New inspector here. I always recommend trimming the shrubbery away from the home but is there a specific distance it has to be trimmed? The only recommendation I could find was 2" and I think thats still to close. What are your thoughts?
I always recommend at least 6 inches but a I prefer 12.
Darren,
I always recommend at leased 12 inches of clearance.
If it ain’t touching the house, I don’t care. Could be classified as “nit picky” in my view.
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I agree but if it is touching the house what is your reccomendation?
“Vegetation is in contact with the house siding and/or windows. We recommend trimming the vegetation to prevent damage to the siding or window screens.”
They should be smart enough to figure out how to do it properly without detailed instructions.
Good point. That’s why I am asking for advice.
Hey, I just realized you’re my competition! Forget everything I said earlier. You should tell them to cut all shubbery off at the root with a chain saw. 
If you’re going to have shrubbery around the house, like in the foundation planters, then two inches is the standard that provides for good air circulation and helps prevent microclimates that increase the relative humidity between the vegetation and the exterior walls.
Most safety experts recommend not planting bushes and shrubbery in the foundation planters because they help hide any unauthorized people on your property. Use the foundation planters for small bedding/blooming plants, i.e., snapdragons, succulents, pansies, daisies, etc.
If you find that you must have bushes and shrubbery in the foundation planters, don’t trim it further away from the wall than two inches. If you trim it to twelve inches, you provide a great walking path between the exterior walls and the vegetation, great for peeping toms and others who shouldn’t be on your property.
Also encourage your Clients to install motion detector lights at the corners of their house.
Safety, safety, safety.
Here in Floirda, if it is not 12 inches from the home, it will be coverd, and lost, if the home needs to be fumingated for termites.
Unless it is touching the house or any lines, power, phone, etc. I don’t report it. If it is a big tree or anything else that could possibly damage the foundation then you better report that.
Patrick,
Just a word of caution, power lines need at leased 5 feet of clearance from any trees.
You could get a job with San Diego Gas & Electric. :margarit:
Joe play nice, Darren is new here. 
Excerpt from NACHI Electrical course–
Another common clearance problem is caused by trees and shrubs interfering with the overhead supply. The inspector should take the time to “eyeball” the length of the supply from the pole to the attachment point on the structure, and report any tree limbs touching the conductors.
Also remember that the branches are heavier during the summer and weigh down further on the conductors. What may be marginal during the winter months may well cause a problem later in the growing season.
The inspector should recommend that any limbs within 5-6 feet of the cable assembly be cut back.
I normaly recommend a 12 inch seperation between shrubbery and siding to promote airflow around the structure, I have seen instances (especially internal corner of structures in the shade) where even this seperation does not allow much flow.
Much depends on the type of shubbery, if we are talking about 1 or 2 smaller shrubs then closer would be OK, but if we are talking about hedges or similar against the structure more may be needed.
Regards
Gerry
Shrubbery against the house is a major conduit for WDI. Carpenter ants especially use shrubbery and overhead electrical wires to enter a house.
I have said this before: “Crawl space ventilation is obstructed by large shrubs. We recommend trimming or removal to ensure adequate ventilation of the crawl space.”