Tree Fell on Your House in Spokane? Do These 7 Things in the Next Hour

Spokane gets two hard windstorm seasons every year — late spring and late fall. Sustained gusts above 50 mph push our shallow-rooted ponderosas, firs, and cottonwoods past the breaking point. If a tree just hit your house, you're not alone — and what you do in the next hour matters.

We've worked alongside homeowners and insurance adjusters on hundreds of Spokane tree-on-house emergencies. Here's the exact step-by-step that protects your safety, your home, and your insurance claim.

Step 1: Get everyone out of the affected area immediately

Even if the roof looks stable, structural framing may be compromised. Move people and pets to a safe room or outside. Don't go upstairs, don't go into the attic, don't try to inspect damage from inside. Trees that have fallen partway through a roof can shift or fall further with no warning.

Step 2: Call 911 if there's any of these

• Visible damage to gas lines (smell of rotten eggs)
• Downed or contacting power lines
• Anyone trapped or injured
• Active fire or sparks
• Major structural collapse

Step 3: Document everything before you touch it

Before any cleanup, before any tarp, before any tree work — take photos and videos of everything from multiple angles. Insurance adjusters need to see the full extent of damage in its original state.

• Wide shots of the entire tree on the house
• Close-ups of all roof, gutter, siding, and structural damage
• Interior shots of any ceiling damage, water intrusion, or visible breach
• Photos of the broken tree base (root failure vs. trunk snap matters for claims)
• Damage to outbuildings, fences, vehicles, landscaping

Step 4: Call your insurance company

Open the claim before you do anything else. Most policies cover tree removal when the tree damages a covered structure, plus repairs, plus some loss-of-use coverage if you can't live in the home. Get your claim number in writing.

Important: most policies cover tree removal up to a limit (often $500–$1,000) only if the tree damaged a structure. A tree that fell into your yard but didn't hit anything is usually NOT covered — that's homeowner expense.

Step 5: Call an emergency tree removal company

This is where Spokane homeowners get burned. After a major windstorm, every tree company is slammed and out-of-town storm chasers descend on the city offering inflated prices for cash. Stick to local, licensed, insured Spokane companies that work with insurance directly.

We respond 24/7 to tree-on-house emergencies across Spokane. Call (509) 204-4333 — we'll quote on-site, work directly with your adjuster, and tarp the roof same-day to prevent water damage.

Step 6: Tarp and weatherproof temporarily

Once the tree is safely removed (or stabilized), the roof must be tarped immediately to prevent water damage. Spring storms always come in clusters — assume more rain within 48 hours. Most reputable tree companies will tarp as part of the emergency call. If not, call a roofer same-day.

Step 7: Save every receipt

Tree removal, tarping, hotel stays if displaced, board-up materials, even meals if your kitchen is unusable — save every receipt. Insurance reimburses qualified expenses but only with documentation.

What NOT to do

• Don't pay cash to roving "storm chaser" tree crews — they often disappear without finishing
• Don't sign anything from a public adjuster who shows up uninvited
• Don't let any tree crew start work without proof of insurance and a written estimate
• Don't dispose of the broken tree until your adjuster has seen it (or you have full photo documentation)
• Don't climb onto the roof to inspect damage — let professionals do it

How fast can we respond in Spokane?

For active emergencies (tree on home, blocking driveway, on power lines), we accept calls 24/7 across Spokane County and Kootenai County, ID. Response timing depends on location, weather, crew availability, and safe access — during major storm events we triage by life-safety risk first.