Trees and Insurance

We recently received a question from our agency regarding homeowners insurance and fallen trees, which we thought would be a good topic to share with the rest of our valued clients.

Suppose a tree falls and hits your home or other insured structure, like a detached garage. In that case, most standard homeowners insurance policies will cover the damage the tree does to the structure and any contents within it.

It doesn’t matter if you own the tree – if it lands on your home, you can file a claim with your homeowners insurance company. This is important because in large windstorms, trees, shrubs, and branches may become projectiles that can significantly damage your home or other insured structures.

Additionally, if a tree hits your house, there is also coverage for the cost of removing the tree from your property (usually $500 or $1,000). If the fallen tree didn’t hit a structure, though, there typically isn’t any insurance coverage provided.

Most standard homeowners insurance policies will also cover damage to trees and shrubs due to fire, lightning, explosion, and even theft and vandalism.   The coverage is usually limited to $500 per tree or shrub, and the total loss amount cannot exceed more than 5 percent of the total insurance limit you have on your policy.

If you have any questions on how your homeowner’s insurance policy will respond in the event of a claim related to a tree, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.