If your home insurance and tree removal are on your to-do list, you may wonder whether your coverage will pay to defeat the tree. Homeowner insurance covers the removal of trees from time to time, such as when the trees fall due to covered dangers, such as ice storms or lightning attacks. However, homeowner insurance most often does not cover preventive tree removal.
Does homeowner insurance cover tree removal?
Home insurance covers tree removal and damage in certain scenarios. Generally, if your trees or limbs fall into your home, or into separate structures like garages or sheds, or if the trees are blocking your driveway, insurance may cover removal up to the limits of your policy. However, the tree must fall into your home, a stray house, or a driveway. This is usually only covered if the tree is properly maintained and falls for one of these reasons.
- Wind
- A storm of hail
- The weight of ice and snow
- Lightning and the resulting fire
- Other covered dangers listed in your policy
However, please note that all policies are different. You may want to talk to your agent about policy details to better understand what is covered.
How can trees damage my property?
Having a tree on your property can be aesthetically pleasing, but trees come with maintenance costs and can even damage your home in a variety of ways, including:
- Roof damage: The limbs of the wood that cover your home can fall during a storm, damage the roof, and even fall into the home.
- Damage to siding and groove: The limbs can also be injected into the siding, rubbing, scratching, or causing deeper damage to the house.
- Damage to sidewalks and driveways: Trees, shrubs, pathways, or driveways that are too close to the sidewalk have roots that grow under the pavement and push the surface up. Cracks and sudden changes can occur, leading to danger to people walking or driving.
- Damage to the foundation: Trees that get too close to the house can cause foundation cracks if their roots spread beneath the foundation. This can undermine the structural integrity of the home.
- Internal flood: If the limbs or entire trees fall into your home during a storm, or there may be rain that can cause internal flooding. This can also occur if the branches clog the grooves after leaving the tree next to your house.
- Service Line Damage: Your tree roots can grow into service lines like your water or gas lines and cause damage.
- Blocked driveway: If the tree falls across the driveway, you may need to remove it to remove the vehicle.
When does homeowner insurance cover tree removal?
Not all tree removal scenarios are covered by standard home insurance. Your home insurance company can refuse the removal area if the tree falls under the following circumstances:
- During the flood
- During an earthquake
- If the tree dies
- If the wood is rotten
- If the tree is not maintained properly
Does homeowner insurance cover preventive tree removal?
Additionally, you may wonder if the homeowner’s insurance covers preventive tree removal. In most cases, the answer is no. These scenarios are considered maintenance and are part of the cost of having a tree on your property. However, it may be covered with tree-related debris or damage after the storm is covered.
If a particular tree poses a threat – according to your property utility line or structure, you can look into hiring a tree removal expert before damage occurs. The good news is that in many cases the cost of deleting may be cheaper than your home’s insurance deductible. For example, your home’s insurance deduction is $1,500, and the arborists cite the removal of medium-sized trees from $600 to $1,000. In this example, you can save between $500 and $900 by paying for deletion. It also avoids the possibility of increased premiums that can arise from billing a policy.
Does my home policy cover tree damage that occurs in my neighbor’s home?
Usually not. If the lot trees fall into the neighbor’s house due to a covered danger, the neighbor’s home insurance will generally help you pay the damages. Your home policy may not cover damage to your neighbor’s home, despite whose trees fall.
The only way your policy begins is if it turns out you are liable for the damages. Knowing that the tree is dead, rotten or compromised will pose a threat to your neighbor’s home, but do not remove the tree. Your neighbor can sue you to prove your negligence and seek to pay damages. However, in that case, your insurance company may not cover damages if it fails to maintain the tree, so if you find it liable, pay it from your pocket.
How to protect your home from damage to trees
Once the trees become established in your property, regular inspection and maintaining them may be your best course of action to prevent damage and injuries. This includes:
- Remove dead or overgrown limbs and trees
- Hire professionals to help you trim around the power lines regularly
- Monitoring and dealing with root systems that may interfere with underground pipes and wiring
When planting new trees in your property, you may want to choose a species that can withstand your area. You can also strategically place new trees. This reduces the chances of interfering with structures and systems already established in the property. For example, you can plant trees 15-20 feet away from your home or install root barriers to ensure that the roots do not spoil the foundation.
How much does it cost to delete a tree?
The cost of deleting a tree depends on several factors, but you can expect to pay a location ranging from $350 to $5,000, depending on the size and structure of the tree and its location. Shorter trees are easier to remove and may be cheaper. However, tall trees (usually over 50 feet) can be quite expensive to remove. Tree removal companies usually measure the height and diameter of the tree in question and provide a quote before starting the project.
Please note that other factors can also affect the cost of tree removal. These include:
- Accessibility: If the wood is in a hard-to-reach location or close to a power source or utility line, expect to pay more. They may also pay more if workers have to clean up brushes and plants near the base of the tree.
- position: Tree removal costs can vary from region to region, and tree removal companies often have service areas that work internally. If you live outside of a service area, you may face sudden costs. Consider asking your neighbors if you also need tree removal services so you can share the costs of hiring a company.
- Tree Health: Dead trees can be more costly as they can be dangerous from brittle branches. Furthermore, if the dead tree is already falling, most companies don’t charge much to simply separate it. However, if the diseased tree must prevent the spread of disease to a healthy tree nearby, it can become more expensive.
- Number of trunks: Multiple trunks or trees with wide diameters are usually more costly as they are more difficult to remove.
- Emergency deletion: If it’s an emergency, like after a storm, you may pay the most for tree removal. This is because tree removal may be in high demand in your area. Also, if it’s an emergency removal, the tree in question is likely to reduce removal costs on power lines, roofs, for example traffic.
Don’t forget to also be charged for stump removal and wood shavings once the tree is down. If necessary, some tree removal companies may offer to carve the wood into the fire for a fee.
