House Addition 3–4 Ft from 30-Ft Pine in Arizona: Protect the Root Zone

Root Loss ≈ 25%—Survivable If Managed

Pine roots spread 2× canopy width, in top 24". A basement adds no further root loss beyond the footprint. Pine's taproot helps.

Critical: Protect Remaining Roots

• Fence off the entire root zone beyond the addition.
• No machinery, storage, or grading in protected area.
• If architect/contractor won't respect this, the tree will decline.

Resources

Construction protection guide: CSU Extension.

Chinese Elm or clumping bamboo (with barrier) are good backup shade trees further out.