Home insurance is essential to owning a home. Whether it’s an accident by yourself or intentional damage by someone else, home insurance is the key to being financially secure if the worst was to happen to your home.
Tree damage is a pretty common claim against home insurance, but insurance providers don’t always pay out. Today, we find out why.
When Does Home Insurance Cover Tree Damage?
Home insurance providers will cover tree damage to a structure only if the reason the tree has fallen is due to a covered peril, and it damaged a covered structure in the process. Covered peril refers to an event or a hazard that insurance companies deem will likely cause damage or loss. Some covered peril events include those of natural sources such as forest fires, strong wind, storms, and ice.
However, there are some cases where home insurance won’t cover your damages from a fallen tree. Those cases include incidents due to age, rot, flood, or earthquake or if the tree fell on a surface without property such as your backyard or garden.
In general, most home insurance companies will provide a payout for tree damage, but be sure to check your insurance coverage and the trees around your property for unsafe features to avoid any issues with claims.
What To Do If a Tree Damages Your Property?
With harsh storms and strong winds, tree falls are quite common. If a tree does fall onto your property in the unfortunate event, you should follow some precautionary measures to arrange the safe removal of the tree.
Your main concern should be to determine no one was injured or stuck. After ensuring everyone’s safety, your next step should be to call the emergency services and utility providers. Utility providers should be able to turn off your power, gas, or water to prevent any leaks and further damage to your property. In case you smell a gas leak, exit the property immediately and keep a safe distance. Emergency services can also close a road if needs be.
Lastly, you may need to take pictures as evidence for your home insurance claim, however, after doing so you should contact a reputable cleanup crew to remove the tree from your structure. Green Leaf Zone is the best tree removal service in Los Angeles, so don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’re having this trouble! Our friendly and experienced team will get the tree out as soon as possible, in a safe, quick and effective manner.
Does Insurance Cover Tree Removal Pre/Post Damage To a Property?
In most cases, insurance companies will not remove the tree in question even if it poses a significant risk to your home. However, depending on the size of the insurance plan, and the tree – an insurer may recommend tree removal and may even put forward a small fund to help you remove the tree. This direct action is usually to help reduce your premium and make the insurance company less liable for any issues by removing the risk.
In some cases, the local government agencies can remove damaged or deadly (risk to life) trees to avoid risk to human life or major structural damage, but in most cases, these are left down to the owners. It’s always worth speaking to your insurance company before removing a tree, as they may offer an incentive to help remove it or lower your premium as you are reducing the risk of damage to your home.
What To Do If Someone Else’s Tree Falls on Your Property?
In many cases, if someone else owns the tree or the land where the tree is rooted, you will not be able to make a claim against them. For example, if your neighbor’s tree fell onto your home and caused significant damage, the only way you may be able to make a claim is if you can prove negligence on the neighbor’s part (I.e., if the tree was known to be damaged/of risk).
Regardless of the insurance, however, there is always the option to take the tree-owner to a small claims court to claim back the repair cost of your home.
Preventing Further Tree Damage
Many insurance companies who offer home insurance may want to examine nearby trees and assess the likelihood of it falling. If you have any high-rise or dangerous trees, your insurance provider may add additional cost to cover for the risk.
For example, some trees have excessive foliage that may cause extra damage if they were to fall. You should also keep your eyes open for dead or dying trees, which can be identified by the lack of leaves all year round. Not only this, but if you can test for rot at the base of the tree, this will also help you identify dangerous trees around your property which may need to be removed to reduce the risk of the tree falling on your property.
In Case Of a Tree Removal Emergency – Hire a Reputable Tree Removal Service
If you are struggling to remove a tree that is rotting away or dead, be sure to get in contact hire Green Leaf Zone, your lending tree removal and bush clearing services in Los Angeles. With over 35 years of experience and a knowledgeable, certified team you will feel at ease!
For a free estimate, contact Green Leaf Zone at (818) 452-3470 or [email protected].
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