What To Do If A Tree Grows Too Close To Your Home

Trees are a beautiful part of nature, and they can transform a dull garden into something with more character – or a boring street into a more visually pleasing place. There’s a multitude of reasons to want trees near your home: they add cover from the elements, provide shade to help certain plants grow and let the local ecosystem thrive. That being said, there will always come a point where you look at a tree and wonder if it’s growing a bit too close to your home. The stump position will never change – but maybe you notice the roots and branches creep ever closer. 

What do you do in a situation like this, or more accurately, what can you do? Let’s find out…

Understand Some Of The Warning Signs

Generally, trees can grow quite close to your home without being a problem. For example, you could have a tree at the bottom of your garden – or on the street outside – without it causing any issues at all. In fact, the RHS says that most trees cause no damage at all and modern buildings are seldom affected. 

That being said, there will be a few warning signs that tell you a tree might be growing a bit too close and putting your property in danger: 

• It’s growing at an angle: If a tree starts leaning towards your home, then there could be a problem at some point. As the tree gets taller, the risk of it toppling gets greater, so you should absolutely call someone about this. 
• Branches are almost touching your property: Tree branches shouldn’t touch your property because they can cause structural damage. All it takes is for part of a branch to fall off and smash your window (or your car, in the driveway), so you should seek guidance in this situation. 
• The roots are breaking your driveway/garden: Do you notice tree roots causing cracks in your garden or driveway? If so, it might be time to do something about the tree because it’s causing serious damage and creating unsafe conditions.

Contact A Professional Tree Surgeon

Never ever attempt to handle a tree on your own. Trees that exhibit any of the signs above will need tree surgery from a qualified tree surgeon. Effectively, the tree surgeon can look at the tree and deduce the best course of action. This could involve trimming back the branches – or it might mean the whole tree needs to come down. 

They will be qualified and experienced enough to handle any work without damaging your property or making things worse. 

Speak To The Council (Optional)

If the tree is within your boundary, then you can do whatever you want with it. But, if the tree is on the street or somewhere else, then you may need to contact the council before doing anything. Tell them about the problem, and they will either send someone over to deal with it or give you approval to contact your own tree surgeon. This is an important consideration as you can get in trouble for cutting down a tree that isn’t your own. 

All things considered, trees aren’t always dangerous when they grow close to your home. Most of the time, you can leave them be, but keep an eye out for the warning signs mentioned in this article. If you spot any, then you need to contact a professional to assess the situation and work on a solution.