When a tree comes down on a house in East Texas, it’s usually in the middle of a storm or the night after one, when every tree service in town is getting calls. Here’s what to do first, and how to get help.
Call (903) 522-4690 to reach a local tree service in Tyler and Smith County.
Do this first
- Get everyone out of the affected rooms, and out of the house if the roof or walls are compromised.
- Stay away from any downed power lines, including lines tangled in the tree. Assume they’re live. Report them to your electric utility.
- If you smell gas, leave and call 911.
- Take photos of the tree and damage from several angles before anything is moved. Your insurer will want them.
- Call your insurance company to open a claim.
- Call a tree service to remove the tree and make the house safe so it can be tarped.
What emergency tree removal involves
Getting a tree off a roof is not like cutting down a standing tree. The weight is resting on the structure, and cutting it wrong can make the damage worse. Crews typically:
- Rig the tree with ropes, or use a crane for large trunks, to lift sections off without dropping them on the roof
- Cut and remove the tree in manageable pieces
- Leave the roof clear so a roofer or tarp crew can dry it in
- Clear driveways and access so you can get in and out
Hazards that can’t wait
Even when nothing’s been hit yet, call right away for:
- A tree or large limb hung up in another tree (a “widow-maker”)
- A tree that’s newly leaning after a storm, with lifted or cracked soil at the base
- A split trunk on a tree that’s over the house
- A tree resting on a power line. Call the utility first.
What it costs
Emergency removal is priced case by case. A tree on a house that needs a crane can run several thousand dollars, while a limb across a driveway may be a few hundred. Storm work and nights or weekends often cost more than scheduled jobs. Ask for an itemized invoice for insurance purposes.
Storms in Smith County
Spring thunderstorms with damaging straight-line winds, occasional tornadoes, the edges of Gulf hurricanes, and ice storms like the one in February 2021 all bring trees down around Tyler. Tall pines and older water oaks with internal rot are usually the first to go. If you have big trees close to the house, a trimming or removal assessment before storm season is cheaper than an emergency call after.
Call (903) 522-4690 for emergency tree removal in Tyler.