Starlink Obstructions: Trees, Hills and the App Check

How much does a tree or obstruction actually affect Starlink?

Obstructions can cause interruptions or reduced performance, and the effect varies with what is blocking the view and where the dish sits, so a symptom on its own does not tell you the cause. Starlink relies on a clear line of sight to satellites moving across a wide arc of sky, not just a fixed point overhead. That means an obstruction does not have to sit directly above the dish to cause a problem. A tree to the north, a neighbour’s two-storey roofline to the east, or even a chimney a few metres away can all interrupt the signal at different points during the day as the satellite positions shift. Similar symptoms can have other causes, so use the app’s obstruction information rather than diagnosing from the ground view alone.

What is the app’s sky check, and should I use it before ordering?

Yes. Starlink’s app includes a tool that scans the sky from a chosen location using your phone, and it is genuinely worth doing before you order or mount anything. Use it at the actual spot you are considering for the dish, standing at the exact position you are planning to mount it, rather than relying on a view from ground level. Starlink’s own hardware specifications describe the kit the app pairs with, but the obstruction result depends entirely on your site, not the hardware.

If you are weighing up two or three possible mounting locations on your property (roof, pole in the yard, shed roof), run the check from each one. The differences between spots that look similar from the ground can be significant once you are looking at the actual sky map. If you are still deciding between mount types, our mounts guide covers roof, pole and non-penetrating options.

Trees look fine now. Do I need to worry about growth?

Yes. A clear view today can change as trees grow, foliage changes or branches move, so plan a few years ahead, not just for the current view. If service changes, run the app check again and compare the obstruction results. A site with a bit more margin above the treeline, or a pole mount that clears an established hedge, tends to age a lot better than a spot squeezed between fast growing trees.

What does a proper site assessment actually look at?

An installer checks possible dish positions, the app results, safe mounting options and the cable route, and points out vegetation that may affect the view, though what can be assessed varies by site. This is the same conversation worth having before you order hardware or a plan, covered in our package guide, since the wrong position can undermine an otherwise correct kit choice.

Best signal versus best-looking spot: how do you choose?

There is no universal right answer. Some households prioritise the cleanest possible signal and accept the dish being visible, while others accept a slightly more conservative position to keep it out of sight. The mounting spot with the cleanest signal is not always the spot you would choose if aesthetics were the only concern. A dish on a pole in the middle of the lawn might have the best possible view of the sky and also be the first thing you see walking up the driveway. A good installer will talk through this trade-off with you rather than just picking the technically optimal spot and leaving you to deal with how it looks.

When is another building, or a pole, the better answer?

When the best sky view on your property is not on the house itself, a shed, garage, outbuilding, or a freestanding pole can often give a clearer result than forcing the position onto the main roof. A structure that sits slightly higher or clear of nearby trees can solve what the house roof cannot. A freestanding pole gives you height and placement flexibility independent of any existing roofline, which is useful where every building on the property has some kind of partial obstruction nearby. The right answer depends entirely on your specific layout, which is exactly the kind of thing worth having assessed properly rather than guessed at.

Get matched with a local installer who can properly assess your site’s obstructions before you commit to a mounting spot. Check my property.