Tree Damage Claims
Beyond The Obvious Hole
The hole in the roof is the easy part of a tree claim. The fractured rafters two feet away, the removal coverage, and the whose-tree-is-it question — that’s where claims get shorted.
Impact Travels Further Than The Hole
A limb that punches through shingles transferred its force into rafters, trusses, and decking well beyond the visible damage — cracked framing that looks fine from the attic hatch until someone crawls the run with a light. Adjusters price the hole; we open up and document the structure, because a patched hole over a cracked rafter is a claim that failed you. Removal is usually covered too when the tree hit the structure — the Insurance Information Institute outlines the general rules.
The Neighbor Question, Answered
The rule surprises everyone: your policy covers your house, no matter whose yard the trunk stood in. If your neighbor’s oak lands on your roof, your carrier pays your claim (and may chase theirs afterward if the tree was negligently dead — not your problem to litigate). Your job is the same either way: tarp fast, document everything, file complete. We do all three the same day.
Claim Questions, Answered Like We File Them
Does insurance pay to remove the tree?
When it damaged the structure, removal off the structure is typically covered up to policy limits. A tree that fell harmlessly in the yard is often not covered — policies vary and we read yours.
The tree just grazed the roof — still worth a claim?
A “graze” that bent gutters and creased a shingle course can carry surprising scope, and impact-cracked framing hides. Free inspection before you shrug it off.
My neighbor’s dead tree is leaning at my house — can I do anything before it falls?
Document it now: photos, dated written notice to the neighbor. If it later falls, that record matters. Some carriers and municipalities can compel removal of hazard trees.
Do you coordinate the tree company?
Yes — removal, tarping, structural documentation and the claim run as one process, one call.
Whose insurance pays when a neighbor’s tree falls on my house?
Yours — your policy covers your house regardless of where the trunk stood. Carriers chase each other afterward; that part isn’t your job.
Does insurance cover tree removal if it doesn’t hit anything?
Usually not — most policies cover removal off a damaged structure, not yard cleanup. Falling harmlessly is the cheap outcome in every sense.
Should I cut up the tree before the adjuster comes?
Photograph everything first, mitigate what’s urgent, and keep the wood on site if possible — the tree is evidence of impact energy and direction.
Is stump grinding covered by insurance?
Rarely — coverage typically ends at removal off the structure. Stumps, like landscaping, usually stay a homeowner line item.
After Impact
The path from hole to restored.
Tree Down? Call Before You Cut.
Photos first protect your claim — 24/7 dispatch: (330) 918-1018.