What Georgia’s regulator says
The Office of Commissioner of Insurance answers the fallen-tree question in its consumer guide, Insurance Before and After a Disaster:
- The standard homeowners policy gives limited coverage for damage to trees and for removing them.
- Damage to the tree itself is covered only for certain causes, and wind is not one of them.
- Under the debris removal section, the insurer pays up to a maximum of $500 to remove trees felled by wind, but only if the tree damaged covered property: the house or other structures.
- If the tree damaged no covered property, there is no coverage for removing it.
Policies are written differently, and limits vary by company and by form. Your declarations page and the debris removal section are the only answer for your own house.
The common cases
| What happened | Usually |
|---|---|
| Tree on the house | Damage to the house is part of your claim; removal under the debris limit |
| Tree on a fence, shed or detached garage | The same, under other structures |
| Tree on the lawn, hitting nothing | Not covered for removal |
| Tree on a car | A claim on the car’s policy, if it has comprehensive coverage |
| The neighbor’s healthy tree on your house | A claim on your own policy |
| The neighbor’s tree that they knew was dead | Possibly a claim against them; see below |
Removal from the house vs. hauling it away
An article in TCI Magazine, a trade journal for tree care companies, points out that lifting a tree off a house is often treated differently from hauling the wood away afterward, and that the debris limit may apply only to the second. Insurers differ. Ask the adjuster directly which part of the tree work each limit covers before the crew starts.
When the neighbor is at fault
According to the University of Georgia Extension, a tree’s owner in Georgia is liable for damage from its fall only if they knew, or reasonably should have known, that it was diseased, decayed or dangerous, usually shown in writing before the tree fell. If you had written to your neighbor about a dead tree, give that letter and your photos to your insurer; they may pursue the neighbor’s insurer.
Filing
The regulator’s guide asks homeowners to report the claim promptly, to make reasonable repairs that prevent more damage, to keep receipts for labor and materials, and not to dispose of damaged property before the adjuster has seen it. Photograph the tree before it is moved. If a dispute with your insurer goes nowhere, the Office of Commissioner of Insurance’s Consumer Services Division takes calls at (404) 656-2070.
Checked against the sources below on 2026-10-11.
Sources
- Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance, Insurance Before and After a Disaster
- University of Georgia Extension, Circular 1099, Ownership and Responsibility (reviewed July 2022)
- Texas Department of Insurance, Does your insurance apply when a tree falls? (2023)
- TCI Magazine, Misconceptions About Property Insurance Coverage for Trees on Houses (2021)