Does homeowners insurance cover wind damage to trees?
Why wind is the missing peril
Wind damages trees in nearly every strong storm. Covering landscaping for wind would turn routine storms into thousands of tree claims, so standard forms leave it out and keep tree coverage to a small additional coverage for other perils, commonly capped at $500 per tree.
Lightning is different
A tree struck by lightning is usually covered as a tree, within that per-tree limit, because lightning is one of the named perils. Signs of a lightning strike include a strip of bark blown off down the trunk, sometimes in a spiral, split wood, and scorch marks. If a storm brought both wind and lightning, photograph the tree closely; the cause matters.
What is covered after a windstorm
- Structures the tree hit: roof, siding, gutters, fence, shed and detached garage.
- Interior damage from rain through the opening.
- Tree removal when it hit a covered structure or blocks your driveway or an accessibility ramp, within the policy's removal limit.
What is not
- Replacing the tree.
- Removing wind-damaged trees that are still standing.
- Cleanup of limbs scattered in the yard.
Extra coverage options
Some insurers sell landscaping endorsements with higher limits or broader perils. If you have mature specimen trees you would want replaced, ask your agent what is available.
More: wind damage claims and how to file a claim.