Your first step is to properly identify tree and it’s root grow habit. Some have tap roots than grow straight down with shallow secondary roots. Other’s have expansive horizontal roots that can lift sidewalks and interfere with foundations and basements. A local arborits can advise you on it’s long-term growth and damage potential.

Your County Extention Agency can provide you with tree ID and advice on proper planting distances near houses. Measure you tree to house and take picture to agency for free help. And provide you with properly removal it necessary.

Hire an arborist to advise.

Tree roots will not damage an intact building foundation.

"proper planting distances near houses"? The proper distance is whatever you and your house can tolerate in terms of risk. When I bought my house 15 years ago, there was a huge 12" caliper stump just a couple feet from the foundation. At the time it looked to have been cut down w/in the last 10 years at most. (I've become very familiar now with the local rate of decay) At some point in the past, someone had wanted a shade tree directly overarching the 1 story house. This is a terrible idea IN MY OPINION, but the house seems to have survived it. It obviously never dropped a large limb because there is not replacement framing in the attic. That was adjacent to the garage so the slab is visible - no sign of cracking or damage. Of course, they don't build 'em like they used to: when I installed a radon remediation system in my house, you can imagine my surprise when I kept drilling and drilling and drilling. The slab in the main part of the house was 10"+ inches thick!

Seems the more pertinent issue is whether you want a tree in this space at all, since someone clearly hacked it back in the past couple years leading to a lot of epicormic growth. It looks like it might be a camellia but to soon to tell for sure with these pictures.

Roughly where in the world are you?

how about some real pix...

second.. include pix of the leaves, bark and big city location ... we can ID it.. and if not.. the name that plant forum ....

if you are willing to kill the trees.. which are obviously improperly sited.. you dont need an arborist ... you need a tree remover.. get 3 estimates.. and insure their insurance is current ...

most trees willingly resprout if simply cut to the ground ... they need a stump killer applied.. there is no real need to have the stump ground out.. unless you just demand such.. and have money to waste ..

as david noted.. trees do not usually cause problems.. but they can take advantage of pre-exisiting problems.. and magnify them ...

ken

It seems to have opposite foliage so my guess is a Ligustrum.

Are the roots under landscaping plastic? Can you post a better photo, of both the tree and roots?

The tree looks like a very old crape myrtle that has been (unfortunately) chopped continuously over the years (crape murder LOL). But it is hard to tell from the pictures. Can you provide better pics? If it IS a crape myrtle, it is much to close to the house, and yes I would have the tree removed.

@UpperBayGardener (zone 7) I don't mind if the tree is removed. it was just there when i moved in several months ago. i am in San Jose, CA

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 thanks Ken, i am including more pictures here. I guess i don't have a clue how much $$$ each option would cost. i understand it depends on the location and the tree size and etc, but if it costs <$1k to remove the tree and roots all together i might consider it.If it's few K or more, i might have to think twice about it. If i end up removing the tree, i might also consider paving the ground with some bricks... what's are some of the differences between an arborist and a tree remover? is hiring a tree remover cheaper than hiring an arborist?

@Fori Yes, Iam attaching the pictures here.

@Chessie Hopefully more picture i uploaded here can tell what it is. i don't know what the previous owner did to this tree, but it seems like they have root that extends horizontally...

1k to remove the tree and roots all together i might consider it.If it's few K or more, i might have to think twice about it.

==>> you cut the tree to the ground.. and apply a stump killer.. and be done with it...

why in the world would you hire an excavator to dig them all out.. thats where the damage will happen to the house ... and stump grinding does not usually entail grinding every root you see ...

and most likely.. over the years.. as the roots rot .. you will have a seasonal mushroom show ... thats like a free garden show ... but dont eat them ...

ken

the pix showed after i posted the above...

i should have added ... anything i did not want to spend money on.. i changed the name to GARDEN ART ... and let it be.. lol ... it a zen approach to garden.. if you will ... lol ...

ken

MUCH better pics. That is Ligustrum, really more a hedge shrub than a tree, although it can certainly get up there. As evidenced by its very mature trunk, it has been chopped, yearly I imagine. Kind of an odd place for such a large hedge shrub. I would have it removed.

I don't think it will hurt your house. If it was going to, it would have already done it. Does the slab under your AC unit look okay?

It might be a good idea to hire an arborist to see if they are a danger and if they can be pruned to look good.

If you don't like them of course, take them out. But I would not bother unless I was planning to landscape that part of the yard. They probably cool the house a little bit.

Do you guys think trimming the roots is a good idea? Some roots are above ground. I was wondering if it’s ok to trim those roots to flatten the ground to lay down paver stones.

You can certainly trim the roots. But if I was going to put pavers there, I would just have the tree removed. Otherwise the roots will simply keep growing and your pavers will be pushed up.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 on you previous reply, you mentioned that removing the tree root could damage the house. could you help me understand on that? I guess I don't know how the removal process well enough and it's not inuitive to me how it can damage the house. thanks for your help in advance!