Many homeowners contact their insurance companies about fallen trees on their property after powerful windstorms. If an uprooted or toppled tree tree lands on your own fence, then it could indicate an expensive repair. If you have homeowners insurance, the damage for your fence and your tree is typically insured. Learning exactly what the insurance coverage covers, under what circumstances and what the broker should process your claim will allow you to be prepared in such a circumstance.
Shops Insurance
Homeowners insurance protects your home against damages to the house, the properties inside and also the structures on the property. If a tree crashes to a fence, then the damage is covered, just as if the tree hit on your roof or broke a window. To obtain money to pay for the expense of this damage, homeowners will need to file a claim with the insurance provider. Homeowners should initially pay the deductible, or the out-of-pocket expense, before the insurance provider pays.
Coverage of Structures
Homeowners insurance typically covers structures on a property contrary to the home, like a detached garage, gazebo, shed or fence. Most policies contain a cap of 10 percent of the covered amount of the house on coverage for these kinds of structures. For example, if a homeowner had $150,000 in coverage for your own house, policy could pay for $15,000 for other structures.
Tree Fence
Generally, an uprooted tree is an act of nature and also cannot be anyone’s fault. Once an act of nature causes a tree to drop on an insured structure, like a fence, then your insurance company might pay to repair the fence up to the cap to the coverage. It might also cover tree removal, typically from $500 to $1,000. It also does not matter whether the tree is owned by the homeowner or if it is from a neighboring property — the insurance still covers the damages to this fence. Most insurance companies set a cap for how much they’ll settle for damages.
File a Claim
Once a homeowner discovers a tree has fallen on a fence, then he must take photos of their damage from several distinct angles. The homeowner shouldn’t try to remove the tree or permit anyone else, like a neighbor, do so before he has gotten images for insurance purposes. These photos are proof for the origin of the damage. Homeowners should contact their insurance agent and file a claim. The insurance company will evaluate the damaged fence, then determine how much it will cover, depending on the damage and any coverage caps, then pay for the repair.