How does home insurance handle trees?

The five places trees appear in a policy

1. Dwelling coverage: damage a falling tree does to your house.
2. Other structures: damage to fences, sheds and detached garages.
3. Debris removal: limited money to haul away trees felled by wind, hail or ice when they hit a covered structure or block the driveway, often $500 per tree and $1,000 per storm on standard forms.
4. Trees, shrubs and plants: the trees themselves, covered for perils like fire, lightning, vandalism and vehicles but usually not wind, typically capped at $500 per tree.
5. Personal liability: if your tree falls on a neighbor's property and you were negligent, for example by ignoring a dead tree.

What insurers expect from you

Policies cover sudden events and exclude neglect. A tree that rots for years and then falls can be argued as a maintenance issue, especially when it was obviously dead. Keep trees healthy, remove dead ones and trim limbs that hang over the roof. Some carriers inspect homes at renewal and send letters asking you to cut back overhanging trees.

Georgia trees

North Georgia's tall pines and water oaks show up again and again in storm claims. Pines snap in straight-line winds, and oaks drop heavy limbs under ice. Pine needles and leaves left in valleys cause slow leaks that insurers treat as maintenance. The Georgia Roof Guide covers trees and your roof in depth.

When a tree does hit

Photograph it in place, protect the house, report promptly and have the roof inspected. See wind damage claims and emergency protection.