Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover a Fallen Tree?

If you have large trees around your home, there’s always the fear that one will fall on your house. Falling trees are an underrated danger from hazardous weather. But trees with rot have been known to fall on their own as well.
That’s an important question and answer. It will determine if you have insurance to cover the damage.
But what surprises some people when they call their agent is that insurance typically doesn’t cover rot or the tree’s age.
If the tree falls on your house because it’s old and rotten, the damages are your responsibility and are typically not covered under your policy. That’s because its cause is deemed negligence or a maintenance-related issue.
Insurance also doesn’t pay for the removal of diseased or dangerous trees from the property. As the homeowner, that’s your responsibility.
Courts have decided that the owner of a tree is not necessarily responsible for damage caused by it. This changes if the tree owner knew in advance that the tree was dying and could fall onto someone’s property.
Property owners bear the responsibility of securing their own property. And although an owner can’t go into their neighbor’s yard and start cutting down trees, they are responsible for notifying the tree owner of dead or dying trees that might fall. It’s best to have a record of this notification. Sending a certified letter or keeping the emails between the two of you will often work.
So, your neighbor is typically only responsible if the tree that fell on your house was rotten, old, or diseased. If a storm blew a healthy tree onto your house, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance company.
However, if the tree fell and didn’t hit a covered structure, homeowner’s insurance would not typically cover the tree removal. One exception might be if the tree was blocking your driveway.
For example, if your home is insured for $300,000 and you have a 2 percent deductible, you’d be responsible for $6,000.
Several factors determine the amount your insurance company will pay. One is what type of property was damaged. If a covered peril causes significant damage to your house, you may receive up to the limit of your policy’s dwelling coverage.
You may also be able to file a claim for your personal belongings if they were damaged up to specified limits.
And ensure that you have the proper coverage on your vehicle. This is especially true if you have a lot of trees on your or your neighbor’s property.