Are arborvitae roots a problem for foundations or pipes?
Shallow, fibrous, and spreading, which is why they transplant easily and also why they are the first thing to brown when a fence line dries out in August. Zero foundation or sewer risk — the real root issue is placement, since a row planted three feet off a driveway sits in salt splash and compacted fill, and salt in the root zone kills them from the bottom up.
Size drives root spread
The straight species reaches 40-60 ft by 10-15 ft, but almost nothing in an Indiana yard is the species — 'Emerald Green' tops out around 12-15 ft by 3-4 ft while 'Green Giant' runs 40-60 ft, and knowing which one you have determines every other answer. Expect 25-40 years in a maintained landscape; removal is the cheapest bracket there is, and the cost scales with how many plants are in the row rather than the size of any one of them.
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