Leyland Cypress 3‑4 ft from House: Remove for Foundation Safety

Inspector Is Right: This Species Outgrows Small Spaces

Leyland cypress reaches 60–100 ft tall, 12–20 ft wide, with a shallow, wide‑spreading root system. At 3–4 ft from a basement wall:

• Roots can exploit foundation cracks, expand them.
• Shallow roots + tall canopy = high windthrow risk onto house.
• Pruning only delays the inevitable.

Recommendation

Remove the trees. Replace with narrow, deep‑rooted evergreens (e.g., ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae, upright junipers) planted ≥6 ft from foundation.