Between Spokane’s mature tree canopy and the windstorms that regularly sweep through Eastern Washington, a tree or large limb coming down on a roof is one of the more common emergency calls we get. It’s also one of the most stressful, since it usually happens suddenly, often at night or during a storm, and it’s not always obvious how serious the damage actually is from inside the house.
If this has just happened to you, here’s exactly what to do, in order, to keep everyone safe and protect your home from further damage while you get things repaired.
Step 1: Safety First, Before Anything Else
Before assessing any damage, make sure the immediate area is safe. If any part of the tree or its branches are near power lines, downed wires, or an electrical service connection to your home, stay away entirely and contact your utility company immediately. Downed lines combined with a fallen tree create a genuinely dangerous situation that isn’t worth investigating yourself, regardless of how urgent the roof damage feels.
If there’s any risk the tree has compromised structural support inside the home, cracked ceiling, sagging areas, or visible daylight through the roof from inside, avoid that room until a professional has assessed whether it’s safe to occupy.
Step 2: Assess the Damage From a Safe Distance
Once you’ve confirmed the area is safe, take a look at the damage without climbing onto the roof yourself. A fallen tree can compromise more of the structure than what’s immediately visible, and climbing onto a damaged roof significantly increases the risk of injury or of making the damage worse. Photograph what you can see from the ground and from windows, since this documentation will matter later.
Professional tree damage repair teams have the right equipment and safety training to properly evaluate impact damage, including checking the roof deck, framing, and surrounding shingles or roofing material for damage that extends beyond the immediate impact point.
Step 3: Get Emergency Tarping Before Weather Gets In
If the tree has created any opening in your roof, even a small one, your top priority is preventing water from entering the home while you wait for full repairs. This is especially critical in Spokane, where weather can shift quickly and additional rain or snow can turn a contained problem into significant interior water damage within hours.
Professional emergency tarping service provides a temporary, properly secured barrier that protects your home until permanent repairs can be completed. This is not something to attempt yourself unless you have roofing experience, since improperly secured tarps can blow off in continued wind or fail to fully protect the exposed area.
Step 4: Document Everything for Insurance
Before any cleanup or tree removal begins, thorough documentation matters for your insurance claim. Photograph the tree, the point of impact, any visible interior damage, and the surrounding area from multiple angles. Note the date and approximate time the tree fell if you know it, along with any weather conditions at the time.
A professional storm damage assessment provides an official, detailed record of the damage that carries more weight with insurance adjusters than homeowner photos alone. This assessment typically includes documentation of both the visible impact damage and any less obvious structural concerns that a trained eye would catch but a homeowner might miss.
Step 5: Professional Debris Removal and Repair
Once the immediate emergency is addressed and documentation is complete, the tree itself and any broken limbs need to be safely removed before repair work can begin. This isn’t a simple cleanup job when a tree is resting on or through a roof structure, since removal needs to happen carefully to avoid causing additional damage or triggering further structural movement.
Professional debris removal service handles this safely, using proper rigging and equipment to remove the tree without putting additional stress on an already compromised roof structure. Once debris is cleared, a full repair scope can be determined, which might range from targeted shingle and decking repair to more extensive structural work depending on the severity of the impact.
What Determines How Serious the Damage Actually Is
Not every tree impact results in the same level of damage. A small limb landing on an asphalt shingle roof might cause isolated, easily repairable damage, while a large tree trunk impacting a roof at a steep angle can cause structural damage to trusses or decking that isn’t visible without a thorough inspection. Factors that affect severity include the size and weight of the tree, the angle and speed of impact, and the condition and age of your roofing material at the time.
This is exactly why a professional assessment matters so much before assuming the damage is either minor or catastrophic based on what you can see from the ground. Thorough evaluation practices like this are standard across the roofing industry regardless of region. Specialists such as Lilac City Roofing Expert apply the same careful, safety-first evaluation process to storm and impact damage, since an accurate assessment upfront prevents both under-repairing a serious problem and over-repairing a minor one.
A tree falling on your roof is a genuine emergency, but following the right steps in order, safety first, then assessment, then temporary protection, then documentation, then professional removal and repair, gives you the best outcome both for your home and for your insurance claim. Don’t attempt to handle tree removal or roof assessment yourself if there’s any question about structural safety.
If a tree has recently damaged your roof, contact our team right away. We handle emergency tarping, safe debris removal, and full repair from start to finish, so you’re not left managing multiple contractors during an already stressful situation.
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