1. Get Everyone Safe Before You Touch Anything
Before pictures, before phone calls, before anything: clear the area.
- Move people and pets to an interior room away from the impact zone
- Shut off power at the breaker if the tree hit the service mast or a wall
- Stay out of the attic. Trusses can fail without warning under a load
- Do not climb the roof. Wet limbs and broken decking are a fall trap
- If you smell gas or hear sparking, leave the house and call 911
- Keep kids and pets on a leash or in a carrier until the yard is cleared of debris
- Watch for downed lines in the yard, even ones that look dead can re energize
2. Document the Damage From the Ground
Insurance adjusters love photos. The more, the better.
- Wide shots showing the tree, the roof, and the surrounding yard
- Close ups of crushed shingles, snapped rafters, or punctured decking
- Interior shots of any ceiling stains, drywall cracks, or insulation displacement
- A short video walking around the home narrating what you see
- Time stamped photos of any belongings damaged by water intrusion
- Shots of the tree base showing whether it uprooted or snapped at the trunk
- Photos of fences, sheds, vehicles, and landscaping caught in the fall path
Save everything to cloud storage the same day. Phones get lost, and a wet phone in a chaotic week is a real possibility.
10. Prevent the Next One
You cannot stop every storm, but you can stack the odds.
- Trim limbs to keep at least 10 feet of clearance from the roof plane
- Remove dead or hollow trees within falling distance of the house
- Inspect large hardwoods every 2 to 3 years for rot, cavities, or lean
- Clean gutters in fall so leaf weight does not invite limb breakage
- Schedule a roof inspection after any storm with 50+ mph wind gusts
- Watch for mushrooms or fungus at the base of trunks, a sign of internal decay
- Note any sudden lean after heavy rain and call an arborist before the next storm
Most Spiceland homeowners do not think about the trees over the roof until one is on it. Ten minutes with a pair of binoculars twice a year is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
Work the list in order and a chaotic tree strike on a Spiceland roof becomes a sequence of clear, manageable steps from the first minute to the final repair.
9. Think About the Rebuild, Not Just the Patch
If you are replacing anyway, this is your chance to upgrade.
- Class 4 impact resistant shingles often earn an insurance discount
- Synthetic underlayment outperforms felt in tear strength and water resistance
- Upgraded ridge ventilation reduces attic heat and moisture year round
- Ice and water shield in valleys protects the spots most likely to fail
- Drip edge metal in a color that matches your gutters cleans up the look
- Starter strip on rakes and eaves dramatically improves wind uplift resistance
- Six nail patterns instead of four extend manufacturer wind warranties
6. Handle the Insurance Claim Like a Pro
Most homeowner policies cover sudden tree damage. The details matter.
- Read your declarations page for wind, falling object, and dwelling limits
- Note your deductible. Spiceland policies commonly run $1,000 to $2,500
- Keep every receipt: tarps, hotel stays, board up materials, tree removal
- Do not sign a final settlement until a roofer has inspected the structure
- Ask your contractor to attend the adjuster meeting if possible
- Request a copy of the adjuster's scope of loss, line by line
- Dispute missed items in writing within the policy's stated window
Tree removal coverage is often capped (commonly $500 to $1,000) unless the tree hits an insured structure, in which case removal of the portion on the structure is usually covered. We walk through this with every customer during our claim assistance, and our team has handled hundreds of Spiceland files. If you want a deeper read, our breakdown of storm damage insurance claims covers the gotchas.
8. Pick a Contractor Who Will Not Disappear
After every major storm, out of state crews show up. Be careful.
- Verify Spiceland licensing and a local physical address
- Check BBB accreditation and at least 3 years of local reviews
- Ask for manufacturer credentials (Owens Corning Preferred, Malarkey Certified)
- Confirm workers comp and general liability before any crew climbs the ladder
- Get the scope, materials, and warranty in writing before signing
- Avoid anyone asking for full payment up front or pressuring a same day signature
- Confirm the company will pull permits in your name, not subcontract that out
Spiceland Roofing has been working Spiceland roofs long enough to be standing here next year, and the year after that, when a warranty claim actually matters.
5. Know the Difference Between Repair and Replace
Not every tree strike means a new roof. Here is how we sort it on site.
- Single limb, localized damage, decking intact: usually a targeted roof repair
- Trunk strike across multiple rafters: structural rebuild plus partial reroof
- Older roof (18+ years) with widespread granule loss: often a full roof replacement makes more sense
- Damage spans more than one slope: replacement is usually cleaner for matching
- Insurance approves replacement: you almost always come out ahead taking it
- Discontinued shingle line: matching is nearly impossible, replacement protects resale value
7. Get the Roof Tarped Within 24 to 48 Hours
An open roof is a ticking clock, especially in Spiceland spring rain.
- Tarps should be heavy duty (6 mil minimum) and properly anchored
- Tarp edges need to extend 4 feet past the damage in every direction
- Anchoring with 2x4 furring strips beats nailing directly through tarp grommets
- A good tarp lasts 30 to 90 days, long enough for proper repairs
- DIY tarping voids many manufacturer warranties on remaining shingles
- Document the tarp install with photos for the claim file
4. Understand What Actually Got Damaged
A fallen tree rarely causes one type of damage. Expect a mix.
- Shingles: torn, displaced, or pulverized along the impact line
- Decking: cracked OSB or plywood, often hidden under intact looking shingles
- Rafters or trusses: split, cracked, or shifted off the top plate
- Gutters and fascia: bent, torn loose, or pulled away from the soffit
- Flashing: chimney, valley, or step flashing knocked out of alignment
- Ventilation: ridge vents crushed, box vents snapped, pipe boots cracked
- Interior: ceiling sag, attic insulation soaked, drywall fractured at corners
- Chimney: displaced bricks, cracked crown, or bent chase covers
- Skylights: shattered glass, twisted frames, or compromised flashing aprons
The hidden damage is what bites homeowners six months later. A limb that bounced off the ridge can stress decking two slopes away, and that is the kind of thing only a walk on inspection catches.
3. Call the Right People in the Right Order
Order matters. Make these calls in sequence:
- Your insurance carrier to open a claim and get a claim number
- A licensed tree removal company for safe limb extraction
- A roofing contractor for emergency tarping and a real damage assessment
- An electrician if the service mast, meter, or weatherhead was hit
- A plumber only if water lines or vent stacks were sheared
Tree crews remove the tree. They do not assess roof structure. That is where a roofer comes in, and where our free roof inspections save Spiceland homeowners from guessing what is under the mess.