November 18, 2025

How to Work with Tree Services During Construction

A building site looks a lot different to a tree than it does to a project manager. What reads to you as progress — trenching for utilities, stockpiling base rock, concrete trucks lining up before daylight — reads to a mature oak as soil compaction, root severance, and a sudden change in water and oxygen. I have walked sites where a single misjudged excavation killed a 60‑year‑old shade tree worth more than the project’s lighting package. I have also seen careful coordination turn a scrappy lot into a place where structures and canopy feel like they grew up together. The difference lies in how early and how seriously you bring in tree experts, and how you design, schedule, and police the work that follows.

This guide lays out a practical approach to working with an arborist and a professional tree service team before, during, and after construction. The details matter. A two‑inch change in grade can smother roots. A skid steer parked inside a dripline can compress soil enough to reduce tree health for years. With the right plan, you can protect valuable trees, remove liabilities, and plant for the future without dragging your schedule or your budget.

What construction really does to trees

Most damage happens underground and goes unnoticed until the canopy declines years later. Roots need oxygen spaces between soil particles. Heavy equipment collapses those spaces. Trenching slices through structural roots. Fill smothers feeder roots near the surface. Even if a trunk never gets nicked, a tree can fail later because half of its anchoring roots were severed to run a water line. Above ground, bark wounds invite decay and pests, and chip spatter or concrete washout can desiccate fine roots at the surface.

Species respond differently. A sycamore shrugs off moderate compaction. A beech often dies slowly after seemingly minor soil changes. Pine tolerates little root disturbance. Many oaks handle selective pruning well, but resent grade changes. Good arboriculture starts by matching tree care to species, site, and stress load, not by applying a one‑size‑fits‑all “tree protection” note in the plans.

Bring arborists in before you draw utilities

The most cost‑effective move you can make is to hire an ISA Certified Arborist or a consulting arborist during concept design. Do not wait until the building permit phase. At the earliest stage, arborist services can flag high‑value trees, species‑specific sensitivities, defects that justify tree removal, and opportunities to shift building pads or routing by a few feet to save roots. On one multifamily project, we slid a fire lane three feet east on the civil sheet after a tree survey. That small move saved two mature elms and their cooling shade over a future playground.

Ask the arborist to produce a tree inventory and a Tree Preservation Plan. A complete inventory includes species, diameter at breast height, condition rating, crown spread, trunk flare depth, defects, and a preliminary retention recommendation. The preservation plan overlays this data on your site plan, shows protection zones, and gives clear, enforceable specifications for tree care service and contractor behavior. It also identifies trees slated for tree removal service, sets out the process for tree cutting, and schedules tree trimming that should happen pre‑construction.

Understand protected trees and permits

Local ordinances can be strict. Many municipalities require a permit to remove trees above a certain trunk diameter, regardless of ownership. Others regulate heritage species or street trees separately. Penalties run from fines to stop‑work orders. Your arborist and your permitting team should handle submittals for removal, pruning, and protection fencing. If a city forester must inspect, build that into your schedule, not as an afterthought.

Commercial tree service providers who work in your jurisdiction regularly will know which inspectors focus on fencing placement, which require root zone irrigation, and which want as‑builts showing relocated utilities. Use that local knowledge. The best professional tree service crews keep their compliance records clean and can keep your project out of trouble.

Decide what to remove, what to preserve, and what to plant

There is no virtue in saving every tree. Some are hazards. Some are so compromised that construction stress will finish them off, no matter how careful you are. Conversely, I’ve seen projects that clear‑cut out of fear of delays, then spend years trying to recreate shade and scale with new plantings. Aim for a balanced plan.

For removal, prioritize trees with poor structure, advanced decay, serious pest load, or species known to fail under disturbance. Consider construction logistics, too. A tree that would require constant work‑around may cost more to preserve than to replace. For preservation, pick trees with good vigor and root systems that lie mostly outside the footprint of disturbance. If a valued tree cannot be protected adequately, factor in the cost of specialty measures or embrace removal and replanting honestly.

Replacement planting should not be an afterthought. If a large tree comes out, plan the new canopy’s role in microclimate, stormwater, and aesthetics. Plant earlier than you think. On long projects, installing some trees mid‑construction, in protected beds away from heavy traffic, can help the site recover faster post‑build.

Draw enforceable protection zones, not vague circles

The standard rule of thumb is to protect the Critical Root Zone, often defined as a radius of 1 to 1.5 feet per inch of trunk diameter. For a 24‑inch oak, that means a 24 to 36‑foot radius. That number is a starting point. Root systems are asymmetric and often extend two to three times the dripline in urban soils. Your arborist will adjust for species, lean, soil, and site history.

Protection zones must be physical. Install chain‑link or solid fencing with driven posts and lockable gates where needed, not flimsy orange mesh that a crew can flatten with one boot. Signage should state: Tree Protection Area, No Entry, No Storage, No Parking, No Washout. Spill kits should sit outside the fence. Where access must come near roots, specify ground protection like laminated mats or 12 inches of wood chip mulch plus plywood to distribute loads. In high‑traffic corridors, temporary boardwalks or crane mats can save thousands in future tree care.

Inside protection zones, ban soil disturbance, trenching, grade changes, and material storage. Keep the canopy in mind. Open‑air welders, asphalt work, or lime treatment near low branches can cause injury. If work must happen nearby, use fire blankets or temporary branch shielding.

Coordinate utilities and grading like you mean it

Most avoidable damage comes from utility trenches and last‑minute grade tweaks. Run utilities outside protection zones where possible. If a fee‑in‑lieu is the only way to satisfy both inspectors and budgets, at least put the numbers on paper and accept the trade. When you cannot avoid roots, specify trenchless methods like pneumatic soil displacement, boring, or micro‑tunneling. Properly done, these techniques snake lines under critical roots with minimal disturbance. They are not free, but neither is losing a mature shade tree and the approvals tied to it.

Small grade changes are not small to a tree. Adding as little as two to four inches of soil over a root zone can reduce oxygen enough to stress or kill sensitive species. Lowering grade can strip away feeder roots. Balance cuts and fills away from saved trees. If you must change grade, consider retaining walls, aeration piping, or structural soils to preserve gas exchange. These are project‑by‑project calculations, and they pay off most on long‑lived, high‑value trees.

Sequence pruning and removal strategically

Pruning done at the wrong time will stress a tree already dealing with construction. Prune for clearance and structural defects before heavy equipment arrives, not after a boom lift scrapes a branch. Timing matters. Many species respond best to dormant‑season tree trimming, but construction schedules rarely line up perfectly with winter. Your arborist can choose a window that balances biology and logistics. The trimming should be conservative, focused on weak attachments, broken limbs, and minimal clearance for scaffolding or crane swing.

Tree removal should be surgical. Fell trees before mobilization, not once the site is crowded with materials and temporary power poles. If an emergency tree service is needed mid‑project after a storm or an equipment strike, you want a team familiar with your site and your rules. Keep a standing authorization with a professional tree service that can respond within hours, especially if your project sits in a wind‑prone area.

Protect the soil, not just the trunk

Soil health underpins tree health. Compaction is the silent killer. Even a single pass by a loaded dump truck can push soil density past what roots can tolerate. Establish designated haul routes surfaced with aggregate or mats, and keep them outside tree protection zones. Limit staging areas to hardscape or future building footprints. Where you cannot avoid occasional encroachment, lay down temporary ground protection and remove it as soon as the task ends.

Water is another lever. Construction disrupts drainage and often leaves roots either drought‑stressed or waterlogged. Install temporary irrigation or deep watering schedules for preserved trees during hot months. In clay soils, avoid ponding by maintaining swales and keeping washout away from root zones. Where irrigation is not practical, a 3 to 4‑inch layer of wood chip mulch, kept a few inches off the trunk, can stabilize soil moisture and reduce temperature swings. Do not use construction debris as “mulch.” Real arborist chips breathe and break down slowly.

Have a tree protection meeting like you would a pre‑pour

A 15‑minute nod at a kickoff meeting does not set behavior. On projects that keep trees healthy, the superintendent, arborist, foreman for each trade, and the tree care service lead walk the site and review the Tree Preservation Plan before any demo or grading. They agree on fence locations, haul routes, storage areas, crane swing clearances, and who to call if a conflict arises. They set consequences. Most crews adapt well when rules are practical and consistent.

Make it visual. Spray paint the ground at the limits of the protection zones before the fence goes in. Flag low branches that need pruning now, not later. Post laminated maps in the trailer that show protected areas, water points for tree watering, and the number to call for the arborist. The more you present tree protection like any other safety or quality spec, the less likely someone will “just cut this root” to get a trench done by Friday.

Inspect and document throughout construction

Tree care is not set‑and‑forget. The arborist should visit the site at key milestones: after fencing goes up, after clearing, during grading near preserved trees, when utilities install, and before hardscape pours near roots. Quick checks catch bad habits early. Photos and notes create a record that can help if damage disputes arise later.

Something always comes up. A buried boulder that sits in the only place a new gas line can go. A crane setup that needs a stabilizer pad closer to a trunk than planned. In those moments, having a known arborist on call who understands your constraints allows for fast, reasonable adjustments. Maybe the answer is a short section of hand‑digging with an air spade and root bridging, or a temporary matting plan with stricter watering for the next six weeks. The right tree experts offer solutions, not just red lines.

Treat damaged roots with intention

When roots are cut, do it cleanly. Torn or shattered roots invite decay and reduce the tree’s ability to compartmentalize the wound. If a trench exposes roots, have the tree service crew or a trained laborer use sharp tools to cut them back to sound tissue rather than leaving ragged ends. Where larger roots are involved, consult the arborist on how many inches of diameter can be safely removed for the species at hand. A general guideline is to avoid cutting any root greater than two inches in diameter within several feet of the trunk. That is a rough rule, not a law. I have seen oaks tolerate a 3‑inch root cut at ten feet out when other conditions were favorable, and I have seen willows react badly to less.

Backfill with native soil blended with compost if appropriate, not pure sand or gravel, unless a structural soil is specified. Water thoroughly to settle air pockets. Do not dump fertilizer into raw trenches. The tree needs aeration and moisture more than nitrogen in the middle of trauma.

Know when to say “we need emergency tree service”

Despite your best plans, storms hit, equipment slips, and trees fail. If a saved tree drops a major limb onto scaffolding or shows sudden lean, stop work near the area and bring in a team that does emergency tree service. This is not the time for a handyman with a chainsaw. Commercial tree service crews trained for storm work and crane removals can make a dangerous situation safe quickly. Your job is to give them site access, overhead clearance information, and a clear decision path. Often, stabilizing cuts or cabling can preserve a tree that looks dire, buying time to reassess. Sometimes full tree removal is the prudent choice, especially if targets are high‑value and the tree’s structure has been compromised during construction.

Plan for tree health during the first three years after ribbon‑cutting

The stress of construction shows up as delayed decline. Leaves may reduce, dieback may creep from the tips, and pests exploit weakened defenses. A post‑construction tree care plan is not a luxury, it is insurance on your earlier investment. Schedule follow‑up assessments at 6, 12, and 24 months. Adjust irrigation in the new landscape so saved trees get appropriate deep watering during dry periods, not daily spritzing meant for fresh sod. Consider mulch replenishment, soil decompaction treatments with vertical mulching or radial trenching where compaction persists, and targeted fertilization only if a soil test indicates deficiencies.

Cabling or bracing can support trees whose load distribution changed after selective pruning for construction. Pruning cycles may need to be shorter in the first years to manage deadwood. Communicate with property management teams or new owners about what was done and why, and hand off the arborist’s contact details. Continuity matters.

Balance costs and value with clear eyes

Preserving a mature tree is often the cheapest way to achieve shade, stormwater control, and curb appeal. A single large canopy can save tens of thousands in HVAC over a decade, reduce heat island effect, and lift lease rates. That said, spending $15,000 on trenchless installation to save a declining soft maple may not pencil. Good decisions come from data: condition ratings, risk assessments, species life expectancy, and total cost of ownership for preservation measures versus removal and replanting.

Be candid with your team. If preservation requires constraints that threaten critical path activities, decide early whether the tree or the schedule gives. Do not drift into a situation where the fence gets moved “for just a day,” then never returns. That path produces the worst outcome: a lost tree and lingering blame.

Residential projects need the same rigor, scaled right

Homeowners sometimes assume tree services are only for big commercial sites, but a backyard addition can stress a legacy oak as much as a hotel build. Residential tree service providers can work with your contractor to set basic protection: sturdy fencing at a conservative radius, plywood paths for concrete wheelbarrows, and pruning for roofline clearance before framers climb ladders. Keep dumpsters, brick pallets, and washout as far from trunks as space allows. A driveway expansion or pool dig sited a few feet differently makes the difference between a thriving shade canopy and a slow decline.

On small sites, roots often occupy most of the lot. Here, the arborist’s creativity matters. Air spade trenching, root pruning in advance of excavation to stimulate new root growth, and temporary irrigation lines can all scale to a residential budget. If tree removal becomes necessary, a reputable tree removal service will secure permits, protect neighboring trees, and grind stumps to a depth that allows future planting.

Choose the right partner for the work

Not all tree services are equal. Look for companies with ISA Certified Arborists on staff, proof of insurance appropriate to your site’s risk profile, and recent experience with projects like yours. Ask for references tied to construction, not just routine tree trimming service. Good providers will talk about protecting soil, trenchless methods, and site logistics as fluently as they talk about chainsaws and chip trucks.

Pay attention to safety culture. A crew that follows its own rules is more likely to follow yours. Walk a current job if you can. You will learn more from ten minutes watching how they set up than from a polished proposal.

A simple, workable playbook

  • Engage an arborist early, produce a Tree Preservation Plan, and integrate it into civil, utility, and landscape sheets.
  • Build real protection: chain‑link fencing, ground protection where needed, and clear signage, all installed before mobilization.
  • Reroute or trenchless your utilities away from critical roots, and control grades within root zones with walls or aeration strategies when you cannot.
  • Schedule pruning and removals before heavy work starts, and retain a professional tree service for emergency response with authority to act fast if hazards appear.
  • Monitor, document, and maintain: regular arborist site visits, watering and mulch management, and a three‑year post‑construction tree health plan.

Two short stories, two different outcomes

On a civic plaza project, the design team wanted to center a fountain between two 40‑inch live oaks. The initial utility layout ran a storm line directly between the trees. The arborist flagged it during a pre‑design walk. The civil engineer, to his credit, re‑routed the line with a shallow drop and a short bored segment. The GC installed chain‑link fencing at a 35‑foot radius and laid crane mats for staging outside the fence. The crew hand‑dug the last section near surface roots and used an air spade to expose and preserve larger roots. Those oaks not only survived, they flushed with strong growth the next spring. The plaza opened with mature shade in place, and the city saved at least a decade of waiting for new trees to catch up.

Contrast that with a small retail build where a last‑minute decision moved a dumpster pad into the dripline of a healthy sycamore. The crew cut roots for a footing trench without notifying anyone, then stockpiled brick pavers inside the tree’s dripline for two weeks. By the following summer, the canopy thinned by half. Two years later, a limb failed in a wind event and damaged a parked car. The property owner paid for removal and lost the only shade on the south side. The avoidable costs exceeded the perceived savings ten times over.

The long view

Construction is temporary. The way you treat trees during those months affects a site for decades. Good arboriculture is not romantic; it is practical risk management and value creation. When you fold tree health into the same disciplined planning you apply to budgets, cranes, and critical path schedules, you get fewer surprises and a better place at the end. You also build a reputation as the team that can deliver a complete environment, not just a building or a road.

Work with tree experts as partners. Give them a seat at the table early, and hold the line on the agreed protections when the site gets busy. The canopy and the people under it will thank you long after the punch list is closed.

I am a passionate professional with a well-rounded skill set in arboriculture.