Does Home Insurance Cover Tree Damage?

Trees are one of the most valuable features of any property. They provide shade, privacy, habitat and real aesthetic appeal. But when a tree falls, a branch comes through a roof or roots begin pushing through a foundation, the financial consequences can be significant.

Understanding what your home insurance policy covers before something goes wrong can save you considerable stress when you need to make a claim.

Can you claim tree and tree root damage on insurance? The short answer is that it depends. Home insurance policies in Australia vary between insurers, and the circumstances of the damage play a major role in determining whether a claim will be accepted. Here is what property owners in Mandurah and across WA need to know.

What Types of Tree Damage Are Commonly Covered?

Most standard home and contents insurance policies in Australia cover tree damage from a sudden, unforeseen event. The key word here is sudden. If a storm rolls through Mandurah and a healthy tree is uprooted by high winds and lands on your roof, that is typically the kind of event your insurer will cover. Common scenarios that are generally included under most policies are:

Storm damage

If a tree falls onto your home, garage, fence or vehicle as a direct result of a storm, your policy will usually cover the cost of repairing the structure and, in many cases, the cost of removing the fallen tree or branch. The South West coast regularly experiences severe winter storms, and this is one of the most common reasons WA homeowners make tree-related insurance claims.

Sudden tree failure

Sometimes a tree collapses without an obvious weather event. Where a tree was not visibly dead or diseased prior to failure, most insurers will treat the event similarly to storm damage and cover the resulting structural harm.

Damage to neighbouring property

If a tree from your property falls and damages your neighbour’s home or vehicle, your home liability cover may apply. Similarly, if a tree from a neighbouring property falls onto yours, you may be able to claim against your own policy while your insurer pursues the neighbour’s.

What Is Not Covered?

This is where many homeowners run into difficulty. Exclusions and limitations vary between policies, but there are several common scenarios where a claim is likely to be declined.

Gradual damage

If tree roots have slowly cracked a foundation, damaged a sewer line or lifted paving over a period of months or years, most insurers will not cover the cost of repairs. Gradual damage is almost universally excluded from standard home insurance policies. The insurer’s position is that the damage was foreseeable and preventable through regular maintenance.

Pre-existing conditions

If a tree was visibly dead, diseased or structurally compromised before a storm event, an insurer may argue that the owner was aware of the risk and failed to act on it. This is one of the reasons why documented tree risk assessments are so valuable for property owners. An arborist report that shows a tree was assessed and found to be in sound condition at the time of inspection can be critical evidence in a disputed claim.

Lack of maintenance

Policies often include a general duty of maintenance. If damage results from a tree that was clearly neglected, overgrown or in poor condition for an extended period, the claim may be reduced or rejected.

The tree itself

Most policies will cover the damage the tree caused, but not the cost of removing the tree from where it fell onto open ground away from a structure. If a tree falls into your garden without hitting anything insured, removal costs may not be covered.

Does Home Insurance Cover Tree Root Damage?

Whether or not home insurance covers tree root damage to foundations, pipes and paving is one of the most common questions homeowners ask, and unfortunately, it’s one of the most common sources of disappointment at claim time. As a general rule, tree root damage to foundations is not covered by standard home insurance policies in Australia because it falls under the category of gradual damage.

So, does homeowners insurance cover tree root damage to a neighbour’s property? It depends on the specific policy and the circumstances. If the roots caused a sudden, catastrophic failure of an underground pipe that resulted in immediate structural damage, some policies may provide limited cover. However, slow-moving root intrusion into drainage systems is rarely covered regardless of which property the tree belongs to.

If you suspect tree roots are affecting your foundation, drainage or paving, the best course of action is to have the situation assessed by a qualified arborist sooner rather than later. Documented evidence of early intervention can support your position with your insurer and, in some cases, with a neighbour if the tree belongs to them.

Steps for Filing a Tree Damage Insurance Claim

If tree damage has occurred on your property, moving through the claims process promptly and methodically will give you the best outcome.

Step one: Make the area safe

If a tree or branch has fallen and created an immediate hazard, prioritise safety first. Contact an emergency arborist to attend and make the site safe before anything else.

Step two: Document everything

Before any clean-up work begins, thoroughly photograph and video the damage. Capture the fallen tree or branch, the point of failure, all damage to structures and the broader site context. The more documentation you have, the stronger your claim.

Step three: Contact your insurer promptly

Notify your insurer as soon as possible after the event. Most policies require you to report damage within a reasonable timeframe. Your insurer will advise on their assessment process and whether they will send their own assessor to inspect the site.

Step four: Obtain an arborist report

A professional arborist report documenting the condition of the tree, the nature of the failure and whether the event was foreseeable provides independent evidence to support your claim. This is particularly important in disputed claims where the insurer questions whether the tree was previously hazardous.

Step five: Keep all receipts

Retain documentation for any emergency works, temporary repairs or associated costs. These may form part of your claim.

Tips for Documenting Tree Damage

Good documentation starts before an incident, not after. Property owners with significant trees can protect themselves by:

• Having trees assessed by a qualified arborist periodically and keeping copies of any reports
• Photographing trees on the property as part of annual home maintenance records
• Noting and acting promptly on any visible changes to tree health or structure
• Keeping records of any tree maintenance works carried out, including dates and contractor details

After an incident, photograph everything before anything is moved or cleaned up. Wide shots showing the full scene are just as important as close-up images of the damage itself.

Get a Professional Assessment

Whether you are dealing with storm damage, concerned about a tree’s condition before the next storm season or trying to understand whether tree root movement is affecting your property, a qualified arborist assessment is the most important step you can take.

Asset Tree Care provides arborist reports for insurance claims, pre-damage condition assessments and tree risk assessments across Mandurah, the Peel region and the South West. 

Hamish Clapham works directly with homeowners and insurers to provide clear, professional documentation that supports the claims process. Call Hamish on 0490 762 201 or get in touch through our contact page to book an assessment.