We have several large bur oak trees in the back yard (bur is relative to white oak). We had a house built, and the trees are about 15 feet away. The very next summer after the basement was excavated, they grew leaves without issue. That fall, the leaves didn't fall off, and this spring (second spring after build) the tree isn't growing any leaves. I understand oak trees can get "sick" when the soil is even disturbed, and that's my assumption. I would have though the very next spring would have been when we saw no leaves, but we did, and it was the second spring where the tree didn't grow leaves. Do you think the tree is dead, or just needing to heal and might bounce back? Is there any way to tell? Thank you.

Is it one tree not leafing or several?
You say 'several' but then talk about just one.
Did buds form?

It's several, I would say 3 or 4. There are other large oaks that are just as close and they leafed out, although any that are in the "disturbed" soil area, meaning the area where machines would have been driving around, but not necessarily distrubed by the actual foundation being dug - don't leaf out like the ones that are farther away. I can't tell if they have buds, as I live on the edge of a forest, and due to competition for sunlight, the trees are about 80 feet tall, and the folliage doesn't really start until about 60 feet. So I can't see well enough to say. But, I can see leaves, or no leaves. Doest his help? Thanks again.

EDIT: I've read that oaks don't like to be disturbed, and that they'll react negitively even if the soil is messed with, and not have even necessarily sustained any damage, to trunk, branches or roots. These trees are far enough away that their roots wouldn't have been cut, but, they would have had soil dumped next to them during the excavation, and would have had machines and bobcats driving around them etc. So I know they don't "like" that, but curious if they may have died. I wonder if there's a way to tell? Or does a person have to wait year after year, and if leaves don't form, call them dead?

I'm going to guess that they will come back next year. I've had trees mysterious act dead and then come back. Even one in a row of all the same kind. I had a cherry do that last year.

They might even leaf late. I had a small brush fire and actually burned 3 azaleas and 2 of them are sprouting leaves on burnt branches, long after other azaleas have flowered.

I think you're right. I'll give them some time, and see. I think that if they don't leaf out in say two more summers (back to back) then maybe assume they've died. Thanks for the help!