While trees add beauty and greenery to your property, a fallen tree can cause extensive damage to your home and property. As a homeowner, you must know whether you have adequate coverage for tree damage, what happens if the tree is from your neighbor’s property, or instead of your home, your car suffers the brunt of tree damage.
In this blog, we will discuss the various scenarios related to tree damage and the scope of their coverage in your homeowners insurance.
Homeowners Insurance Coverage for Tree Damage
If a tree falls on your home, the subsequent damage to your home and its possessions may be covered by your homeowners insurance. This also applies to damage to other insured structures on your property. However, you will be covered only for the following reasons responsible for the tree falling:
- Wind
- Hail
- Lightning
If the reason for its falling is due to age or decaying roots, your insurance provider may deny you coverage if you file a claim for reimbursement for the expenses incurred due to damage.
Homeowners Insurance Coverage for Damage by Neighbor’s Tree
If the damage to your home is evidently by a tree from your neighbor’s property, your insurance provider may try to contact the neighbor’s insurance company to convince them to pay for your losses. This process of collecting the amount needed for the repair and replacement of damaged structures and items by your insurer from your neighbor’s insurer is called subrogation.
However, during a severe windstorm or hurricane, trees, branches, and shrubs are swept by the fierce winds and carried across miles. If such a tree comes and hits your home and causes damage, your homeowners insurance may offer you the necessary coverage.
Insurance Coverage for Tree Removal
If a tree damages your home, you may wonder what happens to the debris scattered around and how to remove the massive tree from your property. In most cases, repair services include tree removal, but if the fallen tree does not cause damage to any insured structure mentioned in your homeowners policy or inconvenience you or your family, you may have to pay the tree removal costs.
However, several insurance providers may cover tree removal costs if the tree falls due to a covered peril.
Insurance Coverage for Car Damage by a Tree
If the tree, instead of falling on your home, falls on your car and causes extensive damage to it, your car insurance may provide coverage for the repair costs. Several insurance providers offer home and auto bundle packages for enhanced protection at discounted rates. If both your home and vehicles are impacted by tree damage, you need to pay a single deductible for your bundled policy.
Get Comprehensive Tree Damage Coverage with Leland Smith Insurance
If you want to learn more about the different types of coverage included in homeowners insurance, contact our team today. At Leland Smith Insurance Services, we can help you get the coverages that you need for maximum protection of your home based on your specific needs and budget. Our coverage is guaranteed to offer you peace of mind in the assurance that you and your family are fully secure.