A Tree Just Hit My Roof – What Do I Do?

When a storm hits, it can cause trees to topple, limbs and branches to fly off, and all sorts of property damage. In particular, if a tree (or any part of one) lands on your roof, it can be a truly scary experience. If this has happened to you, please evacuate your home and call 9-1-1 right away. Those are the first two steps, which we’ll repeat and cover in detail below. The rest is just as important, so follow along as we go through the step by step process of what to do if a tree falls on your roof.

Note: This is not legal, insurance, or medical advice. You should consult trusted professionals in those areas for guidance and assistance.

What Do I Do If a Tree Falls on My Roof?

Step 1 — Evacuate.

Most importantly, the first thing you need to do if your roof has been struck by a tree is to get out of the house. Evacuate you and your family and your pets as quickly as possible. If you live in a duplex, or any dwelling with a shared roof or walls, let your immediate neighbors know what has happened and tell them they need to evacuate as well.

Your roof may seem like it’s taken all the damage it’s going to get, but it could actually get much, much worse. Once a tree falls on your roof, it will make the initial impact and cause structural damage.

However, as the minutes pass, your roof’s structural integrity can weaken, which may cause the roof to cave in, resulting in more damage and potentially harmful injury (or worse) to your family.

Lighter colors reduce incoming heat into your home, thus reducing your monthly energy bill.

Step 2 — Call 9-1-1.

Once you’re safely outside the house, you need to call the local emergency services. Dial 9-1-1 and tell them that you have had an emergency. Let them know exactly what happened and provide any relevant details that you currently have.

They will likely send the fire department and police department to take a look and assist in whatever way is immediately beneficial and helpful to you and your family.

Step 3 — Call your insurance company.

While you’re waiting safely outside the house, you can take a moment to call your insurance company. Just as you did with the local emergency services, let them know what has happened and ask them what you need to do.

They may ask you to fill out paperwork or take photos and videos to document the damage. If you have a smartphone app with your insurance company, you may be able to do some of the work through that as well.

Step 4 — Find out if your home is safe enough to remain, or if you need to find temporary lodging.

Next, you need to determine whether your home is safe enough to remain while getting repairs performed, or if you need to find alternative dwellings for yourself, your family, and your pets.

To answer this question, you will likely need to consult with the emergency services teams, your insurance company, and/or your landlord (depending on your living arrangement). In many cases, insurance will cover temporary living arrangements, such as a nearby hotel.

Step 5 — Call a local roofing company to get your roof inspected to determine if it needs roof repair or a full roof replacement.

After all of this, it’s time to call a local roofing company to have your roof damage inspected. A roofing professional can take a look and tell you all of your options. In the case of a tree falling on your roof, you will typically either need substantial repair work or a whole roof replacement. Thankfully, you don’t simply have to go with a roofer that your insurance company chooses. In fact, you can choose whichever roofing company you want.

Regardless of what you need, it’s nearly always better to contact a local service team, because they know the area, the most common types of tree damage, the roofing needs of the city, and more. We recommend that you give us a call at Rennison Roofing to have one of our trained roof specialists take a look and give you a quote.

Choosing a lighter color on your roof shingles help reduce incoming heat that need to be cooled.

How Much Do Roof Repairs Cost?

As it turns out, the range of costs for roof repair is very wide. It’s actually a lot like estimating car damage costs. There are so many different things that might need to be replaced, and so many different car models, that it’s impossible to give an “average repair cost”.

For roofs, it’s very much the same. The final cost will depend on your roof material, the type of shingles used, the size of your roof, and how much actually needs to be repaired or replaced, and any number of other variable factors.

For example, if a small branch has fallen (but not the entire tree), then the repair could be as low as a couple hundred dollars. However, if it’s an entire tree that has caused interior damage as well, it can be in the thousands and even require different contractors to finish the work. At Rennison, we’ve dealt with everything from the basics to structural damage that had to be rebuilt, including bringing in an engineer to approve drawings.

To get a free estimate, just give us a call or email, and we’ll have someone come take a look and let you know what you might need to budget for. Thankfully, your insurance deductible can come in handy here. Additionally, we offer affordable financing options, so you may not have to pay the full amount out of pocket.

When a Tree Hits Your Roof, Call the Locals

There are few experiences quite as traumatizing at home as a tree falling on your roof. Are you thinking to yourself, “A tree just fell on my roof. What do I do?” Then you should give us a call at Rennison Roofing. We’ve spent our lives helping people in the exact situation you’re in right now.

No matter the type or extent of your damage — even when you have excessive damage that may require multiple contractors, such as sheetrock replacement, ceiling repairs, , or gutter repairs — we can get the entire job done. We will essentially be your General Contractor, coordinate all of the correct contractors, and utilize trusted specialists to get every aspect of the work completed appropriately.
Even so, if you decide you just want us to do the roofing itself, we can do that too. And since more damage is sometimes found along the way, we will work with you and your insurance company in order to make sure that everything gets covered, from start to finish,

Get in touch with us today and we’ll help you get fixed up and back to your life as fast as humanly possible.