Is a fallen tree covered on your homeowners insurance policy?
Imagine that you walk out on your deck the morning after a storm. You look over your yard and see a large tree has fallen in your back yard. So you start to wonder if the removal of the fallen tree covered by homeowners insurance?
Home Insurance companies don’t insure land, they insure structures. Always remember that when thinking of calling your homeowner’s insurance company when you’re about to file a claim for a fallen tree.
Generally, trees are not covered for wind. So if wind causes a tree to fall in your yard, and causes no damage to a building or other structure, there would be no coverage to have the tree removed on the standard homeowners policy.
However, if a tree that was hit by lightning falls in your yard, you would have some coverage to have the tree removed. Please check your specific Home Insurance policy for the applicable limits of coverage.
What if a tree falls on a structure (House, garage, fence, etc.)?
You would have coverage to rebuild and repair the part of the structure that was damaged, along with removal of the part of the tree that was on the structure.
If a tree were to fall over your driveway most insurance companies will pay to have the tree removed from the driveway to give you access to your home. Again, that’s MOST; it’s not always the case, so refer to your policy or your insurance agent for your specific coverages.
What if a neighbor’s tree falls on my property?
If the tree was alive, it could be covered by your home insurance policy. It would also depend on whether it just falls in your yard or hits and damages a structure as we discussed above.
If the tree was dead, it should be covered by your neighbor’s home insurance policy under their liability because they were negligent to not remove the dead tree.
If you notice a dead or dying tree in your neighbor’s yard that could affect your property, it would be a great idea to let them know about it. The best way to notify them is in writing by certified mail. If you do this, and they do not repair or remove the tree, they cannot use the defense that they didn’t know the tree was dead should it fall and damage your property.
As you can see, when a tree falls, whether or not there is insurance coverage is not a real simple question. Please contact your Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent with any questions regarding this coverage on your home insurance policy.
