Will insurance cover tree removal?
Short answer. Only in certain situations. Homeowners insurance generally pays to remove a tree that fell on your house or another covered structure, and many policies pay limited removal costs when a tree downed by wind, hail or ice blocks your driveway or a wheelchair ramp. Removing a dead, leaning or healthy tree before it falls is maintenance and is not covered.
Covered removal
- Tree on the house, garage or fence: cutting it off the structure is part of the claim, along with limited hauling.
- Tree blocking the driveway: many standard forms pay up to a limit, often $500 per tree and $1,000 per loss, when the tree was felled by wind, hail or ice.
- Tree blocking an accessibility ramp: the same limited coverage on many forms.
- A neighbor's tree that fell on your structure: your insurer covers removal from your property.
Not covered
- Preventive removal of dead, diseased or leaning trees.
- A tree that fell in the yard, the woods or along a fence line without damaging anything covered.
- Stump grinding and replanting, in most cases.
- Trees cut down to make room for a project.
How to get removal paid
- Photograph the tree in place, showing what it hit.
- Report the claim before removal unless waiting endangers people or the house.
- Hire an insured tree service and get an itemized invoice: crane, cutting from the structure, hauling and any emergency premium.
- Ask the adjuster which portion counts as dwelling repair and which falls under the debris removal limit.
Then the roof
Once the tree is off, the roof's real damage becomes visible. See emergency tarping and roof replacement coverage.