What counts as an emergency
Anything on your house, anything hung up and about to come down on a structure, and anything that makes your home unsafe to live in gets handled immediately. The most common call we get is exactly that: a tree on the house, or one uprooted and caught in another tree directly over it. A cracked or splitting limb should also be handled quickly.
The honest test is what is underneath it: a limb over a back path you can avoid for two days is urgent; the same limb over your front walk or a sidewalk is an emergency.
Before we arrive
Stay away from the tree. Do not go near it to inspect, photograph, or move anything. |
If the tree is on a power line, call the utility to cut power, and call 911 if lines are down and live. |
Whether the house is safe to be in depends on where the tree hit, not how big it looks. A trunk resting across the roof is a different situation from one through a wall.
When in doubt, stay out until we assess it.
What we do when we get there
The first minutes are assessment, because the tree you can see is not the only hazard
Obvious physical decay through the trunk or major limbs
Derrick scans for hangers and compromised trees around the strike, locates the power service and confirms nothing is live, and then plans the lift
Crane first when access is allowed, because lifting the tree straight up and off your house is the gentlest option for the structure, and rigging if the crane cannot get there
We remove the tree, clear access, and tarp any exposed sections of roof to keep your home dry
Then we photograph and video everything, before and during, because that documentation is what your insurance claim will be built on
What emergency work costs
Emergency work costs more than scheduled work. Distance, equipment, and dropping everything all factor in, and we will not pretend otherwise with a fake flat rate. What we promise instead: you get the price before work begins, in writing, and payment is due only when the work is done. Homeowner policies typically cover removal once a tree has struck a structure, and our documentation supports that claim.
Save our number before you need it.
Call us before your insurance company
It sounds backwards, but it is the advice Derrick gives every storm victim: call the tree service first. Your insurer will typically tell you to collect three estimates. What they do not volunteer is that when a tree has made your home uninhabitable, you are generally not required to gather multiple bids before emergency work begins. We respond within 24 hours, we bill you directly rather than making you wait on an adjuster, and we hand you the photo and video record your claim needs. This is general information rather than legal or coverage advice, and your policy is the final word, but do not let a phone queue keep a hole in your roof open overnight.
One more hard truth from years of storm work: insurance almost never pays to remove a dangerous tree before it falls, but if it falls and they learn you knew it was in bad shape, they can call that negligence. If you have a tree you are worried about, the free assessment now is worth far more than the argument later.
People Ask
Do you tarp roofs?
Yes. Securing your home against weather is part of the emergency response.
Do you work with my insurance adjuster?
We bill you directly and give you complete photo and video documentation for your claim. That keeps your emergency response fast instead of waiting on an adjuster's schedule.
Why 24/6 and not 24/7?
We are closed Sundays because it is the Lord's Day. Monday through Saturday, we answer around the clock.
The tree fell but missed the house. Is that still an emergency?
If it is blocking access, resting on anything, or hung up over a structure or walkway, yes. If it is flat on open lawn, it can usually wait for a scheduled visit, and we will tell you honestly which it is.