Image by A. Davey via Flickr

Buying that perfect plot of land for your dream house is just as important as the materials used to build the home. Chances are you’ve picked the location for its natural beauty, stunning shade trees, and convenient neighborhood, but if your recent purchase requires any amount of land clearing prior to building, remember to protect those trees.

Mature trees provide shade that can help lower a home’s energy costs and increase land value, so leveling the land is the last thing you want to do. Once you’ve determined where the house will go, inform your contractor which trees and other forms of plant life will be kept intact. Be committed to this conservation and ask your contractor what he or she will do to safeguard the environment surrounding your future home.

Trees can be seriously damaged by construction activities, and this damage often occurs at the roots. Mark the trees with an “Off Limits” sign construction workers can clearly see, and allow enough space for these signs or temporary fencing to incorporate the underlying root system. Monitor the construction site regularly. This alone will alert workers to your commitment to preserving the surrounding environment.

Avoid placing utility lines in critical root zones. If this proves impossible, opt for tunneling under root systems instead of trenching through. It may cost more money up front, but the shade trees will save on energy costs for years to come.

Save younger trees by transplanting them and chip any damaged or dead trees. Large trees almost never survive within five feet of the construction site, so keep this in mind when laying the home’s foundation.