A tree through a roof is two problems at once. The first is physical: a heavy, unstable load resting on a damaged structure that can shift without warning. The second is administrative: a claim that will be approved or reduced based on how well the damage was documented before anything was moved.
We handle both. Crews remove the tree by crane or by rigging so the structure takes no additional load, tarp the opening to stop water intrusion, and clear access for the restoration trades that follow. While that happens, we photograph everything and write the scope in line item form.
This work is backed by Garrison McKinney Tree Service, whose cranes and grapple equipment let a crew lift a tree straight up off a roof instead of cutting it apart while it sits on the rafters. On a damaged structure, that difference decides whether the repair stays local to the impact point or spreads across the whole roof.
What You Get
- 24/7 emergency dispatch for trees on structures
- Crane lifts that avoid adding load to damaged framing
- Emergency tarping and opening protection
- Before, during and after photo documentation
- Itemized written estimates formatted for adjusters
- Coordination with restoration and roofing contractors
- Vehicle, fence, outbuilding and utility service damage
- Debris removal and full site cleanup
What To Do In The First Hour
Get everyone out of the affected part of the building and stay out until the load is removed. A tree resting on framing is being held by whatever did not break yet, and that can change with wind or with someone walking on the floor above.
Call your insurance carrier and open a claim so you have a claim number and an adjuster assigned. Then photograph everything from as many angles as you safely can, including wide shots that show the whole scene, before any branch is moved. Those wide shots are the ones people forget and the ones adjusters want most.
Call us for emergency mitigation. Policies expect you to prevent further damage rather than wait, and a tarp installed the same day is usually the difference between a ceiling repair and a full interior water loss.
How We Document A Claim
Documentation is a job on the job. We shoot the scene before touching it, capture the impact point and any interior damage that can be reached safely, note tree species and trunk diameter, and record the equipment and hours the removal required.
The estimate is written as itemized line items rather than a single lump number, because an adjuster can only approve what is broken out and described. Debris volume, crane time, rigging complexity and disposal are separated so nothing gets absorbed into a vague total and questioned later.
Commercial And Multi Family Claims
On apartment communities, retail centers and office buildings, a tree strike also creates a liability and occupancy problem. Residents need safe access, parking has to be rerouted, and management needs a paper trail showing the hazard was addressed promptly.
We work directly with property managers, regional managers and their carriers, provide documentation per building or per address for portfolios, and prioritize occupied units and access routes ahead of cosmetic cleanup.
Working With Your Restoration Contractor
Tree removal is the first trade on a storm damaged structure and everything else waits on it. Drying cannot begin while the roof is open under a trunk. Framing cannot be assessed while the load is still on it. Roofing cannot be scheduled without a dry deck.
We coordinate directly with restoration and roofing contractors on timing, staging and access so the handoff happens the same day where possible. If your restoration company is already engaged, give them our number and we will work it out between us instead of putting the owner in the middle.