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Homeowners insurance protects your home from damage due to covered events, known as insurance perils. Common perils include fire, storm, theft, and vandalism.
Storms can cause trees to fall on your property. But what happens if the tree falls on your house or is blocking access to your lawn — will homeowners insurance help?
Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal?
Although homeowners insurance covers storms, when it comes to trees on your property due to storm damage, it depends on the circumstances.
If damage is due to your own negligence — like the tree was rotting, aging, or should have been removed as part of normal maintenance — homeowners insurance will not cover tree removal.
If a tree falls on your homeor other structure— like a shed or garage — due to a peril or covered event, homeowners insurance will cover damage to your home and removal of the tree less your deductible.
If a tree falls on an empty space— like your lawn — due to a peril or covered event, homeowners insurance will not cover tree removal. However, according to the Insurance Information Institute,"some insurance companies may pay for the cost of removing the felled tree if it is blocking a driveway or a ramp designed to assist the handicapped."
Below is a list of covered events (insurance perils) for standard homeowners insurance policies:
- Fire or lightning
- Windstorm or hail
- Explosion
- Riots
- Aircraft
- Vehicles
- Smoke
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Falling objects
- Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
- Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
- Sudden and accidental tearing, cracking, burning, or bulging
- Freezing
- Sudden and accidental damage due to short circuiting
- Volcanic eruption
If the tree fell on your property due to earthquakes, floods, landslides, or mudslides, you will need separate coverage, as these are not covered perils under homeowners insurance.
Will homeowners insurance replace damaged landscaping?
If a storm or peril causes a tree to fall and damages your landscaping, shrubbery, or trees, homeowners insurance will cover the damage, up to a certain amount.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, it's generally limited to 5 percent of the amount of insurance on the structure of the house. Most insurers will also cap the coverage for any one tree, shrub or plant.
This will vary depending on your insurance carrier, so it's best to talk to your agent regarding the limitations of your policy.
Filing a claim for tree damage and removal
The cost for tree removal ranges from $150 to $1,800, with the average cost being $700. Whenever you file a claim, you are covered minus the cost of your deductible. If the cost to remove the tree is less than your deductible, you may want to pay out of pocket and not file a claim.
However, if it turns out that there is more damage than you originally thought and you failed to timely notify your homeowners insurance, your later claim may be denied.
Take the following steps when submitting a homeowners insurance claim:
- Contact the insurance carrier to file a claim in a timely manner. Your carrier may provide a list of contractors and offer advice on do-it-yourself tips to prevent further damage.
- Take pictures of the damage before disposal and cleanup.
- Beware of price-gouging contractors and door-to-door scammers. Ask contractors for their license and insurance credentials to avoid fraud.
- Prevent further damage to your property.
- Don't do something you're not comfortable with/that doesn't look safe. Homeowners insurance has a condition to prevent further loss. Focus on a temporary fix instead of something long-term so insurance can properly access a permanent fix by a professional.