A tall, youthful, and leaved tree is an ornamental piece for your house. It also makes the house more welcoming and peaceful. However, all these beautiful purposes fail and turn into nightmares when you have a gigantically big, dead, and rotting tree to remove. There are many questions that flutter our minds when we see a fallen tree in our yards, one of them is, does homeowner’s insurance cover tree removal?
Well, it depends on the covered peril of your insurance policy. Generally, the roof on your house, fence, or garage is insured under a homeowner’s insurance. If the fallen tree damages any of these areas, the insurance company is more likely to pay for the removal. In contrast, the insurer will not cover the removal cost if a tree dies naturally. Even though it falls on your sidewalks. Especially when it has not caused any direct damage to your property.
How Can Trees Damage My Property?
Trees are not meant to damage your property. Depending on the species, they spread their branches as far as possible. If you leave the trees on your property up to their own, they may cause significant damage to your property within several months. Some common damages caused by trees on a property is like,
Tree Branches Coming Into Contact With the Roof
During strong wind, your roof may experience extreme stress every time a nearby tree branch brushes against it. Without regular inspection, this situation could lead to shingle damage. Additionally, it possibly even punctures the seams around vents or chimneys. Continuous friction damages roof shingles and lowers the roof’s UV protection. You may do it yourself or call a tree service for regular inspection. Regular trimming keeps your roofs safe. At the same time, it nourishes the tree by cutting redundant growth.
Trees Branches Blocking the Gutters
At the end of the winter, trees have the most dead leaves. When gutters become blocked with leaves and debris, rainwater can’t flow freely. Blocked gutters lead to overflowing gutters, causing water to seep into your home’s foundation. These flows potentially cause structural damage. Trim dead branches with dead leaves to avoid a blocked gutter.
Tree Roots Damaging the Foundations
Tree roots can damage your foundation. When they come in direct contact with your concrete foundation, they absorb moisture in the soil. If the roots crawl against your foundation, their slow movement can lift, break, or crack your concrete. If you find a suspect root, cut it off. Unfortunately, in some cases, excavation down to the base of the foundation may be necessary. This may have to be done anyway to repair and stabilize it.
Trees Attract Termites and Other Pastes
Trees may attract termites and other pastes. While subterranean termites live in the soil, Formosan termites swarm into your house and often live in walls and attics. Subterranean termites build colonies underground. They can cause significant damage to your sub-flooring, solid wood flooring, and trim. These termites can be detected by the tunnels that they build up the side of your brick or concrete foundation.
How Much Does Tree Removal Cost?
The tree removal cost depends on its size and where it has fallen. The average cost of tree removal is around $750 per tree. The cost may range from $200 to $2,000, according to HomeAdvisor. Weather conditions are also important to consider here. Just after a severe storm, as the removal companies go through busy schedules, prizes may seem to be a bit higher for a couple of days.
How Much Will Homeowners Insurance Pay for Tree Removal?
According to Policy Genius, homeowners insurance pays up to $500 for a single tree. This amount may increase up to $1,000 for several fallen trees. The reimbursing amount depends on the insurer and insurance policy. The size of the fallen tree is also a crucial factor here.
When Doesn’t Homeowners Insurance Cover Tree Removal?
If a tree on your property fell for any of the reasons below, homeowners insurance may not cover the cost of tree removal,
Trees Fallen on Earthquakes or Flooding
Flood, earthquake, or mudslide damages are not covered by homeowners insurance. The insurer will not pay to remove any trees that fall during those natural disasters.
Age or Pest infested Tree
Homeowners insurance will not cover the cost of removing a dead tree due to paster infestation. Trees that die naturally are also not covered by insurance policies.
If the Fallen Tree Has Done No Damage
The home insurance policy covers natural calamities like wind, hail, snow, or icefall. Even so, if the fallen tree didn’t cause any harm, there is no or little chance that an insurance policy will cover it.
What If a Tree Falls on My Car in My Driveway?
Homeowners insurance does not cover your car repairs, even if a covered peril damaged it. However, the comprehensive coverage section of your insurance policy would cover the damages done by a fallen tree. Your home insurance company is more likely to cover the removal of the tree that fell due to a covered peril. But the condition is the fallen tree is preventing the use of your driveway.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a Tree Falling on a Neighbor’s House?
If a tree falls on your neighbor’s house from your property, your neighbor’s home insurance may pay for it in case of covered perils. Your insurance company might have to pay if you were found liable for neglecting the earlier signs of rotting or damage to the tree. If there are no signs of negligence from your end and the tree didn’t cause any harm to your neighbor’s home, the neighbor’s home insurance may cover tree removal expenses.
How to Prevent Fallen Tree Damage?
There are a number of ways you can avoid accidents or damages caused by fallen trees. In these ways, you can reduce the potential risk. Consider the options below to prevent fallen tree damage,
- Trim the dead or overgrown branches of the trees on your property.
- If you observe that your neighbor has a rotted or paste-infested tree, discuss with them proactively to remove it.
- Contact Dynasty Tree Experts for an inspection of your property’s trees. We will determine whether the trees appear dead or paste-infested and take necessary action to remove them.
Conclusion
Trees enhance the beauty of your property. They provide you with more fresh, breathable, and oxygen-rich air. At the same time, trees need some maintenance and grooming. Local arborist services can save your property from the potential dangers of a fallen tree or brunch.
At Dynasty Tree Experts, we have a team of certified arborists. They are not only professional and reliable but also well-equipped to handle trees of all sizes. Our experts will give solutions for any tree-related problem with the utmost care. We proudly serve Minnetonka and the surrounding areas. Please Call (763) 301-9185 , To request your free estimate today!