The rule of thumb
Standard Tennessee homeowners policies cover tree removal when a tree — yours or a neighbor's — falls because of a covered peril (wind, ice, lightning, the weight of ice and snow) and damages a covered structure: the house, an attached deck, a detached garage or shed, a fence. The policy pays to repair the structure and to remove the tree from it, and most include a separate, capped allowance for debris removal — commonly $500 to $1,000 per tree, sometimes a percentage of the dwelling limit. A tree that falls in the yard and hits nothing is generally not covered, no matter how big the cleanup bill.
Common situations
Tree on the house
Covered, less your deductible. Removal from the structure, repair of the roof, and debris removal up to the cap.
Tree across the driveway
Many policies cover removal of a tree that blocks a driveway or a handicap-access ramp even if it hit nothing else. Check yours.
Tree in the yard, nothing hit
Usually not covered. This is the one that surprises people after an ice storm.
The neighbor's tree on your house
Your policy pays, your deductible applies. Your insurer may pursue the neighbor's insurer only if the tree was a known hazard the neighbor ignored — which is why documenting a dead tree next door, in writing, matters.
Your tree on the neighbor's house
Their policy, unless your tree was visibly dead or hazardous and you'd been told. A dead ash you've been meaning to get to is exactly the case that shifts liability.
Preventive removal
Never covered. Insurance pays for sudden damage, not maintenance. Removing the hollow hackberry before it falls is on you — and cheaper than the deductible plus a roof.
What to get from your tree service
- Photos of the tree on the structure before anything is cut, with the address visible if possible.
- An itemized invoice that separates removal from the structure from debris cleanup, so the adjuster can apply the right line and cap.
- A short written description of the hazard and what was done, dated.
- The company's certificate of insurance — your adjuster may ask, and you should anyway.
Watch for
Crews that offer to "waive your deductible," bill the insurer directly or want you to sign an assignment of benefits. A tree service works for you, gives you the paperwork, and you handle the claim. After the 2009, 2021 and 2025 tornadoes, the storm chasers who rolled through Rutherford County did a lot of damage of their own.
Common questions
Will my rates go up if I file a tree claim?
A single weather claim usually has less effect than a liability claim, but it counts. For a claim close to your deductible it's often not worth filing. Ask your agent before you do.
Does insurance cover the stump?
Debris removal allowances sometimes cover grinding the stump of a tree that hit a structure; often they don't reach that far. Ask.
Does insurance pay for a tree that fell on my car?
That's your auto policy's comprehensive coverage, not the homeowners policy.
Can you bill my insurance company directly?
No, and be wary of anyone who offers to. We give you the photos and the itemized invoice; you submit the claim and the insurer pays you.
What if the tree is on the power line?
Middle Tennessee Electric handles the line and usually the tree that's on it, at no charge. Everything else on the ground is a normal claim.
Related: Emergency tree service · Storm cleanup · Insurance & financing · Cost guide