Have you just found out you might be dealing with a fairly major problem with tree roots in pipes? Perhaps a drain’s been slow for weeks, you called out a plumber, the camera went down the line to see what’s actually going on … and you got the bad news.
It’s not a lovely feeling to discover a nearby tree that you actually quite like has won a battle with your plumbing to tap into a perfect source of moisture and nutrients.
Sure, the plumber can just fix the pipe. Won’t they probably can’t or won’t do is tell you why exactly it happened, whether it’ll happen again, and what to actually do about the tree responsible. That’s a different trade altogether – and it’s the half of this problem most people never get properly addressed.
Signs of tree roots in pipes
A few things tend to show up before a full blockage does:
- Drains that gurgle or empty slower than they used to.
- A patch of lawn or garden bed that’s noticeably greener than everything around it, fed by a slow leak underground.
- Repeated blockages at the same spot, even after a plumber’s cleared it once already.
Any of those sound familiar? If you nodded ‘yes’ to more than one of them, that’s a pretty strong signal of tree roots in drainage pipes rather than a simple clog.
What pipes are affected at your place?
From a plumber’s perspective, these are 3 completely different problems:
- Tree roots in drains
- Tree roots in plumbing pipes
- Tree roots in stormwater pipes.
From the tree’s point of view, though, the cause is the same for all of them. Roots simply grow toward moisture – and a pipe with even a hairline crack or a loose joint is basically an open invitation.
Then you’ve got yourself a problem.
What to actually do about it
Have you figured out that tree roots have caused your problem? Run through these 6 steps towards the solution:
1. Work out who’s responsible
Tree roots in pipes – who is responsible? We’re talking about the damage, of course, and who needs to cough up.
- If it’s your own tree, it’s generally your problem to fix.
- If it’s a neighbour’s tree with roots crossing the boundary, or a council street tree, the situation changes considerably.
So, it’s well worth figuring out which category your issue slots into before spending decent money on a fix. Ownership disputes over tree damage can get really messy, and having a clear arborist assessment of which tree’s roots are actually responsible puts you in a much stronger position either way.
2. Understand how fast roots come back
How fast do tree roots grow back in sewer pipes? Believe it or not, this is one of the most common questions we get – and the answer?
Faster than most people expect.
A healthy, established root system can find its way back into a cleared pipe within a year or two if the actual entry point isn’t addressed. Clearing the roots without fixing what let them in is a short-term result at best.
3. Don’t rely on chemical root killers alone
Products designed to kill tree roots in pipes do exist, and they can slow regrowth for a while. What they won’t do is remove the tree’s need to keep sending roots toward that moisture source, and they do nothing for a cracked or misaligned pipe that’s still letting water escape. They’re a stopgap, not a fix.
4. Get the tree properly assessed
This is where an arborist actually earns their keep. Depending on the tree’s species, age, position and root structure, the right response might be:
- Selective root pruning that removes the offending roots without destabilising the tree
- A physical root barrier installed between the tree and the pipe
- Or in some cases, removal, particularly for fast-growing, aggressive-rooting species planted too close to underground services in the first place
Not every tree causing a problem needs to come out, and getting that assessment from someone qualified rather than guessing saves a mature, healthy tree more often than people expect.
5. Plan for prevention, not just repair
Preventing tree roots in sewer pipes long-term usually comes down to a few things:
- Root barrier
- Correct species selection for anything planted near existing pipework going forward
- Knowing where your underground services actually run before planting anything new nearby.
6. Coordinate the timing with your plumber
Root and pipe work often need to happen together, not as two separate, uncoordinated callouts. Getting the tree-side assessment done alongside the plumbing repair means the fix actually addresses both halves of the problem at once, rather than solving one and leaving the other to cause the same issue again down the track.
Get the tree side sorted properly
A cleared pipe with an unaddressed tree behind it is a fix with a use-by date.
JC Tree Services can:
- Assess which tree’s responsible
- Recommend root pruning, a barrier or removal where it’s genuinely warranted
- And work alongside your plumber so the whole problem gets solved, not just the symptom in front of you.
Get in touch for a proper assessment before the same blockage shows up again.
