Imagine a tree at its full growth when buying for a particular location. A pagoda dogwood planted beneath utility lines is unlikely to grow so tall as to interfere with the wires. But don't put standard maples, birches, oaks or ash trees in that situation. Study the spread of a future shade tree as well as its height. Root habit is another thing to consider.
Oaks have deep, well-behaved roots.
Fibrous maple roots grow near the soil surface and may interfere with gardens. Poplar roots will rise above ground, and even split foundations. Many landscape experts now suggest native trees for the home grounds, as opposed to species from Europe and other locations. One reason is that native trees tend to have good disease resistance. More important, their wind-blown seeds will not change the ecology of the native forest.