Starlink Obstructions: Trees, Hills and the App Check
Updated July 2026
Starlink’s own promotional images make it look like the dish just needs “a view of the sky,” which is true but understates how fussy that requirement actually is in practice. Obstructions are the single biggest cause of a dish that never quite performs the way people expect, and most of the fixes are straightforward once you understand what is actually going on.
Why obstructions matter more than they look like they should
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.
The result is usually not a total outage. It is intermittent dropouts, slower speeds at certain times, or a connection that seems fine most of the day and frustrating at others. That pattern is a strong sign an obstruction is involved, even if the sky looks open enough from where you are standing on the ground.
Using the app’s sky check before you order, not after
Starlink’s own app includes a tool that scans the sky from a chosen location using your phone, mapping where obstructions sit relative to the satellite paths the system needs. The single best piece of practical advice in this guide is to use that check standing at the actual spot you are considering for the dish, before you order, rather than assuming it will be fine and finding out afterwards.
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.
Trees grow. Plan for that, not just for today
A clear view of the sky today is not necessarily a clear view in three or five years. Trees on your own property, or on a neighbour’s, keep growing, and a spot that scans perfectly clean now can slowly develop a problem as branches fill in overhead. This is one of the more common reasons a system that worked well for the first year or two starts underperforming later, and it is rarely obvious until you go looking for the cause.
When you are choosing a mounting location, it is worth thinking a few years ahead, not just about the current view. 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 a proper site assessment actually looks at
Someone doing this properly for you will typically look at more than just the immediate sky view. That includes aerial or satellite imagery of the property to spot obstructions that are not obvious from ground level, an actual site visit to check the practical mounting options and cable run, and an honest read on how nearby vegetation is likely to change over the next few years. This is the kind of assessment that catches problems before they become a service call, rather than after.
The placement trade-off: best signal versus what you see every day
There is a genuine tension worth being upfront about. 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.
There is no single right answer here. Some households are entirely happy to prioritise signal quality and let the dish be visible. Others would rather accept a slightly more conservative mounting position, or use a less prominent structure, to keep the dish out of the main sightlines of the property. 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 another building, or a pole, is the answer
If the best sky view on your property is not on the house itself, a shed, garage, or outbuilding can often be a better mounting point, particularly if it sits slightly higher or clear of nearby trees. Similarly, 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. Get a quote.
Quick answers
How much does a tree branch actually affect Starlink?
More than most people expect. Starlink needs a genuinely clear view of open sky, not just a view that looks clear from the ground. Even a partial obstruction from a branch, a chimney, or a neighbouring roofline can cause dropouts, particularly at certain times of day as the satellite paths shift.
What is the app's obstruction check and should I use it before ordering?
The Starlink app has a sky scan tool that maps obstructions from your proposed mounting location using your phone. It is genuinely worth doing before you order, not after, standing at the exact spot you are planning to mount the dish, so you know what you are dealing with in advance.
Trees look fine now. Do I need to worry about growth?
Yes, this catches people out more than almost anything else. A clear view today can be partly blocked in three to five years as trees mature. Anyone assessing your site properly should be thinking about growth over time, not just the current view.
What if my best signal spot is an ugly location, like right by the front door?
This is a real trade-off and there is no universal right answer. Some households prioritise clean signal and accept the dish being visible. Others use a pole or an outbuilding to get the dish out of sight while keeping the cable run manageable. An installer can usually find a workable middle ground once they know what matters most to you.