A tree just came down — what to do first
The calm, correct order of steps when a tree has fallen or is about to — so you protect the people first, the property second, and your insurance claim along the way.
Safety first, cleanup last. Get everyone away from the damaged area, treat any downed line as live and call 911 and the power company, and don’t go back inside or touch the tree. Only once people are safe do you document the damage, call your insurer, and bring in a licensed, insured crew. The pressure of a storm is exactly when the usual rules matter most — not least.
At a glance
- A downed or tangled power line is a life-threat: assume it’s live, stay well back, and call 911 and your utility. The line is theirs to handle, never yours.
- Don’t re-enter a struck home or climb on the tree — a tree under load shifts without warning, and roofs fail in stages.
- Insurance usually covers a tree that hits a structure; a tree that falls and hits nothing usually isn’t covered for removal.
- Photograph everything before you move anything — it’s the backbone of your claim.
- Storm-chasers appear the morning after. The hiring rules matter more under pressure, not less.
The rules matter more in a crisis, not less
In western Washington, the emergencies come in a season: the first big fall windstorm hits ground already soaked by rain, and shallow-rooted conifers let go. When it’s your tree through your roof at night, the instinct is to act fast and sort the details later. That instinct is exactly how people get hurt and claims get denied.
This guide slows the first hour down into the right order. None of it is complicated — it’s just easy to get wrong when you’re rattled. Read it now, before you need it, and it’ll be there when you do.
We’re free to read, and we always will be — and reaching us or getting a recommendation never costs you anything. When a homeowner we’ve helped wants an introduction, we point them to a company we’d trust with our own home.
If that homeowner hires them and the job is completed, the company pays us a referral fee. You never do. In an emergency that matters twice over: we’d rather point you to a real crew than watch you sign with whoever knocked on your door that morning.
The one rule that isn’t negotiable
Everything in this guide bends to this: a fallen tree is a property problem, but a downed line is a life-threat. Never let the first become a reason to get near the second.
Assume every downed line — and anything touching it, including the tree, a fence, or standing water — is live and deadly. Stay far back, keep others and pets away, and call 911 and your utility. Electricity can arc through a wet tree or jump to the ground. Do not attempt to move the tree, the line, or anything near it. The utility owns that repair; your only job is distance.
With that fixed as the top priority, the rest of the response falls into a clear order — which is the tool at the center of this guide.
What’s an emergency and what can wait
What’s happening
Not every storm-damaged tree is a midnight emergency, and emergency response carries a real premium — often 25 to 75 percent over standard rates, because it’s after-hours, hazardous, and everyone needs help at once. Knowing which situation you’re in saves money and keeps crews free for the people in real danger.
Call for emergency help now if
A tree is on your house, on a vehicle with someone in it, across a road, tangled in power lines, or leaning on a structure and still moving. Anything involving a line or a blocked escape route is a call to 911 and the utility first, not a tree service.
It can usually wait for business hours if
The tree is down in the yard and hit nothing, a large limb is hung up but over an area you can rope off and stay out of, or the damage is cosmetic. Waiting a day here often means a normal rate instead of an emergency one — and a calmer, better-planned job.
One question worth asking
“Is anyone in danger, or is this only property?” If it’s only property and nothing’s moving, you have time to do this right.
The coverage most people get wrong
Every policy differs and Washington law governs the details, so confirm yours with your insurer. But the general pattern is consistent enough to plan around.
| Situation | Usually… | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Tree hits your house, garage, or fence | Covered | Repairs plus removal, up to a policy cap; a covered peril like wind or ice. |
| Tree falls, hits nothing | Often not covered | Removal is usually on you; some policies pay a little if it blocks the driveway. |
| Neighbor’s tree lands on your property | Your policy handles it | Their insurer pays only if you can show they knew it was hazardous. |
| Tree crushes your car | Auto, not home | This falls under comprehensive auto coverage, not homeowner’s. |
| Home unlivable during repairs | Often covered | “Loss of use” can pay for lodging and meals — keep receipts. |
One trap ties this guide back to knowing your trees: if a tree was obviously dead or dying and you knew it, an insurer can deny the claim as neglect. Maintaining a questionable tree isn’t just tidiness — it’s protecting your coverage.
Don’t hire the truck that shows up in your driveway
After every big storm, out-of-area crews roll through knocking on doors, pointing at your roof, and pressing for a signature and a deposit while you’re still shaken. Some are fine. Many are uninsured, here for the week, and gone before the work is right. The pressure is the tactic.
A real emergency crew will still be a real company. Two minutes of checking protects you.
- Proof of insurance — liability and workers’ comp — that you can verify, storm or no storm.
- A Washington license you can confirm through L&I, not just a magnet on a truck.
- A written scope, even a quick one — never a contract with blank amounts left to fill in later.
- No demand for a large cash deposit up front, and no “sign now or I move on” pressure.
If a tree is genuinely on your house, your insurer can often point you to reputable emergency help — and so can we. The door-knocker is the one option you don’t need to take.
In a storm, the fast decision and the right decision are rarely the same one.
The first hour, in order
Screenshot this now, while it’s calm. When a tree comes down, work straight down the list — the order is the point.
- Get everyone clearPeople and pets away from the damaged area and out from under the tree. Don’t go upstairs or into struck rooms — structures fail in stages.
- Treat every line as liveIf a line is down or tangled in the tree, stay far back and call 911 and your utility. Don’t touch the tree or anything near the wire.
- Shut off utilities if safeIf you can safely reach them, cut power at the panel and gas at the meter. If you can’t reach them safely, let the utility do it.
- Leave if the house is unsafeCracking sounds, leaning walls, a breached roof — get out and stay out until a professional checks the structure.
- Document before you touch anythingPhotos and video from several angles: the tree, the break or root ball, the impact point, interior damage, and anything ruined inside.
- Make only emergency mitigationsTarp a roof hole or broken window to keep rain out, and keep the receipts. Hold off on major repairs until the adjuster has seen it.
- Call your insurerStart the claim promptly; they’ll guide removal and repairs and may send an adjuster. Don’t sign repair contracts before you’ve talked to them.
- Bring in a licensed, insured crewFor the tree itself — verified insurance, an L&I-checkable license, a written scope. Never the unvetted truck in the driveway.
The question that sets your pace
“Is anyone in danger right now, or is this only property?” — the honest answer tells you whether you’re in step 1 or step 5.
What we’d do
- We’d put distance between our family and any downed line before anything else, every time.
- We’d photograph everything before moving a single branch.
- We’d call the insurer before authorizing any major repair or removal.
- We’d turn away the door-knocker and verify a crew’s insurance even at 7 a.m.
- We’d take the emergency rate only for a true emergency, and wait for daylight otherwise.
Because the tree already fell — the only thing left to protect is everyone standing near it.
Questions homeowners ask
A tree is on my house right now — do I call a tree service or 911?
If anyone’s hurt, trapped, or a power line is involved, call 911 first, then your utility. If it’s only property and everyone’s safely clear, document the damage, call your insurer, and then a licensed emergency crew. Don’t go back inside a struck home to assess it.
My neighbor’s tree fell on my property — doesn’t their insurance pay?
Usually it’s your own policy that handles damage on your property, even from a neighbor’s tree, because a healthy tree falling in a storm is treated as an act of nature. Their insurer generally pays only if you can show the tree was clearly dead or dangerous and they knew and did nothing.
A tree crushed my car — is that homeowner’s insurance?
No. Damage to a vehicle from a fallen tree falls under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance, not your homeowner’s policy.
The tree just fell in the yard and hit nothing. Will insurance remove it?
Often not. Most policies only cover removal when the tree damaged a covered structure. Some will pay a limited amount if the fallen tree blocks your driveway or an accessibility ramp — check your specific policy.
Someone knocked offering to remove it cheap, today. Good idea?
Be careful. Storm-chasers work the pressure of the moment. Even in an emergency, confirm insurance and a Washington license, insist on a written scope, and don’t hand over a large cash deposit. A real crew will still check out.
Why is emergency work so much more expensive?
After-hours labor, genuine hazard, and everyone needing help at once all add up — commonly a 25 to 75 percent premium. If the situation is only property and nothing’s moving, waiting for business hours usually costs less and gets a better-planned job.
Need a real crew, not the one in the driveway?
If a storm has left you with a tree to deal with, tell us what happened and we’ll point you to a licensed, insured company we’d trust with our own home.
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This guide is independent and research-driven, informed by working professionals in western Washington’s tree trade. Emergency response guidance reflects standard utility and homeowner safety practice; treat any downed line as live and defer to 911 and your electric utility. Insurance outcomes vary by policy and are governed by your contract and Washington law — confirm specifics with your own insurer before acting. Contractor licensing and insurance can be verified through the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (lni.wa.gov). Nothing here is legal or insurance advice.