A tree just came down on your house. Here’s the order that matters, and why — safety first, always, before anything else on this list.
Step 1: Safety — Get Out, Stay Out
If the tree damaged the structure significantly, or if you’re at all unsure about the building’s stability, get everyone out and stay out until it’s been assessed. A tree through a roofline can compromise structural support in ways that aren’t obvious from inside. This isn’t the moment to assess the damage up close — that comes later.
Step 2: Check for Power Lines and Gas
Before doing anything else, look for downed or sagging power lines near the tree or the house. If a line is involved in any way, do not approach the tree or the area around it. Contact the utility company immediately, and call 911 if there’s any doubt about danger. See our power line safety guide for the full picture on this. If you smell gas or suspect a gas line may be affected, evacuate and call the gas utility and 911 from a safe distance — don’t investigate a suspected gas leak yourself.
Step 3: Photos Before Anything Moves
Once the immediate area is confirmed safe, photograph the damage from several angles before anyone starts moving debris or covering damage. Wide shots showing the tree’s position relative to the house, close-ups of the actual damage, and a shot of the tree’s base if it’s visible all help later, whether for insurance or just your own records. See our insurance claims guide for the full documentation approach.
Step 4: Call Your Insurer
Once you’re safe and have photos, contact your insurance company to start the claims process and ask what they need from you before cleanup begins. Most insurers have an emergency claims line for exactly this situation. Don’t wait days to make this call — earlier contact generally makes the process smoother.
Step 5: Removal
With safety confirmed, lines checked, photos taken, and your insurer notified, it’s time to actually deal with the tree. If it’s actively causing further damage or blocking safe access to your home, most policies expect reasonably prompt action rather than waiting on full claim approval — document what you can and proceed. See Emergency & Storm Damage Removal for what that process looks like.
After an Ice Storm: Triage Your Whole Yard, Not Just the Obvious Damage
If the event that brought a tree down was a wider ice or wind storm — the kind Jefferson County sees regularly, including the November 2022 event that dropped more than six feet of snow across Watertown and Fort Drum — it’s worth doing a careful walk of your whole property once it’s safe, not just addressing the one tree that clearly failed. Ice storms in particular tend to stress multiple trees at once, and damage that isn’t dramatic enough to bring a tree down immediately can still leave cracks or weakened unions that fail later, sometimes weeks afterward once the ice has melted and stopped providing some incidental support.
Walk the property looking for: hung-up broken limbs still caught in canopies (widowmakers), new leans that weren’t there before, and any trees with visible fresh cracking even if nothing has actually come down yet. A free hazard assessment covering the whole property after a major storm is a reasonable, low-cost way to catch what a quick walk-around might miss.
What Not to Do in the First Hour
Don’t attempt to cut up or move a large tree yourself, especially one under any tension from resting against the house or other trees — storm-damaged trees fail unpredictably in ways a standing tree doesn’t. Don’t approach anything near a power line under any circumstances. And don’t assume damage is only cosmetic without a proper look; what looks like minor roof damage from the ground can sometimes involve compromised structural framing underneath.
If You Need Temporary Shelter Elsewhere
If the damage genuinely makes the home unsafe to occupy, most homeowners policies with the right coverage include “loss of use” provisions that can help with temporary housing costs while repairs happen. Mention this specifically when you call your insurer if you think you’ll need to be out of the house for any length of time — it’s a separate conversation from the tree removal and structural repair claim, and it’s worth raising early rather than assuming it isn’t covered.
Coordinating Between Tree Removal and Structural Repair
Depending on the extent of damage, you may end up working with two separate contractors: us for the tree itself, and a general contractor or roofer for structural repair. It’s worth having the tree work scheduled with enough coordination that the repair contractor isn’t left waiting on debris removal, or conversely, that removal doesn’t happen before the repair contractor has had a chance to document the damage for their own estimate. A quick conversation between the two, or through your insurer, usually sorts this out without much friction.
Kids and Pets
In the immediate aftermath, it’s easy to focus entirely on the tree and the house and forget how much a fresh disaster scene can draw curious kids or anxious pets toward exactly the areas that are least safe. Keep both away from the damage zone until it’s been properly assessed, not just told to stay back — a fresh storm scene has a way of pulling attention even from people who know better.
If This Happens Overnight
Storm damage doesn’t wait for daylight, and dealing with a downed tree in the dark adds real risk on top of an already stressful situation. If it’s safe to simply secure the area and wait until morning for a fuller assessment — no active leak, no line involved, no immediate structural concern — that’s often the better call than attempting a full inspection by flashlight. Safety and visibility matter more than speed in most overnight scenarios.
Managing Water Intrusion Until Repairs Start
If the tree opened up the roof or a wall, water getting in during the wait for repairs is often the more urgent practical concern once immediate safety is handled. A tarp over the opening, if it’s safe to place one without going onto a compromised roof yourself, can prevent a lot of secondary damage in the meantime — but this is worth leaving to a professional if there’s any question about roof stability. Your insurer may also be able to recommend an emergency board-up or tarping service as part of the claims process, and it’s worth asking about this option directly rather than assuming you have to arrange it entirely on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I move the tree off my roof myself?
No — storm-damaged trees are often under unpredictable tension, and this is exactly the kind of situation professional equipment and experience is built for. Wait for a professional removal.
How soon do I need to call my insurance company?
As soon as you’re safe and have documentation — don’t wait days. Most insurers have an emergency claims line specifically for storm damage.
What if I’m not sure whether it’s safe to go back inside?
When in doubt, don’t. A professional assessment of structural stability is worth the wait if there’s any real damage to the roof or walls.
