A Technical Report from The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories
The presence of trees surrounding a residence contributes greatly to both the aesthetic and monetary value of the home site. Studies have shown the presence of established trees usually increases the value of a building lot by 10% and sometimes as much as 25% over a similar lot that lacks trees.
Most homeowners recognize trees provide many benefits including beautifying a residence, providing shade, noise abatement, privacy, and reducing home energy costs. Most progressive homebuilders also recognize the value of trees and usually leave as many as possible on newly constructed home sites. Unfortunately, trees often are damaged so severely during construction that many die following development.
The loss of the trees not only reduces the value of the house but also adds considerable costs to a new home due to tree removal or hazard reduction pruning. Healthy trees can be maintained on new home sites if they are carefully selected and some basic precautions are undertaken to prevent damage during construction.