What It Means If You See Blue Paint Markings On A Tree

Most people prefer to enjoy trees in all of their natural glory, which is why it can be annoying to see one tagged with completely unnatural paint. However disruptive this might seem, there are very important reasons that trees are painted with different colors. Generally, when a tree is adorned with blue marks, it is done to mark a property line.

Color-coded paint systems are commonly used to help designate trees in specific ways. Case in point, an orange-painted tree signals that it's about to be cut down, possibly because it's dead or dying, thus making it a safety hazard. What a lot of people don't realize, however, is that it's not a universal system. In fact, a contractor can make up his own system of what each color means if he or the landowner prefers it, as there's no hard and fast law governing it. By and large, though, blue marks indicate property lines. This is a hugely important distinction to make, as property line disputes can get ugly in a hurry.

There are a number of reasons for property lines to get marked by a licensed land surveyor. Often, owners of large tracts of land have the boundaries clearly marked so that there's no confusion when having trees taken down or making other major changes. This keeps neighbors aware of where their property ends, hopefully avoiding any ugly confrontations or unnecessary confusion. Ideally, this is done with both paint and little flags stuck in the ground. For the purpose of property line marking, blue paint is often (but not always) used because it is bright and easy to see. It also lasts a long time and can't be removed by people or elements as easily as flags can.

That's not to say that smaller tracts of land don't need to be surveyed from time to time. In fact, it's the norm for a survey to be completed every time a property is bought. Other reasons to have a smaller property surveyed include major additions, like a pool or a fence. Even accidentally encroaching on a neighbor's property should be avoided at all costs — aside from possible legal troubles, it could cause your title company to decline to insure the land. So the next time you see a tree painted with blue marks, it's very likely that the property lines were marked in the recent past by someone smart enough to prevent conflict!