What Should You Do if a Tree Falls on Your Roof?

According to the National Storm Damage Center, the damage caused by falling trees have amounted to as much as one billion dollars worth of property damage. If you have trees on your property, knowing what to do in case a tree falls on your roof can help keep the damage to a minimum.

Maintain a Safe Distance

Try to maintain as much distance from the fallen tree as possible. If there’s an unaffected part of the house, have your family stay there in the meantime. Evacuate to a separate dwelling like a guest house or at a neighbor’s if possible. If the power went out after the tree fell, assume that there’s a downed power line, so beware of live wires or a ruptured gas line.

Call for Emergency Services

You’ll need emergency assistance to ensure your family’s safety, so the first thing you should do is call for emergency services. As with most types of storm damage, you will also need to call your insurance company and your roof replacement services contractor - the former to facilitate your insurance claim, the latter to inspect your roof and provide documentation that will support your claim. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to seek alternative accommodation until after the roof is repaired.

Hire an Arborist

Arborists do more than just trim landscaping. They also know how to remove a fallen tree cleanly and, if the tree is still alive, make sure no further harm comes to it. If you intend to replace the fallen tree, they can recommend which local species have strong root systems that are less likely to fall during a storm. Many such trees also double as protection against high winds.

How to lower the risk of a tree damaging your roof

• Look up at your trees a couple of times a year. Dead branches, cracks in the trunk, fungus at the base and a new lean are all reasons to have a tree checked.
• Keep limbs back from the roof. Branches that touch or hang over it scrape shingles, drop debris into valleys and gutters, and can come down in high winds.
• Call a certified arborist for large trees. They can tell you whether a tree is sound and remove limbs safely.
• Watch after storms. A tree that has lost big limbs or had its roots disturbed may be weaker in the next one.
• Know your coverage. If a tree falls on your house, the claim usually starts with your own policy, even when the tree was a neighbor’s. Policies often limit what they pay for tree removal, so check the details with your agent.

If a limb has already hit the roof, our storm damage page explains how we can help.

Lankford Roofing & Construction LLC is your leading provider of roof and window replacement services. Give us a call at 903-465-7677 or (580) 920-1433. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve customers in Sherman and Denison, TX, as well as the surrounding communities.