsville Utilities at 256-535-1200.

What is usually not a reason to remove

• Leaves in the gutters twice a year.
• Shade on the lawn.
• General anxiety about storms, if the tree is sound and has been thinned.
• The tree simply being tall. Height is not the risk factor - structural defect is.

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