What to Do
Tree Fell on Your Roof After a Storm: What to Do Now
Tree Fell on Your Roof After a Storm: What to Do Now. Get everyone out of the rooms under the impact and stay well clear of any downed power lines - if a line is involved, call 911 or the utility first. Don't climb up or cut the tree yourself. Photograph everything, call your insurer, have a tree service lift the tree off, and get the opening tarped the same day so rain can't get in.
Direct Answer
Get everyone out of the rooms under the impact and stay well clear of any downed power lines - if a line is involved, call 911 or the utility first. Don't climb up or cut the tree yourself. Photograph everything, call your insurer, have a tree service lift the tree off, and get the opening tarped the same day so rain can't get in.
What to Do Now
- Step 1
Get everyone out of the rooms under the tree and keep them out; a cracked rafter or ceiling joist can give way hours later.
- Step 2
If a power line is touching the tree or the house, stay back and call 911 or your electric utility. Don't touch the tree or anything it's resting on.
- Step 3
If you can reach the breaker panel safely and the area around it is dry, switch off power to the damaged part of the house.
- Step 4
Photograph the tree on the roof, the attic and every damaged room from several angles before anything is moved or cleaned up.
- Step 5
Call your insurer to open a claim, then hire a tree service to lift the tree off. It has to come off before a roofer can safely tarp or repair.
- Step 6
Have the opening tarped the same day the tree comes off, and keep every receipt - tree removal, tarp, and any hotel stay if the house isn't livable.
What usually causes this
- severe wind or hail damage removing roof covering
- fallen tree limbs creating an opening in the roof
- storm damage occurring faster than repair crews can respond
- widespread regional damage creating high demand for repair scheduling
- damage discovered before a permanent repair appointment is available
Other warning signs to check
Walk the house and yard once it is safe. These signs help a provider judge how urgent the repair is.
- exposed roof decking after storm damage
- an active leak that needs immediate containment
- missing shingles leaving a section vulnerable
- additional rain forecast before permanent repair can be scheduled
- storm damage severe enough that waiting risks further loss
Mistakes that make it worse
- attempting to tarp the roof yourself without proper safety equipment
- assuming a tarp is a permanent solution rather than temporary protection
- not documenting the damage before tarping covers it
- using inadequate materials that fail in continued wind
- delaying tarping when active water intrusion is occurring
Before you call a roofing provider
- Extent of the visible damage or opening.
- Whether water is actively entering right now.
- Your general location and roof accessibility.
- Whether this is storm-related and recent.
Photos to take before anything is repaired
Insurers and providers both work faster with clear, dated photos. Take these from the ground and from inside, never from a wet or damaged roof.
- Wide shots of each side of the house, then close-ups of any missing or damaged shingles you can see.
- Hail or wind debris in the yard, with something for scale such as a coin or a tape measure.
- Dented gutters, downspouts, window screens and AC fins, which help show the size of the hail.
- Every interior stain, drip or wet spot, plus the attic if you can reach it safely.
- Receipts for tarps, buckets or emergency repairs, which are often part of the claim.
Official resources for “Tree Fell on Your Roof After a Storm: What to Do Now”
Once the home is safe, these official sources help with the next steps: documenting the storm, filing a claim and checking the contractor.
- NOAA Storm Events Database: Texas
Official records of hail and wind events by county and date, useful for confirming a storm date.
- Texas Department of Insurance: after a hail or windstorm
Step-by-step claim tips after hail or wind damage, including documenting damage and deadlines.
- Texas Department of Insurance: roofing and insurance, know the law
Texas rules on roofing contracts, deductibles and what a contractor may not do on your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does homeowners insurance pay to remove a tree from my roof?
When a covered storm drops a tree on your house, most Texas policies pay to repair the house and to remove the tree from it, but tree removal is often capped at a set amount per tree. A tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything usually isn't covered. Your policy's debris removal or trees section lists the exact limit.
Who do I call first, a roofer or a tree service?
If there's danger - a power line, a sagging ceiling - call 911 or the utility. Otherwise call your insurer, then a tree service. A roofer can't safely tarp or repair until the tree is off, but many roofers work alongside tree crews and can be there as soon as it's lifted.
My neighbor's tree fell on my roof. Whose insurance pays?
Usually yours. Your own homeowners policy generally covers damage to your house no matter whose tree it was. The neighbor's insurer typically only comes into it if the tree was clearly dead or diseased and they'd been told about it.