What Would Happen if a Tree Fell on My House?
Dwelling coverage pays to repair the damage and remove the tree, minus your deductible, if a covered storm caused it.
Free to compare
What decides your claim is why the tree fell, not where it landed. A covered storm knocking it onto your house falls under dwelling coverage, so the roof or wall repair and hauling away the tree are both paid, minus your deductible. A tree that was already dead or rotting may get the claim denied as neglected maintenance instead. If your state uses a separate wind or hurricane deductible, that one applies here, usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount. Your declarations page shows which deductible applies to your house.
A percentage deductible can cost more than it sounds like. On a house insured for $300,000, a 2% wind deductible means $6,000 comes out of your pocket before coverage starts, far more than the flat $1,000 or $2,000 deductible many homeowners expect. If your policy hasn't been checked against that math, or against what another insurer would charge for the same coverage, it's worth comparing now.
What if the tree was my neighbor's, or it fell on my car?
Where the tree grew doesn't decide the claim. Your policy pays based on whose house it landed on, not whose property the tree came from. If a neighbor's tree falls on your house, your own dwelling coverage pays for your repairs, minus your deductible. You file with your insurer, not theirs. The exception is if the neighbor knew the tree was dead or hazardous and did nothing about it. Your insurer may go after their insurer afterward to recover what was paid. That happens behind the scenes. It doesn't change how fast your repairs get covered or what you pay upfront.
A tree falling on a detached garage, shed or fence is covered too, but under a different part of your policy. Dwelling coverage pays for the house itself. Other structures coverage pays for anything freestanding, and it's usually listed separately on your declarations page at around 10% of your dwelling limit. A fence crushed by the same storm that damaged your roof may need to be listed as a separate item on the claim, since it draws from a different coverage limit.
A tree landing only in the yard, without hitting any structure, is usually not covered at all. Most policies pay to remove a fallen tree only when it damaged a covered structure or is blocking a driveway or ramp needed to access the house. Even then the payout is often capped at a small limit, sometimes $500 to $1,000. A tree that missed the house and the driveway and just needs hauling out of the lawn is typically a cost you cover yourself.
A car hit by a falling tree is not covered by home insurance at all. That claim goes through the comprehensive portion of the car's auto policy, which is optional coverage some drivers skip. If the tree hit both the house and a parked car, expect two separate claims filed with two different insurers, each with its own deductible.
What should I do in the first hours after the tree falls?
Call the insurer before touching anything structural, but don't wait on them to prevent more damage from getting in. Most policies require you to take reasonable steps to stop a bad situation from getting worse, like tarping an open roof or boarding a broken window. Keep the receipts for any tarps, plywood or emergency tree removal. Those costs are usually reimbursed as part of the claim, separate from the repair estimate.
Photograph everything before you move or clean up anything. Wide shots of the tree across the roof, close-ups of the cracked beam or the hole in the siding, the water stain spreading across the ceiling inside. An adjuster works from what they see when they arrive, and photos from the first hour show things that get lost once the tree is cut up and hauled away. If the tree also took down a power line, photograph that too and call the utility company separately before anyone goes near it.
Get the tree off the house safely before worrying about the claim number. Most insurers expect a professional removal when a tree is resting on a structure, since pulling it off wrong can cause more damage or hurt someone. Keep the invoice. If the house is unlivable, a standard policy's loss of use coverage pays for a hotel or rental while repairs happen, but only above whatever your deductible already absorbed. Ask the insurer directly whether loss of use applies before booking something expensive.
Get a written repair estimate even if the insurer's adjuster also writes one. Adjusters work from general pricing guides that don't always reflect what a local contractor actually charges after a big regional storm, when demand for roofers and tree crews spikes. A second estimate gives something to compare the insurer's number against, and it's easier to question a lowball offer with a contractor's estimate in hand than without one.
Before the next storm
Check your declarations page for a separate wind or hurricane deductible and see it as a dollar figure, not a percentage. Compare that number, and your dwelling coverage limit, against what another insurer would charge for the same house.
