Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fallen Trees?

by COUNTRY Financial

A tree falling on your home can cause devastating damage to your property. But does homeowners insurance cover fallen trees? Yes… and no.

It depends on why the tree fell, and exactly what it damaged. Things can get even trickier when the tree in question belongs to your neighbor—or if your tree damages a neighbor’s property.

If that sounds confusing, don’t worry; we’ll help explain how home insurance can help with damage from fallen trees.

If a tree damages my house, does homeowners insurance cover it?

Home insurance coverage will only apply to fallen tree damage if the tree fell due to a covered peril. (A “peril” is a specific event or risk, some of which are not included in insurance coverage.)

Generally, home insurance will cover home or structural damage from fallen trees if the tree fell due to:

• Storms
• Lightning strikes
• The weight of snow and/or ice

Home insurance likely will not cover fallen tree damage caused by:

• Natural death (i.e., if the tree was already dead when it fell)
• Rot
• Poor maintenance, like failing to remove clearly broken limbs

So long as the tree fell due to one of the covered perils listed above, damage to your home, fence or other covered structures (like barns and sheds) should be covered.

What if there was no damage to my property? 

Home insurance coverage for fallen trees depends not only on why the tree fell, but also on what it damaged. In most cases, there must be some structural damage involved for insurance to pay for removing a fallen tree. Some insurers provide coverage to remove trees that simply fell in your yard (as long as they fell due to a covered peril listed above), but it's usually not much.

An exception is when a fallen tree blocks access points to the house, especially if there are accessibility issues at play (a ramp for a wheelchair, for example). In those cases, some policies can provide limited coverage for removal.

Does homeowners insurance cover a neighbor’s tree falling on my house?

Where the tree comes from is usually irrelevant. If the tree falls due to a covered peril and causes damage, file a claim and pay your deductible. Your dwelling coverage should cover your neighbor’s tree falling on your house.

The same is true for your neighbors—their dwelling coverage protects them from your tree falling on their house.

However, dwelling coverage may protect you or your neighbor if negligence is involved. If a tree damages someone else’s home because the owner failed to care for it, they’ll be responsible for paying the other person’s damages.

Make sure you maintain your trees; trim hanging branches, water and fertilize it often, and cut it down if it shows signs of rot or disease.

Does homeowner’s insurance cover tree removal?

Home insurance will not pay to remove a decaying tree or a rotten tree that’s still standing. You should absolutely remove trees that are possible threats, but you’ll have to cover the costs yourself.

Final thoughts

Fallen trees can be very damaging to your home. Do everything you can to take care of them when they’re healthy and remove them when they’re dying.

But sometimes even a healthy tree can damage your property. If you’d like to know more about homeowners insurance and fallen trees, talk to your insurance agent today—they can help you determine how much coverage you need and answer any of your questions.

Updated 9-24-25