A tree fell on your house: how the claim works

A tree on the roof is one of the few losses where nobody argues about what happened. The arguments come later, over how far the damage goes, who pays for what, and what it costs to get the tree off the house.

Is a tree falling on a house covered by insurance?

Usually, yes. Damage to your house from a falling tree is generally covered under your homeowners policy, along with the water and weather that came in through the opening. The cause matters less than the result: the tree hit the house.

A neighbor's tree fell on my house. Whose insurance pays?

Usually yours. Damage to your house goes through your own policy no matter whose tree it was. The neighbor's insurance only comes into it if the tree was clearly dead or dangerous and they knew it. Your insurance company can pursue that separately, and you do not have to wait for it.

Is tree removal covered?

If the tree is still on the house, getting it off is usually part of the claim. Once it is on the ground and off the house, removal is usually covered only up to a small amount set in the policy. A tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything is usually not covered at all. Where that line falls matters, so it is worth a call before the tree comes down.

The damage past where it hit

The hole in the roof is the part everyone agrees on. A tree that lands on a house also drives force into the framing below it, and that force travels: into rafters, walls and sometimes the foundation. Doors that stop latching, new cracks at the corners of windows and floors that feel different are signs the structure took a shock.

The same thing happens with other impacts. In an Eastpointe claim, a car hit one corner of a house, and engineering showed the crash had cracked the whole perimeter. The offer was $182,143, and appraisal reached the full $244,000 dwelling limit. Every claim is different, but impact damage is rarely where it looks like it stops.

What to do

• Get everyone out if the tree broke through the roof or anything is sagging.
• Photograph everything before the tree is moved, from several angles, inside and out.
• Get the opening covered. Tarping and board-up are expected and usually part of the claim. Keep every receipt.
• Walk the house and note doors, windows and cracks that changed. Photograph them.

If the roof or a ceiling has sagged or come down, see roof and ceiling collapse claims. If water got in, see is a roof leak covered by insurance.

Here is how we handle major property damage claims.