The question you never want to think about as a homeowner:
Is your tree healthy enough to survive a severe storm? If your tree were to fall, will homeowner’s insurance cover tree loss or tree removal?
Is Tree Removal Covered by Home Insurance?
Many homeowners and renters’ insurance policies keep you covered if high winds, hail and other types of storms take down trees. Often, policies don’t cover tree claims if the tree falls but doesn’t damage your home or any structures, like a garage or fence.
Either way, there’s usually a clause. If a tree needed to be removed before a storm, you could be looking at an out-of-pocket expense.
How Can I Avoid Costly Tree Damage Insurance Claims?
Be proactive with your tree care and schedule regular tree inspections.
If you’re aware of the tree’s risk ahead of time, you have a better chance of preventing damage. Investing in the long term health of your trees will prevent higher costs down the line.
If you think you have a tree that may not survive the winter, please call us at 301-250-1033 for a complimentary consultation and quote to assess your trees.
A Simple Pre Storm Inspection Checklist
You can spot many warning signs from the ground. Walk around each large tree and look for a trunk that leans more than it used to, cracks or splits in the main stem, and mushrooms or conks growing at the base, which often signal internal decay. Check for dead branches with no leaves in summer, bark that is peeling away in patches, and roots that are heaving the soil or cut by recent construction. Any of these signs on a tree near your home is a reason for a closer look.
What Insurers Look For
Most homeowner policies cover sudden storm damage but expect reasonable maintenance. If a clearly dead or hazardous tree falls and causes damage, a claim can be reduced or denied because the loss was foreseeable. Keeping dated photos and records of inspections and any work performed shows that you maintained your trees in good faith. Proactive removal of a failing tree almost always costs less than emergency cleanup and repairs after it falls.
A documented professional assessment is the clearest way to know where you stand. Learn about our tree risk assessment service or call Hometown Tree Experts at 301-250-1033 for a free consultation.