Tree Fell on Your Customer's Roof: What Gets Paid and What Doesn't

A tree through a roof is a traumatic event for homeowners — and a complicated claim for roofing contractors. These jobs involve multiple damage categories, multiple trades, and a carrier that's incentivized to close the claim fast and cheap. Here's what actually gets paid on tree damage claims, and what you need to document to collect it.

What Insurance Does Cover

The good news: most standard homeowner policies cover tree damage when a tree falls due to wind, storm, or other covered peril. What's covered is broader than most adjusters scope on the first visit:

• ✓Roof repair or replacement at the damage zone
• ✓Structural repair — rafters, sheathing, framing penetrated by the tree
• ✓Interior damage from water intrusion and direct impact
• ✓Emergency tarping — to prevent further damage after the fall
• ✓Debris removal (the tree material itself — separate from tree removal)
• ✓Temporary board-up and temporary repairs

What Usually Gets Missed

The typical carrier estimate on a tree claim focuses on the shingles and maybe some decking. That's maybe 40% of the actual scope. Here's what disappears:

• ✗Full structural assessment of the penetration area — carriers often limit to visible damage
• ✗Interior damage — drywall, insulation, attic framing
• ✗Debris removal billed as a separate category from tree removal
• ✗Emergency tarp billed at full Xactimate value — not a flat low-ball
• ✗Fascia, soffit, and gutter damage at the impact zone
• ✗Water damage beyond the visible wet area

The Tarp Issue

Emergency tarps are often the fastest money on a tree job — and the most commonly underpaid. Carriers either lowball the tarp billing or structure it so the payment goes to the homeowner instead of the contractor.

A properly written Xactimate tarp supplement with correct line items — actual square footage, labor for slope and access, materials, anchor points — recovers the full value. But you need it written right before you submit.

Tree Removal vs. Debris Removal

One of the most common points of confusion: tree removal (cutting down or clearing the tree itself) is usually limited coverage or not covered at all — unless the tree is blocking a structure or access. Debris removal from the damage site is a different line item and typically is covered. Make sure your estimate separates these categories.

How to Document a Tree Damage Claim

Documentation drives recovery on tree damage claims. Before any work starts:

• →Photo the full impact zone from multiple angles
• →Document all structural damage with close-ups
• →Photo the interior from the attic and below the impact zone
• →Document the tarp installation before and after
• →Measure the full scope of damage including fascia, gutters, and adjacent areas

The Bottom Line

Tree damage claims that are documented thoroughly and supplemented correctly can come in at 2-3x the initial carrier estimate. Jobs that get submitted with just a roofing scope and a vague tarp line leave most of that money on the table.

We write tree damage supplements every week. Send us the job — we'll have it written in 24 hours.