No, homeowners insurance will only pay for tree removal services if a tree falls due to a covered hazard, such as a windstorm, and falls on your house, fence, or garage. If a tree is sick and rotting, you'll have to pay out of pocket to get it out of pocket. The answer depends on where the tree fell or whether it was uprooted. Because homeowners insurance doesn't cover preventive tree removal, a tree that was simply damaged by a storm but hasn't fallen completely won't be covered.
1 It's up to you to remove that tree before gravity or another storm ends what started the first storm. If the storm completely uprooted the tree and didn't land or damage any of its properties, its removal may not be covered either. Homeowners insurance can cover damage to your home and other structures on your property caused by falling trees, branches and branches if a tree falls on your home. This includes coverage for damage caused by a neighbor's tree falling on your property, although your neighbor's insurance may pay for the damage instead if the tree fell due to negligence on your part.
If a tree is dead or needs to be removed as a preventive measure, your home insurance is unlikely to pay. In this case, it might be worth considering other tree insurance products that include tree removal insurance. For example, if a tree fell and damaged an insured structure, the homeowner's insurance is more likely to cover the felling of the tree itself. If the damage is minor, it's worth getting a repair quote before filing a claim to see if the cost would exceed your home insurance deductible.
All of the above factors apply if the tree that falls on your property originates in a neighbor's yard, although your insurer may ask the neighbor's insurance company to cover the damage. HO-3 policies don't cover earthquakes either, but your insurer will have this additional insurance available for removals if you live in a region where there are frequent tremors. However, before buying land full of trees, you may want to consider the damage that trees could cause to your home and whether your home insurance would cover it if this were to happen. Therefore, a tree that falls on a house due to one of these hazards is likely not covered by homeowners insurance.
Your home insurance won't cover these damages, but your car insurance will if you have comprehensive car coverage (which covers damage not related to a collision). Your home insurance company will not help you remove a dangerous, sick, or dying tree from your property, but will generally cover the cleaning and removal of trees if a tree falls on your home or property as a result of certain limited covered hazards and blocks your entry or meets other requirements. However, all homeowners should also be insured in the event that a storm or other unforeseen event causes a tree to damage their home. Bankrate's insurance editorial team analyzes the details of tree removal insurance coverage to help you choose the policy options that are right for you.
