Home insurance and tree damage
Home insurance can cover tree damage, but not pruning or damage by tree root. Compare 6+ policies that’ll protect you.
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The way insurance covers tree damage varies between policies, but generally the following applies:
Response | Gen Z | Gen Y | Gen X | Baby Boomers |
---|---|---|---|---|
Theft | 14.61% | 26.09% | 33.55% | 34.66% |
Peace of mind | 11.24% | 27.99% | 36.51% | 53.41% |
Flood protection | 10.11% | 10.05% | 9.87% | 6.82% |
Fire protection | 8.99% | 22.55% | 32.24% | 40.34% |
Storm damage | 8.99% | 16.3% | 23.68% | 35.23% |
Because it is a requirement of my home loan | 9.51% | 7.89% | 3.98% | |
Other | 0.27% | 0.33% | 0.57% |
When dealing with issues with your neighbours, you should always do your best to keep things friendly and resolve things amicably. Ordinarily, damage as a result of tree roots either to you or your neighbour's home is not something that home insurance covers. If this is the case, it may be worth coming to a solution with your neighbour about removing the tree.
However, in some cases, if the tree roots are causing serious harm to your neighbour's home, you may be liable to pay. This can include things like structural damage to the property, such as crushed pipes, damaged roofs and walls or cracked foundations.
If you do have a large tree on your property, you may want to look into getting cover for damage to your home or other's property. Many policies will specifically exclude damage caused by roots so finding cover can be difficult.
If your neighbour's tree roots are damaging your property, it can be difficult to get cover. That's because it's common for insurers not to cover the cost of removing tree stumps and roots still in the ground. However, there are some things you can do:
If the tree roots are doing damage to your property, speak to your neighbour and try to come to an amicable agreement. You might be able to go through their insurance or split the costs 50/50.
If you can prove that their tree roots are causing serious damage to your home, they may be liable to pay. This can include things like structural damage to the property, such as crushed pipes, damaged roofs and walls or cracked foundations.
You may have to go through your insurer if your neighbour is refusing to pay. If this is the case, you'll need to make sure you are covered. While many insurers do not cover you for the roots of trees, you can find cover, for example, if your pipes or drains are destroyed or blocked by roots under the insured event commonly known as 'Escape of liquid'. This might be an easier option that taking the matter to court.
General exclusions are restrictions that apply to all cover types, including the liability component.
For example, a common general exclusion is “movement of the earth”. If a tree’s roots undermine your neighbour’s property and end up causing the ground to collapse, you might not be covered by your policy.
With some insurance policies, you may need to add on more for the demolition, removal of debris and redesign costs. This component alone could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Angelo Azar
Honey Insurance
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