Storm damage tree removal in Albany, GA
When wind brings a tree down on your property, what you do first matters. Here's the order that keeps people safe and claims clean.
Albany gets a lot of thunder. The city records thunder on about 86 days a year, and between summer storms, spring squall lines and tropical systems coming up from the Gulf, falling trees are a regular part of life here. The January 2017 storms and Hurricane Michael in 2018 showed how fast a neighborhood of big trees can turn into a neighborhood of trees on roofs.
What should I do first?
- Look up. If a tree or limb is touching a power line, stay back and call your electric utility. Georgia law bars work within 10 feet of an overhead high-voltage line until the utility has been notified and has made it safe.
- Get people clear. If a tree is on the house, keep everyone out of the rooms underneath it until it's removed.
- Take pictures. Photograph the tree, the roof, vehicles and the yard before anything gets moved.
- Call your insurer. Ask what your policy covers and whether an adjuster wants to see it first.
- Call a tree service. Tell them what's on what and whether it's hung up, so they bring the right gear.
Can I cut it up myself?
Limbs lying flat on the lawn, maybe. Anything bent, twisted, hung in another tree or resting on a structure is under tension and can spring back or roll when cut. That's work for an experienced crew with the right rigging. As of 2017, Georgia had the third-highest rate of reported tree care incidents in the country, according to Tree Care Industry Association data cited by a state House committee.
Be careful with door knockers
After big storms, crews from out of town show up quickly. Georgia doesn't license tree companies, so there's no state license to look up. Get a written quote, ask for insurance certificates sent from the insurer, find out where the company is based, and don't hand over a large payment before the work starts.
What about the trees that are still standing?
Torn bark and broken limbs are open wounds, and storm-stressed pines attract Ips bark beetles. The Georgia Forestry Commission recommends removing storm-damaged pines promptly while avoiding injury to the healthy trees left behind. Ask the company to look over the rest of the yard while they're there, and see hazardous tree removal for what to watch.
Every tree job is priced on site, after the company sees the tree, what it could hit and how a truck, lift or grinder can reach it. We don't quote prices, and any number given over the phone before a visit is a rough guess at best.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Will my homeowners insurance pay to remove a fallen tree?
It depends on the policy and on what the tree hit. Call your insurer before major work starts, and keep photos and receipts.
A tree is lying on the line to my house. Who do I call?
Your electric utility, first. Stay back, keep others away, and don't let anyone cut until the utility says the line is safe.
Related services
More background: Albany, GA tree removal guide.
Water oak on the roof, a pine snapped in the last storm, or a stump in the middle of the yard?
Call and get connected with a local tree service that can come look at it.