Storm-damaged trees — what to do next

Stay safe first

Before anyone grabs a chainsaw or starts dragging limbs, slow down. Storm damage kills and injures people every year — often after the storm has passed.

• Downed power lines. Never touch them. Never assume they’re dead. Stay well clear, keep kids and pets away, and call the utility (and 911 if someone is in immediate danger). Tree work near lines belongs to qualified line crews or coordinated professionals — not a weekend DIY.
• Hung-up limbs. Branches caught in other trees or resting on roofs can release without warning. Don’t climb under them or yank them free from below.
• Split or leaning trees. A trunk that’s cracked or newly leaning toward the house can finish falling when the wind shifts. Give it space.
• Your own limits. Wet wood, ladders, and fatigue are a bad mix. It’s okay to wait for daylight and a clear head.

Call insurance (and us) before you cut

This is the part that saves people thousands of dollars — and it’s easy to get wrong when you’re stressed and just want the tree off the house.

A lot of homeowners policies mainly pay for storm tree damage when the tree or limb is still on what it hit — the house, the garage, the car, the fence. If someone cuts it away and hauls it off before the insurance company has a chance to see it, the claim can shrink or disappear. “It was barely on the roof” or “it was on the car for an hour” still counts: once it’s cut free and gone, it’s harder (sometimes impossible) to prove what the insurer would have covered.

• Talk to your insurance company first — before friends, neighbors, or a door-knocker start cutting. Ask what they need to see and whether you should wait for an adjuster.
• Talk to Aspen before the cutting starts. We’ve dealt with storm claims and insurance companies for decades. We can help you know what to ask, what photos matter, and how to describe the damage so you’re not guessing alone.
• Don’t let someone “just get you out from under it” with a quick cut-and-run unless it’s a true life-safety emergency (and even then, photograph first if you can do it safely). That free or cheap “we’ll clear it right now” pitch can cost you the coverage you would have had.
• Life safety is different from cleanup. If a limb is about to fall on people, get clear and call for help. But everyday “get it off the roof/car so we can mow” is usually a claim conversation first — not a race to the chainsaw.

Bottom line: call your insurer, then call us (810-686-5650) before anyone starts cutting tree debris that’s still on the house, car, or other damaged property. We’re the local crew that knows how to work with the insurance process — not against it.

What to photograph for your insurer

If you may file a claim, photos (and short video) help you and your adjuster see what happened. Take them when it’s safe to do so — not while standing under hung limbs or near lines.

• The tree itself — whole tree, the break or uproot, and where it landed
• Damage to structures — house, garage, fence, shed, deck
• Vehicles — if anything was hit
• Close-ups — torn shingles, cracked siding, broken glass, fence posts
• Wider shots — so the location on the property is obvious
• Date context — phone photos usually embed a date; a quick note in your phone about when the storm hit helps too

Don’t wait for a perfect camera setup. Clear phone pictures from a safe distance are typically better than none. Ask your insurer what they want before you dispose of debris they may need to see — policies differ.

Temporary cleanup vs full removal

Not every storm job is “take the whole tree down today.” Matching the work to the risk (and your budget) usually makes more sense.

Temporary / priority cleanup often makes sense when:

• You need driveways, doors, or walkways cleared so you can live in the house
• Hung limbs or broken tops are an immediate hazard but the main trunk may still be sound
• You’re waiting on an adjuster visit and only need the dangerous pieces made safe

Full removal often makes sense when:

• The tree is uprooted, split through the trunk, or leaning into a target with no safe prune option
• What’s left is mostly dead or structurally failed
• Leaving a shattered trunk creates ongoing risk for the next storm

We’ll say which path we’re looking at on a walkthrough — and if monitoring or a lighter prune is enough, we’ll say that too.

Storm-chaser caution

After big storms, out-of-town crews sometimes go door to door. Many are fine people; some are not. A soft checklist that protects neighbors:

• High-pressure “sign today” quotes. A good crew can usually give you a clear price without making you feel rushed while you’re stressed.
• Cash-only, large deposits up front. Be cautious about big cash demands before any work starts — especially from someone you just met.
• No proof of insurance (COI). Ask for a certificate of insurance. Reputable local companies expect that question.
• No local references or phone number you can verify. Word-of-mouth still matters in Genesee County.

There’s another insurance angle: a crew that shows up and starts cutting the tree off your house or car “so you’re free” can wipe out the claim you would have had. That “help” can end up costing you thousands. Slow down, call your insurer, and call a local outfit that understands claims — that’s us.

We’re not trying to scare you — just help you avoid a bad experience when you’re already dealing with a mess. Local, accountable help is usually worth a short wait when the job isn’t an immediate life-safety emergency.

How Aspen can help when available

Aspen Tree Service does storm work when we have availability. After a widespread event, the phone gets busy and we work through calls as fairly as we can — safety hazards and existing customers first when we have to prioritize.

Call 810-686-5650 to check whether we can get to you. If we can’t take it right away, we’ll be honest. If we can, we’ll look at the tree, help you think through the insurance conversation, talk temporary cleanup vs removal, and give you a clear estimate — we trim the tree, not the customer.

Dealing with storm work and insurers is part of what we do. You don’t have to figure out the “what do I tell the adjuster?” part alone.

Common questions homeowners ask

“The tree fell but didn’t hit the house — now what?”

You’re often still dealing with a removal or cleanup cost, a stump decision, and whether anything else is damaged (fence, shed, landscaping). Photograph what you can safely. Call your insurer to ask how your policy typically treats trees that fall without hitting the dwelling — answers vary. Call us if you want an assessment of what’s left standing and how to clear the yard safely.

“Who pays for removal?”

It depends on your policy, whose tree it was, and what was damaged. Homeowners often ask us this first; the honest answer is: ask your insurer (and, if a neighbor’s tree is involved, talk with them calmly too). We can document what we see and give you an estimate for the work — we can’t promise what a claim will cover.

“Should I move the debris before the adjuster comes?”

Ask your insurer first — and call us. Many policies care that the tree or limb is still on the damaged property when they document the loss. Cutting it away early because someone offered to “get you out” can cost you the claim. Photos from a safe distance help; clearing a walkway for safety is different from removing the evidence of what hit the house or car. Don’t put yourself under hung limbs to tidy up for a photo.

“Someone’s already here with a saw — should I let them start?”

Not until you’ve talked to your insurance company (and preferably us). A rushed cut on a tree that’s still on the house or car can turn a covered claim into an out-of-pocket bill for thousands. Local help that understands insurance is worth the phone call.