06/18/2026
One of the most avoidable ways homeowners lose mature trees is during home renovation and construction work. A new addition, a driveway expansion, a pool installation: all of these bring heavy equipment and soil disturbance within range of root systems that took decades to establish.
The problem isn't always immediate. Root damage from compaction and excavation can take one to three years to fully show up in the canopy. By the time a tree starts declining noticeably, the cause is often construction work that happened seasons earlier. At that point, the damage is done.
ACE approaches tree preservation as a proactive service, not a reactive one. Before construction begins, we can assess which trees are most vulnerable, establish protection zones, recommend root pruning techniques that minimize trauma, and install physical barriers that keep equipment out of the critical root area. For trees that are already showing stress from nearby disturbance, we can evaluate treatment options through our plant health care program.
If you're planning any significant work on your property this summer and you have mature trees nearby, getting ACE involved before the first shovel goes in is far more effective than calling after the fact. Have you ever had construction work done near mature trees on your property, and did the trees come through okay?