A tree on a roof is not a tree problem anymore. Taken off the wrong way, it does more damage coming off than it did going on.
When a tree comes down on a house, the instinct is to get it off as fast as possible. That instinct is usually wrong, and it is where most of the avoidable damage happens.
A tree lying across a roof is often holding itself up on the structure it broke. Pull it sideways with a strap and it drags across the decking, peeling shingles and opening up framing that was intact. Cut it in the wrong order and the weight shifts, dropping a section through a ceiling that was holding.
So the work goes the other way around. The tree gets taken apart from the outside in — limbs off first to take the load down, then the trunk in sections small enough to lift clear rather than slide. Weight comes off gradually and in a direction we choose. It takes longer than dragging it off, and it's the reason the repair bill is for what the tree did rather than what the removal did.
One of our Google reviews is from a roofing company. They called us to get a tree off a customer's roof so they could repair the damaged area: "His crew of very hard working and the clean up was seamless. It was like they were never even there." When a roofer picks who takes the tree off before they start their own work, that's the recommendation that counts.
Everything about this job is organized around one idea: the tree comes off in the direction and the order we decide.
Sections are cut small enough to carry off the roof instead of sliding across decking and shingles.
Limbs come off first so the weight on the structure drops in steps, not all at once.
On a roof, the tree and the framing are now one system. The cutting order is the whole job.
Branches off the roof, debris out of the gutters, the yard raked. Ready for the roofer.
Get everyone out of the rooms under the impact, including upstairs. A ceiling that's holding now may not be in an hour, especially if it's taking on water. Pets too — they tend to go toward the quiet damaged part of the house, not away from it.
Don't go up on the roof, and don't go into the attic to look. Both are reasonable instincts and both put you under a load nobody has assessed yet.
Take photographs from the ground, from several angles, before anything is moved — wide enough to show the whole tree and the house together, and closer shots of where it made contact. We don't file insurance claims and we're not going to pretend to advise you on one, but photos of how it actually landed only exist before somebody moves it.
Then call. If there are power lines anywhere in it, say so first thing, and call your utility before you call us. If rain is coming, mention that too — it changes what we prioritize, because water getting into an open roof causes more damage overnight than the tree did on impact.
Every tree-on-structure job is quoted before work starts, emergency or not.
Quickly, but the honest answer is that the tree sitting on the roof usually isn't what's doing ongoing damage — water coming through the opening is. If the forecast is dry, a few hours of careful planning beats a rushed removal in the dark. If rain is coming, that changes the urgency and we'll say so.
Any amount of weight on a roof risks some additional damage coming off — what we control is how much. Cutting small and lifting clear rather than dragging is the whole difference. A crew in a hurry with a strap and a truck can easily double the repair.
We clear the tree and the debris; the roof repair itself belongs to a roofer. For a temporary cover on an open roof, that's roofing work and should be done by someone who does it — a tarp fastened wrong can make the leak worse. Tell us what you need and we'll make sure the area is clear for whoever comes next.
No — we do the tree work and give you a written price for it. We're not adjusters and we won't guess at what your policy covers. What we'd suggest is simple: photograph everything before it's moved, and keep our written estimate and invoice. Those are the documents that are actually useful to you.
Then that part comes first and it isn't ours. Call your utility — the service drop to your house is usually their responsibility up to the connection point. Once it's de-energized or disconnected we can work. Tell us about it on the first call so we're not finding out on arrival.
Yes, and those need extra care — the roof structure isn't built to carry the point loads a stick-built roof can, so taking weight off in stages matters even more. Let us know what kind of structure it is when you call.
From the first phone call to the last limb hauled off, here's exactly what to expect.
Call or text 478-972-8036. Send a photo of the tree and JC can usually tell you right there what it will take.
JC walks the job, checks what's above it and what's under it, and gives you a straight price in writing. Free, no obligation.
The crew brings the right gear for the tree and the space it's in — and we work it down in a way that protects what's around it.
Every limb, every round, every bit of debris hauled off. The job isn't finished until the yard looks like we were never there.
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