Storm Season in Nashville: What to Do When a Tree Comes Down
The short version
Stay away from any line the tree touched and call 911. Take photos before anything is moved. If the tree hit your house, garage or fence, most homeowners policies cover the damage and part of the removal cost. If it fell in the yard and hit nothing, removal usually is not covered. Call your insurer quickly, keep every receipt, and be careful with anyone who knocks on your door offering to handle it all.
On this page: Right after the storm · Document the damage · Does insurance cover it? · Working with your insurance · Before cleanup · The stump that’s left · By neighborhood · FAQ
Right after the storm
- Treat every downed line as live. NES says to assume a downed power line is energized, stay at least 30 feet away and call 911. You can also report downed lines to NES at 615-234-0000. Don’t touch or cut limbs that are touching a line, and keep kids and pets back. (NES Outages, NES Storm Center)
- Check people and pets first, then look at the house from a safe distance. If a tree is on the roof or through a wall, stay out of those rooms until someone qualified has looked at it.
- If you smell gas, leave and call 911 from a safe spot.
- Running a generator? Only outdoors, at least 15 feet from the house and never near a window, door or vent, per the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
- Power out? Report it to NES at 615-234-0000, on the NES outage map or by texting OUT to 637797.
Document the damage before anything moves
- Take photos and video first. Get wide shots that show where the tree landed, then close-ups of the roof, siding, gutters, fence, cars and anything else it hit.
- Photograph the stump and trunk too. It helps show whether the tree was healthy, which can matter if it came from a neighbor’s yard.
- Write down the date and time the tree came down and what the weather was doing.
Does insurance cover a fallen tree?
Every policy is different, so your own policy and your agent have the final word. Here is how it usually works, based on the Insurance Information Institute and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance:
| What happened | What usually happens with insurance |
|---|---|
| Tree hit your house, detached garage or fence | Damage to the structure and its contents is usually covered. Removal is usually covered too, generally up to about $500 to $1,000 depending on the insurer and policy. |
| Your neighbor’s tree hit your house | You file with your own insurer. If the tree was dead or neglected, your insurer may go after the neighbor’s insurer, and you may get your deductible back. |
| Tree fell in the yard and hit nothing | Removal usually isn’t covered. Some insurers pay if it blocks your driveway or a wheelchair ramp. |
| Replacing the tree you lost | Usually not covered for wind. Standard policies cover trees and shrubs only for causes like fire, lightning, theft and vandalism, with limits. |
| Grinding out the stump | Often not included. Removal coverage is about getting the tree off the house and property. Ask your adjuster. |
Working with your insurance
- Call your insurer or agent quickly with your policy number. Some policies require notice within a set time. (TDCI)
- Prevent more damage if it’s safe, like tarping a roof or boarding a broken window, and keep every receipt. Hold off on big permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the damage. (Insurance Information Institute)
- Keep a claim folder with your claim number, photos, receipts, estimates and notes on every call: who you talked to, the date and time, and what was said.
- Get written estimates that list exactly what will be done, including whether the tree, limbs and debris are hauled away. TDCI suggests getting the debris work listed in writing and inspecting the work before you make the final payment.
- Hire carefully. Ask for proof of insurance and any license the job needs, and check licenses at verify.tn.gov. Get more than one bid and ask for references.
- Watch for storm chasers. Be wary of door-to-door offers, high-pressure “sign today” deals, or anyone who wants cash up front. Tennessee home improvement law limits a deposit to one-third of the contract price. Don’t sign anything you haven’t had time to read.
- If a claim is denied and you think it shouldn’t have been, TDCI can step in for Tennessee policies. Call 615-741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029.
Before cleanup
- Call Tennessee 811 before any digging or grinding. It’s free. State law asks for at least three working days’ notice, and a hired company needs its own ticket. 811 doesn’t mark private lines like sprinklers, dog fences or lines out to a shed. (Tennessee 811 FAQ)
- Check Metro’s brush schedule before stacking limbs at the curb. Metro collects from single-family homes four times a year on 12 routes. Look up your start date in the Nashville Waste Wizard, and set brush out before it. (Metro brush and leaf collection)
- Cut limbs to size. Metro takes limbs up to 4 inches across and 12 feet long, and stumps up to 8 inches across with no dirt or root ball. Don’t stack brush against mailboxes, fences or poles.
- Live in Belle Meade, Forest Hills or Berry Hill, or on a private street? Metro doesn’t collect there. Check with your city.
- Hiring a tree service? Metro won’t pick up debris left by a hired company, so make sure haul-away is in the price.
- Need it gone sooner? Davidson County residents can drop off brush free at the Living Earth sites at 1511 Elm Hill Pike and 6401 Centennial Blvd. Trailers pay a fee.
The stump that’s left after storm cleanup
Once the tree service has cut up the trunk and hauled it off, you’re usually left with a stump, and sometimes a torn-up root plate where the tree tipped over. That’s the part we handle. We grind the stump below the soil line so you can fill, seed or plant over the spot. If roots were pulled up when the tree went over, we can grind those down too.
Send us a photo of the stump, its width at ground level and your narrowest gate, and we’ll give you a free quote. If your insurer is involved, we’ll put the quote in writing so it can go in your claim folder. See how stump grinding works, root removal or the cost guide.
By neighborhood
We work across Nashville and nearby Middle Tennessee. These neighborhoods and cities have their own pages:
Nashville neighborhoods: Donelson · Hermitage · Madison · Antioch · Bellevue · Green Hills · Old Hickory · East Nashville · Whites Creek · Crieve Hall · Inglewood · Bordeaux · Sylvan Park · The Nations · 12 South · West End · Germantown
Nearby cities: Goodlettsville · Brentwood · Franklin · Nolensville · Mount Juliet · Hendersonville · Gallatin · Smyrna · Belle Meade · Forest Hills · Oak Hill
Sources
- NES: Outages and NES Storm Center
- Insurance Information Institute: If a tree falls on your house, are you covered?
- Insurance Information Institute: How to file a homeowners claim
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance: insurance, safety and contractor tips after Winter Storm Fern (Jan. 2026)
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance: tips after the Dec. 2023 tornadoes
- Tennessee 811: FAQ
- Metro Nashville: Brush and leaf collection
This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your policy and your insurer decide what’s covered.
Fallen trees, storms and insurance: common questions
Does homeowners insurance cover tree removal after a storm?
Usually only when the tree hits something the policy covers, such as your house, a detached garage or a fence. In that case most standard policies pay for the damage and part of the removal cost, generally about $500 to $1,000 depending on the insurer and policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute. A tree that falls in the yard and hits nothing is usually not covered, though some insurers will pay if it blocks your driveway or a wheelchair ramp. Check your own policy.
My neighbor’s tree fell on my house. Whose insurance pays?
Usually yours. You file with your own homeowners insurer no matter whose tree it was. If the tree was dead or poorly kept up, your insurer may try to collect from your neighbor’s insurer, and if it succeeds you may get your deductible back.
A tree fell in my yard but didn’t hit anything. Is removal covered?
Usually not. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance lists removal of fallen trees that do not land on and damage your home among the things a standard homeowners policy typically does not cover. Some policies make an exception for a tree that blocks the driveway or a wheelchair ramp.
Does insurance pay for stump grinding after a tree falls?
Often not. Tree removal coverage is about getting the fallen tree off the house and off the property, and it is usually capped. Grinding out the stump that is left behind is often treated as yard work you pay for yourself. Ask your adjuster before you assume it is included.
Will Metro pick up the limbs from a fallen tree?
Metro Nashville collects brush from single-family homes four times a year on a set route schedule. Limbs can be up to 4 inches across and 12 feet long, and stumps up to 8 inches across with no dirt or root ball. Metro does not collect in Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Berry Hill or on private streets. If you hire a tree service, it has to haul its own debris away.
Should I file a claim if the damage is small?
Find out your deductible first. If the repair and removal cost is close to your deductible, paying out of pocket may make more sense. If you are not sure, call your agent and ask what the policy covers before you decide.
Does someone need to call 811 before grinding?
Usually, yes. Tennessee 811 says anyone excavating with machinery needs their own locate request, made at least three working days ahead; the service is free. Before any grinding, Tennessee 811 is called to mark public lines. Private lines such as sprinklers, invisible dog fences, landscape lighting and septic lines are not marked by 811, so point those out.
Stump left behind after the storm?
We’ll give you a free quote to grind it out. Call, or send the form with a photo of the stump and its width at ground level.