Tree Fell on Your House in Vaughan?

The First Hour, in Order

Work through these five steps in order.

1. Get people clear

Move everyone out of the rooms under and next to the impact. A tree resting on a roof can shift as wind moves the crown or as rain adds weight. If ceilings sag, walls crack or you hear creaking, leave the house.

2. Check for wires and gas

Look at the line running from the pole to your house. If the tree is on it or the line is down, stay at least 10 m back and call 911 or Alectra Utilities. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 from outside.

3. Call 911 if anyone is hurt

Then call your insurer. Most have a claims line that runs around the clock, and they will tell you what they need before work starts.

4. Photograph everything

Take wide shots of the house and tree from the street, then close shots of the roof, gutters, siding, windows and any damage inside. Photos taken before the tree moves are the best evidence you will have.

5. Protect what you can from inside

Put buckets under leaks, move furniture and electronics away from wet areas, and shut off power to a room only if you can reach the panel safely and the floor is dry.

What Not to Do

• Do not climb onto the roof. Wet shingles, broken framing and a loaded tree make it the most dangerous place on the property.
• Do not cut branches that are holding the tree up. Cutting the wrong limb can drop the trunk further into the house.
• Do not pull the tree off with a truck, a winch or a rope. That drags it across the roof and rips out whatever it touches.
• Do not touch or move anything that rests on a wire.

How a Tree Comes Off a House

Getting a tree off a roof is about control. We study how the tree is sitting, which parts are holding weight and where each piece can be lowered. Then we take it apart from the top down, tie off each section and lower it on ropes to the ground crew, so nothing slides across the roof or drops onto the deck.

Once the weight is off, we cut the trunk and limbs into pieces, chip the branches and haul the wood, unless you want some kept for the insurer to see. The yard gets raked and the driveway swept before we leave, so the roofer can get straight to work.

After the Tree Is Off

Once the weight is gone, walk around the house with your phone again. Check the eavestroughs and fascia for bends, the soffit for gaps and the siding for punctures. Look in the attic with a flashlight for daylight, wet insulation or cracked rafters. Inside, watch the ceilings for new stains over the next few days, since water can travel along framing before it shows.

Send all of it to your insurer and your roofer. Small dents nobody reported become arguments later.

Insurance and Ownership

People ask first whose tree it was. In Ontario, homeowner policies often cover damage from a tree that falls in a storm, whether it came from your yard, a neighbour’s or the boulevard. A claim against a neighbour usually needs negligence, such as a tree they knew was dead and left standing. Every policy is different, so read yours and ask your insurer. We are not giving legal advice.

If the tree came from the boulevard between the sidewalk and the road, report it to City of Vaughan Public Works at 905-832-8585. Do not hire anyone to cut a City tree.

Keep every receipt. The cost of getting the tree off the house is usually part of the claim.

Why It Happens on Vaughan Streets

The trees that end up on houses here are usually big, old and close. Mature silver maples and Norway maples on older streets in Woodbridge, Thornhill and Concord drop heavy limbs in wind and ice. In Maple and Vellore Village, many ash trees killed by emerald ash borer were never taken down, and dead ash turns brittle fast. Wet clay soil after days of rain lets whole trees tip.

A tree that falls rarely gives no warning. Dead limbs, a new lean, cracks where the trunk forks, or mushrooms at the base all show up first. If you have another tree over the house, read about the warning signs after a storm.

When to Call Us

Phone or message us between 8am and 8pm, any day of the week, and attach photos if you can. We arrive that day, work out how the tree comes off and put a firm price in writing for your insurer. See how we handle storm-damaged trees.

If anyone is hurt or a line is down, call 911 first.