A Guide to Planting Trees
Ready to plant? Keep these tips in mind before you dig in:
- Keep trees and shrubs 10 feet away from ground-mounted transformers.
- Keep the area around your meter clear from obstacles, including landscaping.
- Plant large trees at least 60 feet away from overhead power lines.
- Plant medium trees at least 40 feet away from overhead power lines.
- Trees and shrubs planted under or close to overhead power lines will be pruned if they come within 10 feet of the power lines to help prevent outages.
- Smaller trees should be planted at least 25 feet away from overhead power lines.
- See how the type of tree and the location can save you energy and money in heating and cooling costs.
Remember, you should always start with a call to Missouri 811 before you start planting. Call or click three working days before you dig. It’s the law!
Pruning Vegetation
Do you have existing trees, shrubs, or vines that need to be pruned? Property owners are responsible for keeping vegetation away from their service line. For your safety, hire a professional for major pruning. If you choose to do the pruning yourself, City Utilities will gladly disconnect the service wire and reconnect it when the pruning is complete. Call us at least two business days in advance at (417) 863-9000 to schedule this free service.
Contact Us
Do you have questions? Check our frequently asked questions or contact our tree management team at (417) 874-8157.
