Trimming Branches Over Your Roof

Why Branches Over the Roof Cause Trouble

• They scrape the shingles in the wind, wearing them down.
• They fill the eavestroughs with leaves, seeds and twigs, which leads to overflow and ice build-up in winter.
• They give squirrels and raccoons an easy way onto the roof.
• They can break under snow and ice and land on the roof.
• They keep the roof damp and shaded, which encourages moss.

How Much Should Come Off?

The goal is enough space between the branches and the roof that they won’t touch when they move in the wind or sag under snow. We cut branches back to a proper point, where the tree can heal, rather than chopping them off at the roof line. That keeps the tree healthy and stops a mess of weak regrowth.

We’ll show you what we plan to take off before we start. If the tree is healthy and only a few limbs are the problem, a trim is usually all it needs. There’s no need to remove the whole tree.

How We Do It Safely

Branches over a roof can’t just be dropped. We cut them in manageable pieces and lower them away from the house, so nothing lands on the shingles, eaves or windows. Then we haul everything away, clear anything that fell on the roof or in the eavestroughs from our work, rake up and sweep the driveway.

Branches From a Neighbour’s Tree

If the branches are coming from a tree next door, see can I cut my neighbour’s branches?