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I've got a huge tree right up against my house — what should I do?

Branches touching or rubbing shingles, or resting on the gutter; a trunk within a few feet of the foundation or a corner; a crown that overhangs so much the roof stays damp and mossy; roots surfacing near the footing; the tree filling a bedroom window. Note what you do not see — intact bark, an even full crown, and no cracks or cavities means you have a tree that is close, not a tree that is failing. Distance is not a defect. It is a consequence, and it only matters through three specific mechanisms: something breaking and having a very short fall onto your roof, limbs abrading shingles and holding moisture against the structure, and — far more rarely than the internet implies — roots interacting with a footing. The useful question is never 'how close is it' but 'what part of this tree could fail, and is anything actually wrong with that part.'

What to do about it

Not urgent. Normally a tree trimming job, $250–$1,400 around Indianapolis depending on size and access.

Can the tree be kept

Almost always, and the fix is pruning rather than removal. Clearance pruning that gets limbs off the roof and gutters — with enough separation that a branch loaded with rain or ice still cannot reach the shingles — permanently solves most of these complaints, with a return visit every few years. Removal earns its place when the species is large and structurally poor (silver maple, Callery pear, a dead ash), when the trunk itself carries a defect, or when the entire crown leans over the house with no way to reduce it. 'It's close' is not by itself a removal justification, and you should push back if that is the only reason offered.

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Get it done

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