The costs of tree removal are covered by homeowners insurance based on determining what caused the tree to fall, as well as where the tree was located. Damage caused by the fall of a tree in your house or other covered structure is usually covered and, in general, so is removal. Most homeowners insurance policies cover both tree removal and post-fall damage repairs. However, there are still restrictions on coverage depending on where the tree falls and what type of damage it causes.
Most policies pay for all damage caused by a tree, even when it doesn't fall completely, but rather scratches or dents something. The answer depends on where the tree fell or if it was uprooted. Because homeowners insurance doesn't cover preventive tree removal, a tree that was simply damaged by a storm but didn't fall completely won't be covered. 1 It is up to you to remove that tree before gravity or another storm ends what the first storm started.
If the storm completely uprooted the tree and did not fall or damage any of its properties, its removal may not be covered either. Homeowners insurance will cover tree removal in most cases after a storm, but not all. How the tree was felled, as well as where it lands, will determine if your homeowners insurance company will pay the bill. If the tree falls on your home, most insurance companies will cover the costs of removing trees up to a specified amount per storm.
This means that if you have two trees that have fallen in your house during a storm, you will have to pay any costs that exceed the amount of coverage. If your tree falls on your neighbor's house, your neighbor's homeowners insurance can pay for it unless the tree rots or is clearly damaged, in which case your neighbor could prove that you were negligent by not removing it. That means that if a windstorm hits your tree and falls on your lawn, backyard or garden, you probably won't have coverage for moving services. Because homeowners insurance doesn't cover preventive tree removal, a tree that was only damaged by a storm but didn't fall completely will not be covered.
However, if the tree fell on the structures of the house and originated in a neighbor's yard, the homeowner's insurance provider may try to get the neighbor's homeowner's insurance to pay for damage and removal of the tree. Some situations, such as when a branch of a tree or an entire tree is blocking an entrance or access ramp, are more likely to be covered by homeowners insurance. If a healthy tree falls into your neighbor's house because there was too much water and wind or a hurricane blew it up, then your neighbor's insurance should cover the costs of repairing and removing the tree. The homeowners insurance policy itself should clarify whether it will cover the removal of a tree felled by a covered hazard if that tree did not cause damage to the house or other covered structure.
In this case, it might be worth considering other tree insurance products that include tree removal insurance. If a neighbor's tree falls on your home, your homeowners insurance can cover damage if the tree fell as a result of a covered hazard and blocks your entry or meets other requirements. Even though it is covered by a falling tree, the insurer can argue that if it hadn't neglected it and if it had been removed preventively, it wouldn't have fallen or damaged the house in the first place. If your tree didn't hit anything and is simply blocking your driveway, your neighbor's home insurance can cover tree removal costs unless you clearly demonstrate negligence.
If you have several trees or particularly large trees on your land, you may want to consider increasing your cover. If your policy is written to cover the removal of trees from all covered surfaces, your insurance company may be happy to pay for the removal of trees that fall on your lawn, patio and other outdoor surfaces. .
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