How high should branches be raised over a driveway or roof?

Over a roof

Branches that touch a roof scrape shingles, drop needles and leaves into gutters, and carry fire to the house in a wildfire. UNR Extension's Living With Fire guide treats the first five feet around a house, Zone 0, as the ember-resistant zone, and it advises keeping evergreen woody plants at least 30 feet from the house. Branches overhanging a roof are part of that picture. See what is defensible space.

Lifting a crown away from a roof is called raising or limbing up. Dead wood over a roof comes first, then the live limbs.

Over a driveway

For your own driveway, the question is the tallest thing that must pass: a delivery truck, a moving van, a RV. We cannot state a one-size height because the standard depends on what uses the driveway. The honest answer is to tell the arborist the vehicle, and the cut will be planned from that. Removing too many lower limbs at once is its own problem; see how much of a tree can be pruned at once.

Over a street, sidewalk or wires

Public right-of-way is a different case. In Reno, work in City rights-of-way needs a Tree Work Permit and a Certified Arborist. In Carson City, check with Public Works for trees in the right-of-way. We do not quote a clearance height for streets because we did not find one we can cite. Branches near power lines are not a do-it-yourself job: NV Energy handles its own primary lines, the service drop to a house is the owner's responsibility, and unqualified people must stay 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV. See utility and structure clearance.

Next step

Walk the spot with the arborist and point out what must clear. The estimate is free at 775.232.8243.