Tree roots in your sewer line or near your foundation in Tallahassee

Short answer: in the City of Tallahassee, the pipe from your house to the City main is yours to maintain and repair, roots included, even where it runs under the street side of your yard. Report a backup to City Utilities at 850-891-4968 (24 hours). Roots rarely break good pipe; they get into pipe that is already cracked. Cutting the tree down does not fix the pipe, and cutting big roots near the trunk can make a tree fall.

Tallahassee Tree Match is a free matching service, not a plumber, a tree company or a government office. This page summarizes the City of Tallahassee sewer lateral policy and research from UF/IFAS, the U.S. Forest Service and the Morton Arboretum. It is not legal or engineering advice. Confirm details for your property with the City and a licensed plumber.

Who pays: the City lateral policy

The City calls the pipe from your plumbing to its sewer main, including the cleanout stack and cap, the lateral. Its Gravity Sewer Service Lateral Policy (last revised July 2016) splits the work like this:

Where the blockage is	Who handles and pays
In the City sewer main (roots, grease, broken pipe)	The City. If your plumber finds it and the City confirms, the City pays the plumber for finding it.
In your lateral, and rodding, jetting or flushing clears it	You. The City does not reimburse the plumber.
In your lateral, under pavement in a public right-of-way, or within 5 feet of the edge of pavement or back of curb	The City repairs the lateral there to protect the road. You still pay unless the City or its contractor caused the problem.
In your lateral, in an unpaved right-of-way or easement, or more than 5 feet from the pavement or curb	You, unless the City or a City contractor damaged it.
In a City easement on a private street	You. The City will not repair the lateral there.

Source: City of Tallahassee, Gravity Sewer Service Lateral Policy (PDF). Low-pressure sewer in Killearn Lakes is also covered by the policy.

If the plumber cannot clear the line with normal tools, the policy asks the plumber to stay on site so the City can electronically locate the stoppage and decide who is responsible. Ask your plumber to note the depth and distance of the blockage from the cleanout; that is what decides whose side it is on.

What to do when the drains back up

Call City Utilities at 850-891-4968 (24/7 for faulty sewer lines). Signs the problem is the City main include more sewage overflowing than your house could produce, or a manhole overflowing; the policy says to ask the City for help right away in that case. (City Utilities contacts; lateral policy)
Call a licensed plumber if the City says the main is clear. Most root clogs are cleared by rodding or jetting. A camera inspection shows whether the pipe is cracked or a joint has opened.
If sewage got into the house, the City’s claim letter in the same policy tells customers to start cleanup right away with a company certified in extracting contaminated water, without waiting for an adjuster. Liability is decided by the City’s Risk Management Division, 850-891-8246, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (lateral policy)
Replace a broken or missing cleanout cap. The City lists it among the ways to keep roots and debris out. (City of Tallahassee, Think at the Sink)

Why roots get into pipes

Roots follow water. The Morton Arboretum says pipes broken by root growth are rare, but older pipes often crack, especially at the joints, as they age or the soil shifts. Moisture leaking from the crack draws roots toward it, and once inside, the air, water and nutrients let them grow fast. (Morton Arboretum, Tree Root Problems)

A review of root intrusion published by the U.S. Forest Service found the trouble is most likely in old pipes with joints, shallow pipes, small pipes and near fast-growing trees, and cites estimates that roots cause more than half of all sewer blockages. In small pipes, clearing roots every year or two is common. (Randrup, McPherson and Costello, Tree Root Intrusion in Sewer Systems) UF/IFAS adds that roots usually won’t enter well-designed, properly installed utilities that don’t leak water. (UF/IFAS EP310)

Clear the pipe, fix the pipe, or remove the tree?

Clearing (rodding or jetting): fixes today’s clog. Roots usually come back through the same crack, so plan on repeating it.
Root foam: registered chemical treatments exist and go into the sewer as foam. Follow the label exactly. (Morton Arboretum)
Repairing or replacing the pipe: the Morton Arboretum calls this the only permanent solution; modern pipe and joints should prevent most future problems.
Removing the tree: ends new root growth from that tree but leaves the cracked pipe and the dead roots in place. It makes the most sense when the tree has other problems too, such as decay or a lean toward the house. Our guide to dangerous trees lists the warning signs, and the permit guide covers when the City or County needs a permit.

Be careful cutting roots near the trunk

Pipe repairs and root barriers often mean trenching next to a tree. UF/IFAS says cutting anchoring roots makes a tree unstable, and trees with cut roots have fallen on homes and cars. Its guideline is to keep all roots within about five times the trunk diameter: for a trunk 2 feet across, no root cuts within 10 feet. (UF/IFAS EP309, Urban Design for a Wind-Resistant Urban Forest)

A 2025 study in Arboriculture & Urban Forestry trenched on one side of red maples and pulled them to measure stability. Trenching at 1 trunk diameter cut bending strength by about 45%, at 5 diameters by about 22%, and 3 diameters was no better than 1. (Impact of Trenching on Root Loss and Tree Stability) The Morton Arboretum notes that tunneling or boring under the root zone avoids the damage altogether, and a tree usually has 4 to 7 major roots, so cutting one close to the trunk can remove up to a quarter of the root system. (Morton Arboretum) Before any digging, call Sunshine 811; our stump guide explains how.

Roots and foundations

Roots get blamed for cracked slabs more than they deserve. The Morton Arboretum says roots are rarely the cause and can’t crack a foundation by growing; small roots may enter cracks that are already there. Under special conditions, soils that shrink a lot in drought plus a shallow foundation, roots can dry the soil under it and add to settling. (Morton Arboretum) For foundation cracks, call a structural engineer first; a tree service can’t tell you why a slab moved.

On septic in Leon County

Many homes outside City sewer use septic. UF/IFAS says no trees or shrubs of any kind should be planted on or near the drain field, whose pipes can sit just inches below the surface. Tree roots can spread 2 to 3 times the width of the canopy, so a tree 30 feet across planted within 20 feet of the drain field is, in its words, a recipe for septic failure. Grass is the safest cover. (UF/IFAS SL474, Landscaping on or near Septic Drain Fields) For a septic home inside City limits, the City says to call 850-891-6155 to see if you qualify for a septic-to-sewer connection; grants may be available. (City of Tallahassee, Think at the Sink brochure (PDF))

Planting so it doesn’t happen again

Find your sewer line or drain field before planting. The City says to plant trees and shrubs away from sewer lines and to call 811 before you dig. (City of Tallahassee)
Give a tree at least 4 feet from pavement, or use root barriers, to keep roots from lifting drives and walks. (Morton Arboretum)
Species from wet sites, such as willows, poplars and silver maples, are the ones most often found in clogged pipes. (Morton Arboretum)

Questions

Who pays when tree roots block my sewer line in Tallahassee?

Usually you do. Under the City of Tallahassee Gravity Sewer Service Lateral Policy, the customer pays to maintain and repair the lateral, the pipe from the house up to and including the connection to the City main, even where it runs under the right-of-way, a City easement or pavement. The City maintains its own mains, including roots in the main. The City repairs a lateral itself only when the stoppage is under pavement in a public right-of-way or within five feet of the edge of pavement or back of curb, to protect the road.

Who do I call first about a sewer backup?

City of Tallahassee Utilities at 850-891-4968, which takes reports of faulty sewer lines 24 hours a day. Under the City policy, the City tries to tell from the call whether the problem is in its main; if not, you are told to call a plumber. If the plumber finds the stoppage is in the City main and the City confirms it, the City pays the plumber for that determination.

Can tree roots break a sewer pipe?

Rarely on their own. The Morton Arboretum says pipes broken by root growth are rare, but roots readily enter pipes that are already cracked or have loose joints, then grow fast in the moist, nutrient-rich space and block them. A review published by the U.S. Forest Service found trouble is most likely in old, jointed, shallow and small pipes, and cites estimates that roots cause more than half of sewer blockages.

Do I have to remove the tree to fix roots in my sewer line?

Not necessarily. Clearing roots by rodding or jetting is routine, but it often has to be repeated. The Morton Arboretum says the only permanent fix is replacing the broken pipe, and modern pipe and joints should prevent most future intrusion. Removing the tree does not repair a cracked pipe.

Are tree roots damaging my foundation?

Probably not directly. The Morton Arboretum says roots are rarely the cause of foundation damage and cannot crack a foundation by growing; small roots may enter cracks that already exist. In special cases, on soils that shrink a lot in drought and under shallow foundations, roots can dry the soil and add to settling. A structural engineer, not a tree service, is the right first call for foundation cracks.

How close to the trunk can roots be cut?

UF/IFAS advises keeping all roots within about five times the trunk diameter, so for a 2-foot-wide trunk, no root cuts within 10 feet. A 2025 trenching study found cuts at 1 or 3 trunk diameters cut stability the most. Leaning, old or unhealthy trees are poor candidates for root pruning; cutting major roots close to the trunk can make a tree fall.

Decided the tree has to go?

If the plumber and you agree the tree should come out, or it shows other warning signs, we can connect you with one independent local tree pro for a free quote. Leave a short request and they will contact you. We don’t do plumbing.

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