What Should You Do if a Tree Falls on or Damages Your Roof?

Fallen trees can cause extensive and costly damage to your roof. Extreme weather, the actions of people or tree diseases can make trees bend, break and fall on nearby structures.

After the initial shock of a tree falling on your home wears off, you may be wondering what to do about it. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to mitigate your losses and recover financially after a tree has fallen on your home.

First Things First

After a tree falls on your home, the structural integrity of your roof may be compromised, leaving you and your loved ones vulnerable to serious injuries from collapsed walls and shattered windows. In particularly severe situations you may need to move people out of affected rooms until repairs can be completed or patching can be performed.

You should act as quickly as possible to prevent further damage from occurring by putting a tarp over your damaged roof or boarding up windows. Use a tarp or some other covering (like painter’s plastic sheeting if you don’t have a tarp) to temporarily cover any openings. Failure to mitigate further damage may have negative repercussions for your insurance claim.

Save any receipts related to these expenses so you can add them to your insurance claim. Make sure to be safe when applying temporary patching solutions. If you need to get on your roof to patch damage, it’s best to wait for high winds and rain to pass to avoid risking injuries.  

Document the Damage

Take photographs of the damage to include with your insurance claim. Many insurance companies ask for documentation of damages to determine how much compensation you’re entitled to receive. Make sure to take plenty of pictures of the fallen tree and the damage it’s done to the interior and exterior of your home.

Contact Your Insurance Carrier

Your insurance carrier will want to know the details of the event. This is where your evidence and a vivid description of what happened will be of most importance. An insurance adjuster will want to know if the fallen tree was a result of circumstances you couldn’t control, such as severe weather, vandalism or an accident.

What Will My Claim Cover?

Filing an insurance claim will help you pay for costs associated with roof repair or roof replacement. How much the insurance company will pay will likely depend on the age of the roof and the extent of the damage.

The payout may cover an entire roof replacement or only a portion of it. Your policy may also pay for the tree removal, as long as the tree is resting on the roof instead of lying in the yard. Your insurance will also likely cover damages to your home if it was your neighbor’s tree that fell on your home.

If you are frustrated or disappointed with the low claim settlement offered by your insurance company, you may want to schedule a free roof inspection with a knowledgeable Atlanta roofer.

Roofers have more experience diagnosing damage and estimating roof repair and replacement costs than most insurance adjusters. They may be able to help you make the case that replacement is necessary or show why the insurance company’s claim offer is inadequate.

Hire a Professional Roofing Company to Fix or Replace Your Roof

An experienced roofing company, like Total Roofing Solutions, will be able to assess the damage and offer you roof repair or replacement options.

Getting a brand-new, high-quality roof that increases the value of your home may be a silver lining in an otherwise unfortunate situation.

Replace Your Damaged Roof with Total Roof Solutions in Georgia

Has your current roof suffered irreversible damage? Are you looking to upgrade your aging roof with a long-lasting replacement?

At Total Roof Solutions, each roofing project is tailored to your unique needs and preferences. We’ve served Atlanta residents for many years and look forward to tackling your next reroofing project.

Call 678-752-8668 for a free roof replacement estimate.