If a tree falls on your property, you’ll want to know whether your homeowners’ insurance covers removing it and repairing any damage it causes. The answer, unfortunately, isn’t always clear, but we’ll go through your coverage here.
Perils Caused by Fallen Trees and Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance
Since there are several different reasons why trees fall, there are also a variety of answers to this question. Insurance policies have unique terms and conditions for each policyholder. When you get insurance, you can find out what the policy covers. Generally speaking, homeowners insurance covers damage that’s caused by (and sometimes the clean-up costs caused by) fallen trees.
Some commonly covered perils that are also common causes of a falling tree include fire, smoke, explosion, lightning, vandalism, riot, windstorm, falling aircraft, hailstorms, and due to snow and ice. This does not include all the possible perils, but these are the most frequently listed ones. Storms Fall trees are more vulnerable to damage if there is a storm when the damage happens. In icy or snowy areas, heavy snow and ice can weigh the trees down and cause them to fall over.
Some perils are only covered if the tree damages a structure on your property. If the tree falls far from structures and does not cause any damage, clean-up costs are not covered by insurance. So whether your insurance policy covers a falling tree depends on the cause and the damage from the falling tree and your own homeowner’s insurance plan.
Are You Covered by a Neighbor’s Falling Tree?
It’s common for a neighbor’s tree to fall and damage your property. If this happens, you should report the damage to your insurance company because your property is damaged, even though it wasn’t your tree that fell. Your neighbor isn’t insured for damage to your property. There is one exception: if your insurance company finds that the neighbor was negligent in caring for their tree, they may be responsible for some or all of the damage.
If your tree damages someone else’s property, you are liable for the damage. In the same way, if your trees damage your property, you are responsible for repairing the damage. However, if you are found to be negligible for your trees on your neighbor’s property, you do not receive any compensation for their damage. By the same token, if you are found to be negligible for your trees on your property, then you do not receive any coverage for the damage caused by them.
Filing a Claim for Falling Tree Damage
When a tree falls in your yard, your priority should be to ensure the safety of those at home. After making sure everyone is in a safe place and prepared for the storm, call your insurance company to discuss the cost of repairs. This is also the time to discuss any homeowner’s insurance deductibles.
If the tree causes damage to your home, the best way to document the cause of the tree damage is to get a photo of the tree fallen in your yard. You may need to call the police or have a tree service remove the tree from your property. If you do remove the tree yourself, take photographs of the damage the tree caused.
Conclusion
In most cases, you will be covered for the cost of removing a tree from your property. There are a couple of instances where you would not be covered. You would not receive compensation for fallen trees that are not storm-related or for trees that cause damage outside of your home unless the neighbor was negligent with their tree.
5280 Insurance is an insurance company providing home, flood, auto, and more. We dedicate ourselves to providing you and your family with protection you can rely on while saving time and money. We understand insurance isn’t the most important thing on your mind with families of our own. That’s why we handle the details. If you need home insurance in Denver, we’ve got you covered! Get in touch by calling (888) 288-5280 today!
