If a tree is on your house right now: keep everyone out of the rooms under it → check for downed lines (power company first, always) → photograph everything from safe angles → call a tree crew ((936) 755-5174) → then your insurer. That order matters, and here's why.
Your policy expects "mitigation"
Homeowner policies require you to prevent further damage after a loss — tarping, and getting the tree's weight off the structure. You do not have to wait for the adjuster to start that work; you do have to document. Photos first, itemized invoice after — we provide adjuster-ready documentation on every storm job because that's half the value of hiring pros.
What insurance typically covers (and doesn't)
- Covered, usually: removal of a tree that hit a covered structure (house, garage, fence), commonly up to a $500–$1,000/tree limit, plus the structural repair itself.
- Not covered, usually: a tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything — that cleanup is on you.
- The neighbor's tree: your side, your policy — unless their tree was visibly dead and ignored. Photograph the trunk condition before cleanup. (Full details: neighbor tree law.)
Storm pricing, honestly
Storm work carries a 50–100% premium market-wide — demand quadruples overnight and crews work brutal hours. Around Huntsville: limbs-off-roof jobs $300–$900, rigged tree-off-structure $1,500–$5,000, crane work higher. What should make you hang up: door-knockers "just in the neighborhood," sign-tonight pressure, and cash-only pricing. After Beryl, Walker County saw all three.