Insurance first
Georgia’s insurance regulator explains that the standard homeowners policy pays, under its debris removal section, to remove trees felled by wind when they damaged the house or other covered structures, up to a limit that its guide gives as $500, and pays nothing to remove trees that damaged nothing covered. In practice that means:
| What came down | Removal usually covered? |
|---|---|
| Tree on the roof | Yes, under the debris limit, as part of the claim |
| Tree on a fence, shed or detached garage | Yes, under the debris limit |
| Tree across the lawn or the back of the lot | Usually not |
| Brush and limbs across the yard | Usually not |
Read the debris section of your own policy; some differ. Keep receipts: the regulator asks for records of labor and materials.
Photographs
Take them before anything is cut: each tree where it lies, the stump or root plate, and everything it touched. Then again as the work goes on if the insurer is involved.
Before anyone runs a saw
- Look up for hanging limbs first; see Hanging limb.
- Anything touching or near a line waits for the utility.
- Trunks lying on their own branches or across other trees are under tension, and they spring when cut. That is the work where storm cleanup injuries happen.
Curbside pickup
Cities and counties in the metro collect yard waste and storm debris under their own rules on bundle size, length and placement, and often add special pickups after big storms. Check your city’s or county’s sanitation page before stacking anything at the curb, and keep piles off the street, away from storm drains and clear of meters and hydrants.
What a crew does
Cuts trunks into rounds, chips the brush, hauls away what you do not want and rakes the site. Tell them whether you want to keep wood for firewood, and whether the chips can stay as mulch.
Checked against the sources below on 2026-10-11.