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What To Do With Tree Touching Power Line

By: Shelby McCullough| Published: August 15, 2022

If your tree is touching a power line, leave it to experts to set it right. Call McCullough Tree Service at 407-734-5854 for service!

tree touching power line

Trees can add natural beauty to your yard or storefront while providing minimal safety concerns. However, when planting trees, it’s vital to consider their surroundings. The meeting of trees and human architecture can be dangerous.

A tree touching power lines on your property poses a safety hazard to anyone in the area. McCullough Tree Service, the most effective tree removal contractor in Orlando, FL, deals with trees that come in contact with power lines more often than we’d like. So, we figured we’d offer some advice to those confronting this issue.

If you’re worried about power lines touching your tree branches, this article will help you navigate the issue as safely as possible.

Tree Branches That Touch Power Lines Are Dangerous

Tree branches that touch power lines can cause power outages and interruptions, as well as electrocution hazards and fires. Power lines can spark nearby tree limbs, causing the tree to go up in flames. Live trees (or wet dead trees) conduct electricity well and can carry large electrical currents that can cause injury or death to anyone nearby. 

That said, do not attempt to prune a tree touching power lines. Even an electric service line to your house can deliver a fatal level of electric shock. Leave tree pruning to a professional whenever a tree’s branches are close to an electrical wire.

Keep children away from trees that come in contact with power lines. Branches that don’t yet touch powerlines can make contact when saddled with the additional weight of a child climbing a tree. 

How To Get a Tree Limb off of a Power Line

Never attempt to remove a tree branch that touches an electrical wire. Attempting to remove a limb from a tree touching power lines without adequate experience can result in severe injury or death. Utility companies have professional line-clearing crews who can safely handle your tree touching the power lines.

How Close Can a Tree Be to a Power Line?

You should never plant a tree directly under power lines, but you can plant some trees closer to power lines than others. Trees should sit no closer than fifteen feet to utility cables. Depending on your tree’s height at full maturity, you may have to plant it even further away.

How Far To Plant Your Tree From Power Lines

  • If your tree will reach twenty to forty-five feet in height, it should sit fifteen to thirty-five feet from utility lines.
  • If your tree reaches a mature height of more than forty-five feet, plant it at least fifty feet away from utility lines.

McCullough Tree Service Cares About Your Safety

Remember that even getting close to a tree touching power lines is dangerous. Our team of certified arborists is dedicated to maintaining the health and beauty of your trees, ensuring your landscape remains safe and attractive. Trust us to bring top-notch tree care solutions to your doorstep. Click the link to learn how to remove a tree that’s too close to your house, and contact us at 407-734-5854 for any questions.

Shelby McCullough

About The Author: Shelby McCullough

With over two decades of experience in the tree industry, Shelby McCullough is a highly skilled certified arborist and the proprietor of McCullough Tree Service. His unparalleled expertise and profound understanding of trees set him apart in his field.