Storm damage and insurance claims

A tree on the roof is two problems at once: a hazard that has to be made safe, and a claim that has to be documented. Do them in that order. Your insurer decides what is covered, and we cannot speak for your policy, but we can tell you what an adjuster usually asks a tree service for.

At a glance

• 24-hour emergency service at 775.232.8243
• Our own crane for lifting trees off structures
• Safety assessment of damaged and neighboring trees
• Debris collected and hauled away
• Fully insured, Nevada Business License # 20131580674

What should you do first when a tree comes down?

First get everyone clear and call 911 if anyone is hurt, stay away from any wires and call NV Energy, then leave the tree alone, take photos, call your insurer and call us at 775.232.8243. The steps below go through each one.

1. Get everyone out of the damaged part of the building. If anyone is hurt, call 911.
2. Look for wires from a distance. If a line is down or touching the tree, stay well away and call NV Energy.
3. Do not climb on the tree, cut it or pull on it. A fallen tree is under tension and can shift.
4. Take photos and video from a safe spot before anything is moved.
5. Call your insurer to open a claim, and call us at 775.232.8243.

The longer version is in a tree fell on the house: first hour checklist.

How do we take a tree off a house?

Carefully, and often with the crane. A crane holds the weight of each section while it is cut free, then lifts it away from the roof instead of dragging it across. That limits further damage to the structure, which matters to you and to the adjuster. The arborist assesses the tree and the building before any cut is made.

Once the house is clear, the crew opens the driveway, collects the debris and looks at the trees still standing. Cracked forks and hanging limbs in neighboring trees are common after the same storm: see widow-makers and hanging limbs.

What will the insurance company want?

Expect your insurer to ask for photos, the date and cause of loss, a written estimate or invoice, and proof that the tree company is insured. The list below gives each item.

• Photos of the tree and the damage before removal
• The date and cause of loss: wind, snow load, lightning
• A written estimate or invoice that describes the work
• Removal from the structure listed separately from hauling and stump work, if your adjuster asks for it
• Proof that the tree company is insured

Our estimates are detailed and easy to understand, and you can ask the office to lay one out the way your adjuster wants it. Policies differ on debris removal limits and on trees that fell without hitting anything. Your insurer or an attorney decides. General background is in does homeowners insurance cover tree removal and a neighbor's tree fell on your property.

What kinds of storms break trees here?

Wind and wet snow. FEMA's National Risk Index rates winter weather risk Very High in Washoe County and Relatively High in Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties. Downslope winds off the Sierra push on every crown, and a spring or fall snow on trees in leaf breaks limbs that carried a dry winter without trouble. One customer wrote: "Came out to trim trees after big snowstorm, did excellent job." (Will B., Google review).

After severe storms our priority is existing clients, but we are equipped to help anyone in need.

Can storm damage be prevented?

No one can make a tree storm-proof, and we will never tell you a tree is safe. Risk can be reduced. Talk to the arborist about dead wooding, weight reduction and cabling and bracing for weak forks, and read warning signs before a tree fails.