Tree Leaning Toward Your House: When Is It Dangerous?

Plenty of trees lean and stand for decades. Others lean because they're already starting to fail. The difference is usually in how the lean happened and what the ground is telling you.

Usually stable: a slow, old lean

A tree that has leaned for years, often growing toward sunlight, typically adapts. You'll see the trunk curve back upward toward the top and a canopy that's balanced over the lean. That tree may still need its weight managed if it's over the house, but it's rarely an emergency.

Call right away: a new or changing lean

• The lean appeared or got worse after a storm or heavy rain.
• Soil is cracked, mounded, or lifting on the side opposite the lean.
• Roots are exposed, broken, or pulling out of the ground.
• There's a crack, split, or fungus near the base of the trunk.
• The tree is leaning toward the house, a driveway, or power lines.

Any of those signs means the root plate may be failing. Keep people and pets out of the area the tree would hit, don't try to pull or cut it yourself, and call a professional the same day.

What can be done

Depending on the cause, options range from reducing the weight on the leaning side to removing the tree in controlled sections. Trees leaning toward structures are taken down piece by piece with rigging so nothing lands on the house.