Yes, sadly it needs to be removed. Those roots will invade your foundation and it costs a lot of money to repair a foundation. Say a prayer for the loss of the tree, then hire a tree removal company to take it out. MAKE SURE they take out the roots as well as the tree, or they'll just cut it down to ground level and call it 'done'.

I dunno. While Inshare the opinion the tree is a little close I differ as to why.

My 1950's house with a poured full basement has zero basement damage from white ash tree roots. The three of them werr a similar distance from the house. Now my ash have been removed but due to OVERHEAD branches.
In the 50's folks did not realize modern Americans would pay more for cable tv and phone service than air conditioning so trees were planted closer to homes. That and I am not sure they expected wood structures to last soo long.

So, I bet by 2035 to 2040 that tree will be large enough to seriously damage your home or injure your grand children or your classic car if a limb breaks. For my ash I removed eash as I found structural problems. Your oak is a bit stronger but is also evergreen which is a winter liability.

termites

It won't hurt your foundation - unless your house was built between 1870-1940 - modern reinforced concrete will easily stand up to your live oak, the roots will follow the path of least resistance, which will be dirt. Foundations are not the same as sidewalks or even driveways, they are constructed differently and can withstand much more force. Your a 1000 times more likely to crack your foundation from the ground shifting or settling, rather than that oak tree punching a hole or putting force against it to damage it.

In addition a live oak in your yard is good for about a $10,000 bump to your property value.

Live Oaks grow huge with enormous canopies that mushroom out
horizontally and eventually may even slope back down to the ground.
Best to leave at least 8' from branches to eaves to help prevent
squirrels from infesting and damaging your roof, given that they teeth
on many things (like metal gutters and wires). Not to mention falling branches
from storms...

Unfortunately, many homeowners are complete IDIOTS
when it comes to selecting appropriate trees for their yards and
allowing adequate spacing... Thus leaving ticking time bumbs...

(Although actually, 10' is really not AS bad as it sounds and while not ideal, could also be a lot worse... But it will still keep getting more problematic as time goes on.)

I have a problem with some of these posts that seem to deny any potential for foundation damage. It's true that foundation damage worries are often over-blown, but it's entirely untrue that foundation damage is not possible when large trees are planted close by. Large root can push and lift a foundation. Even really well built foundations will eventually develop cracks. I've personally witnessed foundation damage done, by tree roots, to what appeared to otherwise be fairly solid foundations.

Normally, I'd probably be one to encourage people not to worry too much about foundation damage by tree roots, but, in this thread, it seems like the other side is under-represented. So here I am playing devil's advocate. If Tken34's tree were planted 25' to 30' away, then I'd say the potential for foundation damage, to a good foundation, was near zero. But, in this case, if it were my house (and I planned to be there for the long-term), the tree would go.

How big do live oaks actually get in the OP's zio code? A southern magnolia here ten feet from a house is probably where it needs to be for winter protection. Now in Atlanta it should be a bit away.

I am a midwestern boy who has to remember not all of Texas looks like El Paso. I understand the eastern part of the state is fairly moist. Someplace around Dallas you start getting into watering restriction areas if I remember the in laws in Plano right?

From the Morton Arboretum: "Roots are often blamed for damage to foundations. In reality, roots are
rarely the cause of the problem. Though small roots may penetrate
existing cracks in foundations, they are incapable of causing mechanical
damage through their growth. Soil subsidence can result in damage to
structures. Under very special circumstances roots can contribute to
this problem. When soils are prone to shrinking substantially during
periods of drought, and if foundations are shallow, roots can contribute
to depletion of soil moisture under the foundation, causing it to
subside."

This not to say that tree roots never cause problems. It is just that they are seldom the primary cause. 99 time out of 100, if problems occur with tree roots and foundations, it is because of soil pressure or shifting of the soil surrounding the foundation that compromises its structural integrity. And trees can contribute to this issue.

Tree roots and foundation damage

Yes, toronado3800, we're near Plano and have water restrictions. I would say from the ones I've seen in my neighborhood, at least 40 ft tall and 40 ft wide.

Plan on that then Tken. take into account the age of your home and what type of foundation you have. The fellas are right, you can prune the tree to minimize the chance of a large limb failing. It becomes something to maintain but really isn't THAT much trouble. I really miss these huge white ash trees I had removed so I can appreciate your oak's value.

Live Oaks are planted next to homes and businesses everywhere down here. Some have been growing right up next to buildings for over 100 years. They don't always spread out like in that photo above, they will grow to whatever shape they need to in order to survive. When shaded from the sides they will often grow more upright.

I’ve been observing this for over 20 years. I have made 100’s of observations of trees near homes. I have never seen a case where there is an issue. Look up ‘tree growing in bike’. You see several ex. Of where 50 years ago someone leaned their bike against a tree. And there the bike still leans with the tree growing around it. So how is a tree going to buckle a house if it can’t even push over a bike? IF there is any concern, simple install a 3’-4’ deep trench, 4” wide. Fill with filter cloth and gravel. This will make an air layer that will stop roots. I think the ‘i’m Gonna die, there is a tree near my house’ Panic is a conspiracy theory propagated by tree cutters to make a buck. Not really, but sometimes it seems that way.

oh that is just not true - roots will not

invade your foundation - roots will follow contours around the concrete.

Will they go under a sidewalk and lift it..yes and same for a driveway.

but those are not dug into the ground like a foundation or slab. You live oak roots will never go that deep.

Roots grow to the area of least resistance

Question? Have you ever, in your life, seen a tree root pop up through the middle of a sidewalk? How about a concrete retaining wall?

The answer is no

leave it - your foundation will be fine

When i bought a new house a few years ago the Structural Engineer we hired to examine the foundation recommended removing a couple trees planted a similar distance. We removed one, and the one we didn't remove ended up pushing in the edge of the foundation, causing some cracks in the interior sheetrock.

The foundation itself is fine, and will return to normal, but that's not the only damage the can happen to a house due to a moving foundation caused by tree roots. Those in this thread claiming that the foundation so be fine are right but overlooking the other problems that can cause.

A live oak in my front yard has caused my driveway to sink. It pulls moisture out of the soil making it contract. I’m sure it would have the same effect on the foundation so I plan to cut both of them down and replace them with of a more medium sized tree.