# What can you do about a driveway damaged by tree roots?

> Driveway damaged by tree roots: how roots lift and crack a slab, how to tell root damage from clay or water, and the repair options. Find the right fix here.

URL: https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/driveway-damaged-by-tree-roots/

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Roots are one cause to check where a large tree grows near the drive, not one to assume. Here is how they do damage, how to confirm them, and which repairs fit.

Last Updated: October 26, 2026

Short answerA driveway damaged by tree roots shows a lifted panel, a hump or a crack running toward the tree. Where the cause is confirmed, a small lift can be ground flush, while a broken or raised section is removed, the roots under it are dealt with on a tree-care professional's advice, and the section is rebuilt.

Key takeaways

- Roots are a cause only where a sizeable tree grows close to the drive.
- A raised edge near the trunk, or a crack pointing toward the tree, is the usual pattern.
- Clay swelling and water washout can look similar, so confirm the roots before choosing a repair.
- Lifting can't fix a slab that roots have pushed up; it has to come down or come out.
- Cutting roots is a decision about the tree's health and stability, and belongs to a tree-care professional.

A driveway damaged by tree roots has a recognizable look: a panel lifted along one edge, a hump in asphalt, or a crack that runs toward a nearby trunk. But roots are only one possible cause, and only where a sizeable tree grows close enough to reach under the slab. [Sundial Driveway Repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/) offers and manages [concrete driveway repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/concrete-driveway-repair/) and asphalt repair across Phoenix and its suburbs, fulfilled by licensed and insured contractors. This guide explains how roots do damage, how to tell them from other causes, and which repairs fit when they are confirmed.

## How do tree roots damage a driveway?

In two ways: by lifting it and by drying the ground beside it.

**Lifting.** Roots grow where water and air are, and the soil just under a slab can stay moist longer than open ground around it, because the slab slows evaporation. A root that grows into that zone keeps thickening year after year. Concrete is rigid, so when a thickening root pushes up on one part of a panel, the panel either tilts as one piece or cracks where the push is strongest. Asphalt is flexible and follows the root up, which shows as a hump or a ridge with cracks along its crest.

**Drying.** Where the soil is expansive clay, a large tree pulling water from it can shrink the ground near the roots, and the slab over that ground settles. Clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry is widespread in parts of the Valley; USDA soil samples, for example, show moderate or higher shrink-swell at 78.4% of sampled points in Gilbert and 76.9% in Chandler. Soil maps describe an area, not a lot, so they raise the odds without proving the cause at any one address.

Watering can add to both. A tree on a drip line or in a flood-irrigated yard has a reliable water source near the drive, and its roots grow toward it. Salt River Project delivers flood irrigation to roughly 22,000 homeowners, and where those yards meet a driveway, the ground at the edge is wet on a schedule.

## How do you tell root damage from other causes?

By where the damage sits and how it behaves. The same lifted panel can come from roots, swelling clay or a slab heaving where water collects, and the guide to [why driveways crack and sink](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/why-driveways-crack-and-sink-in-phoenix/) covers each of those.

| What you see | Points toward | What confirms it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Raised edge or hump within the tree’s spread, close to the trunk | Roots | A root visible at the slab edge, or found when a section is cut out |
| Crack aimed at the trunk, wider near the tree | Roots | Same; the crack keeps growing slowly year to year |
| Panel lifted along a wet edge, near a sprinkler or downspout, no tree near | Swelling clay | Movement that follows watering and storms |
| Panel sunk near the tree, soil dry and cracked | Clay shrinking as the tree draws water | Settlement on the tree side, with no root lift |
| Panel sunk with mud washing out at the edge | Water erosion | Hollow sound, void under the slab ([heavy rain guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/driveway-sinking-after-heavy-rain/)) |

The first visit looks at the whole drive, including the joints, the edges and where water runs, and cracks are checked for width, offset and whether they cross panels. Sometimes roots are only confirmed when a section is cut out and the base is visible. A good estimate says whether roots are confirmed or the likely explanation.

## What are the repair options?

They depend on how far the slab has moved and whether it is still in one piece.

### A small lift at a joint or the sidewalk

Where one edge has risen a little and the panel is intact, grinding the raised edge flush removes the trip hazard without removing concrete. [Concrete trip hazard grinding](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/concrete-trip-hazard-grinding/) covers how much lift grinding can handle. It doesn’t stop the root, so the edge can rise again.

### A tilted or cracked panel

The panel is cut out, the roots in the way are dealt with, the base is rebuilt and compacted, and a new section is poured. A replaced section won’t match the color of the old concrete around it, so it is worth deciding up front whether that matters. Sometimes the better fix is to lift the panels around it to meet a slightly raised one, using [driveway leveling](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/driveway-leveling/), though that only works where those panels have settled, not where they are sound.

### Asphalt over a root

The humped area is cut out, the root dealt with, the base rebuilt and the asphalt patched, which the [asphalt driveway repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/asphalt-driveway-repair/) page covers. Crack filler on the ridge buys time but doesn’t flatten it.

### Widespread damage

Where roots have lifted several panels, or the drive is old and cracked throughout, a section repair may not be worth it, and [driveway replacement](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/driveway-replacement/) with a rebuilt base can be the better scope. The [repair vs replacement guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/driveway-repair-vs-replacement/) works through that decision.

## What about the tree itself?

That is a separate decision, and it belongs to a tree-care professional. Cutting large roots close to a trunk can harm a tree’s health and its stability in a storm, and removing the tree changes the soil moisture around it. Root barriers and root pruning are options an arborist can weigh. If the tree is in the public right-of-way, it may be the city’s, and so may the apron and sidewalk it lifted; the [apron responsibility guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/who-is-responsible-for-the-driveway-apron/) explains how to find out who maintains each piece, and the answer is confirmed per address. Insurance treats root damage under its own exclusions, which the [homeowners insurance guide](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-driveway-damage/) covers.

## When is it urgent?

When a raised edge has become a trip hazard on the sidewalk or the walkway to the door, when a panel rocks under a car, or when a lifted section now sends water toward the house. In Phoenix, City Code makes the owner of a lot next to a sidewalk responsible for keeping it in repair and liable for injury from a defect left unrepaired. A slow hump in the middle of the drive that drains and doesn’t catch feet can wait for a planned repair.

If a tree near your drive seems to be lifting it, send a photo that shows the damage and the tree together, or call the number at the top of this page.

In this guide

- How do tree roots damage a driveway?
- How do you tell root damage from other causes?
- What are the repair options?
- What about the tree itself?
- When is it urgent?

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## More questions on this

### How can I tell if roots or soil lifted my driveway?

Look at where the damage sits. A hump or raised edge close to a trunk, a crack aimed at the tree, or a root visible at the slab edge points to roots. Movement along a wet edge, near a downspout or sprinkler, or across a whole panel with no tree nearby points to clay or water. Cutting out a section shows for certain.

### Can a driveway lifted by roots be leveled instead of replaced?

Not by lifting, because the slab is too high, not too low. Where the lift is small, grinding the raised edge flush removes the trip hazard. Where a panel has tilted or broken, it is removed, the roots under it are dealt with, and the section is replaced on a rebuilt base. Leveling the neighboring panels to meet it is sometimes an option.

### Who pays when a city street tree damages my driveway?

That is confirmed per address with the city. A tree in the public right-of-way may be the city's, and the apron and sidewalk it lifted may be in the right-of-way too, but who maintains each piece depends on local rules. Ask the city's street or forestry office before removing roots or the tree.

## Where to go next

### The service behind this guide

- [Concrete Repair](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/concrete-driveway-repair/) Concrete driveway repair in Phoenix matched to the cause: cracks, spalling, broken edges and sunken panels, with local price ranges and rules.

### Related guides

- Learn [What causes driveways to crack and sink in Phoenix?](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/why-driveways-crack-and-sink-in-phoenix/) How a driveway is built, what the Valley's heat, soils and storms do to each layer, how to read the cracks you can see, and when a repair can wait.
- Learn [Who is responsible for the driveway apron?](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/who-is-responsible-for-the-driveway-apron/) The apron usually sits on public land, yet the repair often falls to the homeowner. Here is how ownership, upkeep and permits split between you, the city and anyone who dug it up.
- Decision Guide [Driveway repair vs replacement: which one does your driveway need?](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/driveway-repair-vs-replacement/) The signs that point to a repair, the ones that point to a new driveway, the middle option of replacing sections, and the Phoenix soil, water and right-of-way rules that tip the choice.
- Decision Guide [Does homeowners insurance cover driveway damage?](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-driveway-damage/) Coverage turns on the cause of the damage and the wording of your policy. Here is how to read the two together, and what a repair estimate can and can't do for a claim.
- Decision Guide [Mudjacking vs polyjacking: which is better for lifting a sunken driveway?](https://phxsundialdrivewayrepair.com/guide/mudjacking-vs-polyjacking/) How each lifting method works, where they really differ, how Phoenix clay and storm water affect the choice, and the cases where lifting isn't the answer at all.