When a tree first falls on your house, it can be a pretty scary experience. With luck, no one in your family is harmed. But the emotional pain of seeing your home damaged by a tree can be great. What follows can be just as stressful. That's why the team at Green Restoration & Reconstruction would like to prepare you for what to expect, and if necessary, work with you and your insurance company to restore your property back to pre-loss conditions.

First, immediately evacuate the house.

If you're near the house when it falls, be careful. There could still be live electric lines or structural damage nearby that can injure or kill you if not handled carefully. Do not let children or anyone approach the area before professionals give you the green light. Gas lines may also have been damaged in the fall, which could result in fire or explosion and structural damage may cause additional parts of the house to cave in.

Nothing is more important than getting your family safely out of the house. Once everyone is out of the house and safe, you want to contact your insurance company.  You may want to hire a public adjuster to assess the damage as well, as they are financially motivated to be more detail-oriented in their assessment of the situation.

A professional arborist should be employed to remove the tree. Be sure the tree service has good reviews, is comfortable working with insurance companies, and has sufficient insurance themselves. Beware of ghost insurance policies that don't cover all of the tree company's employees.

Once the tree has been removed, it's important to restore your home to pre-loss conditions as quickly as possible. A common mistake homeowners make is to hire their favorite non-emergency contractor. Some contractors are absolutely excellent at what they do but don't necessarily have the experience working with insurance restoration claims to work efficiently with the insurance companies throughout the process, and often have other large work scheduled that pulls their attention away.

With Green Restoration & Reconstruction, quickly responding to emergency reconstruction calls is our specialty. It is our mission to get your family safely back into your home.

Here are some examples of what can happen when a tree falls on your house:

The weight of the tree can push siding or shingles off, exposing insulation or framing that's not meant to be visible. Materials like this must be replaced with matching materials in order for an insurance claim to payout. If the tree falls on your roof or gutters, they will be destroyed, necessitating either repair or replacement by an insurance claim.

Windows or doors near the fall site may be damaged and require replacement. In some cases, wiring or piping may need replacing near the damage site. Chimneys and vents may be damaged and in need of replacement or repair. In extreme cases, an entire section of the house may need to be rebuilt, and the foundation may even be affected.

Our team at Green Restoration and Reconstruction can assist you in the restoration process, no matter how minor or extensive the damage is.