Homeowners planning a new patio, walkway, or driveway in Littleton and Englewood often run into the same question: will cutting through a root kill the tree next to it? The honest answer is that it depends on which roots, how many, and how close to the trunk the cut happens.
Trees can tolerate losing some roots, especially smaller feeder roots farther from the trunk. The real risk comes from cutting large structural roots close to the base, which can destabilize the tree or cut off a significant share of its water and nutrient supply at once.
Before any excavation near a mature tree, it's worth having an arborist look at the root zone and mark where cuts can safely happen versus where the project design should shift instead. A little planning up front avoids losing a tree you actually wanted to keep.
Planning a hardscaping project near a mature tree this fall? An on-site root assessment can save you from an expensive mistake.
A photo of an arborist examining exposed roots near a planned excavation site, or a diagram-style shot of a root flare next to a patio or walkway edge.
Canva text suggestion: "Before You Dig Near That Tree" or "Root Cuts: What's Safe, What Isn't"