Tree Fell on Your House: Whose Insurance Pays?
"Tree fell on my roof and they would only pay the damage not the tree removal."
A commenter in r/homeowners wrote that about their own claim. Your own policy, not your neighbor's, is the usual place to start, even when the tree was theirs. In Texas, a neighbor's policy probably pays only if the neighbor was at fault1. In Iowa, your own homeowners insurance may cover it, but you pay your deductible2. Only your policy says what it covers, so confirm it there.
Quick answer:
- Photograph or videotape the damage before anything is cleaned up or repaired3.
- Get a repair estimate and set it against your deductible; in Texas, repairs that cost about the same or less than the deductible may not be worth a claim4.
- Once you know your deductible, contact your insurance company or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited5.
- Limit yourself to temporary protection; in Texas, permanent repairs wait until the insurance company sees the damage6.
On this page
Our guide to the first hours after a tree hits a house walks through what comes before the insurance call. The money side is more in your hands than it feels today: what you record, keep and ask is all yours to do.
Whose policy pays when the tree was your neighbor's?
Fault decides the neighbor's side, and your own policy handles the rest. In Iowa, your insurer may try to recover its payment from the neighbor's insurer2.
In North Carolina, a homeowners policy should cover structural damage and removal costs from a tree falling on the property, even when the tree is rooted across the property line7. Should is not a promise. A reply in a r/homeowners thread described going that way:
"We did involve insurance when our neighbor's tree fell on our house and caused structural damage."
As one r/Insurance reply put it: "Review your policy to see what is covered and what is excluded."
Who pays to remove the tree?
Removal can be its own item, separate from the roof. In Texas, many policies provide some coverage to remove trees or limbs that fell in a storm and damaged your house or blocked your driveway1.
In Georgia, the owner of the property where the tree landed is generally responsible for the damage and the cost of hauling the tree away8. There, the neighbor may still be responsible if they should have reasonably known the tree was dead or diseased8. Ask who pays for the crew before the crew starts.
Before anything is moved: the order to follow
Go in this order:
- Photograph and list the damage. In Texas, take photos before you move the tree, make repairs or take other steps to prevent more damage1.
- Find your deductible in your policy.
- With photos and deductible in hand, contact your insurance company or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited5.
- Make no permanent repairs until the insurance company has seen the damage.
Temporary protection is the only repair for now. In Texas, temporary repairs can be a tarp on the roof or a cover over a broken window6. A roofer you chose puts the tarp on, so nobody in your household goes up, and the tree stays for the crew you hire. Whether the crew can take the tree off before the adjuster visits is a question for your insurer; the message below asks it. Insurers expect reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage3, and this part is yours to do.
Wondering who can cover the roof while you wait, and what to sign? Tarping service: what to ask and what not to sign.
Is it worth filing a claim?
It depends on your repair estimate against your deductible, the part of the bill you pay before the insurer pays anything. In Texas, if repairs cost about the same or less than your deductible, you may decide it is not worth filing4. If you doubt the damage is above your deductible, a written estimate from a roofer you choose helps you decide.
Here is how the money works in Texas: on a $150,000 home, a 5 percent deductible is $7,500, so $6,500 of roof repairs would get no payment because the repairs cost less than the deductible9. Your numbers will differ.
A call can leave a trace, too. In Tennessee, insurers report to the CLUE claims database the claims they pay and the files they set up for a possible claim10. They use claims history to decide whether to offer coverage and at what price10. If you only want to ask about coverage or your deductible, say that is all you are asking.
Questions for your insurer, and what to get in writing
The adjuster is the insurer's inspector who comes to see the damage. Before you talk to one, have three questions ready: Am I covered? How long do I have to file a claim? Will my claim exceed my deductible?3 You can send your insurer this:
Please tell me in writing whether tree removal and a temporary tarp are covered under my policy and up to what limit. Can the tree come off my roof before the inspection? Please also tell me what you need from me before then.
Ask any roofer to price the tarp, the roof repair and any hidden-damage extras on separate lines, with your signed change order before anything extra. If a roofer pushes you to sign today or won't put the prices in writing, that is an answer too: weigh it against the bids that do.
Want to see the claim itself laid out step by step? Roof insurance claim process: what to do, in order.
Checklist before you call
- Your photos and video, and your list of every damaged part.
- Damaged items kept until the adjuster visits, and receipts for what you spend3.
- Your deductible figure.
- One or two written repair estimates.
- The three questions above, with your policy open beside you.
Quick questions
Is a tree falling an act of God? In North Carolina, a storm called an act of God does not by itself decide who is liable for a fallen tree7. Liability follows negligence there, not whose tree it was.
How much does it cost to have a fallen tree cut up and removed? The price depends on the job, so ask the crew for a written quote with removal on its own line. That keeps removal separate from the roof work.
What if the tree fell in my yard and hit nothing? In Texas, trees and limbs falling in your yard usually are not covered1. Check your policy for what is covered and what is excluded before you pay the crew.
Is a roofer who knocks on my door after the storm a good sign? In North Carolina, be suspicious of contractors who show up unsolicited, often after storms5.
Sources
1. Texas Department of Insurance, "Does insurance cover fallen tree branches?
2. Iowa Insurance Division, "Consumer Connection: Tree Damage and Insurance
3. Triple-I, "How to file a homeowners claim
4. Texas Department of Insurance, "Will my premium go up if I file a claim?
5. North Carolina Department of Insurance, "Avoiding predatory roofing scams
6. Texas Department of Insurance, "When are water damage and mold covered by insurance?
7. NC State Extension, "Tree Fall Liability: Who Is Responsible for Property Damage?
8. Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, "Neighbor's tree fell on my property
9. Texas Department of Insurance, "What to know about deductibles
10. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, "C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange)
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