Does homeowners insurance cover tree damage?

Does homeowners insurance cover tree damage?

“It depends upon how the tree caused damage to your home,” says Cindy Baroway, executive director of the Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. “If a covered peril is what caused the tree to fall on your home and caused damage to the home, then your homeowners policy would provide coverage for damages in excess of your deductible. Covered perils might include fire, windstorm, snow, and ice.”

Here are some scenarios that would most likely be covered by either the dwelling coverage or other structures coverage on your home insurance policy:

• A thunderstorm causes a tree to fall on your roof
• An ice storm causes branches to fall and crush your fence
• Your neighbor’s tree is uprooted during a storm and crashes into the side of your house

In most cases, the insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to survey the damage. Healthy trees that were downed in a storm should be covered. Any damage that seems to be caused by rotten or dying trees may not be covered by your insurance, however. Homeowners insurance only covers sudden and accidental damage to your home and property; it doesn’t cover damage caused by maintenance issues or neglect.

Are trees covered by insurance?

Landscaping, which includes trees, shrubs and bushes, is covered by your homeowners insurance. This is usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage, about 5%, with a per-tree limit, usually of $500. If you have ornamental or fruit trees that are damaged in a storm, you may be able to put in a claim to repair or replace them, but only up to a certain amount. 

Does insurance cover a dead tree falling on my house?

“Typically, tree damage is excluded if a dead or rotting tree on your property fell on your home and the fall was not connected to a covered peril,” Baroway says.

Home insurance only pays out claims for sudden and accidental damage to your home. If a dead tree falls on your house and you were aware of the danger and had adequate time to remove it beforehand, your insurance carrier might deny your claim.

Insurance companies consider tree maintenance something homeowners need to do on a regular basis, and it is part of the home insurance contract that you are required to prevent claims through maintenance and removal of risks like dead trees. 

However, if the dead tree was on a neighbor’s property, you can make a liability claim against their insurance. You will need to show that the neighbor was negligent in not removing the tree.

Does homeowners insurance cover tree damage to a neighbor’s property?

“If your tree fell on your neighbor’s property, normally your neighbor would go through their own homeowners insurance policy to cover their damages,” Baroway says. The opposite is also true. If their tree crushes your fence, you put in a claim against your insurance.

“If your neighbor felt you were responsible, your neighbor may sue you and then your homeowners liability coverage would step in,” Baroway says. For instance, if your tree should have been pruned or removed and it fell because of lack of maintenance, your neighbor could sue you for damages. 

Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal?

Homeowners insurance covers tree removal if the fallen tree damaged something on your property.

Additionally, if a tree falls across your driveway blocking access to your home, the insurance company might pay for it to be chopped up and hauled away. Similarly, if a tree is too close to a power line near your home, your insurer may deem it necessary to remove limbs or the entire tree.

If a tree falls on your property without causing damage, presenting a risk or blocking access, regardless of the reason, you will be responsible for its removal.

“A lot of times the answers to hypothetical insurance questions start with ‘it depends,’ ” Baroway says. “That’s why claims adjusters are trained to investigate how losses occur and how to properly review an insurance policy.”

How to protect your house from tree damage

The best way to protect your house from tree damage is to perform regular maintenance. Engage the help of a professional whenever possible.

• Remove trees that are very close to your house or touching any structures.
• Trim branches hanging over your roof, fences or other structures.
• Remove dead or dying trees on a regular basis.
• Every season, do a walkaround on your property to see how your trees are doing.
• Hire an arborist to assess your trees and give recommendations regarding the health of your trees.

Helpful home insurance tools and calculators

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