Are eastern redbud roots a problem for foundations or pipes?

Redbud puts down a taproot early — it will run horizontally if it hits impenetrable subsoil, which central Indiana clay usually provides — then spreads a fibrous system, and it is not a hardscape threat at any age. The practical consequence is transplanting: established redbuds move badly, so a customer who wants a mature one relocated should be told plainly that it usually fails and a small container-grown replacement is the better spend.