Learning Centre
Storm damage, and how the insurance claim works
A tree on the house is two problems: making it safe, and getting it covered. We handle both. Here's what to do right now, how the claim actually runs, and why insurers and their builders already call us.
If it's just happened
What to do right now
Before anything else, before the claim, before us. Four steps to keep everyone safe and protect your claim at the same time.
Keep clear
Get everyone away from the tree and out from under any hanging limbs. Storm-damaged trees are under tension and move when you least expect it.
Treat powerlines as live
Stay at least 10 metres from any line a tree is touching, and assume a downed line is live. Call your electricity provider, not us, for the line.
Photograph it
If it's safe, take dated photos from a distance, the tree, the damage, the whole scene. This is the start of your claim.
Call us to triage
We sort the genuine hazards from what can wait. Same-day make-safe when it's safe to access the site.
Make safe first, claim second
How the insurance claim actually works
Storm-damage tree removal is usually covered by home insurance. The order matters: safety does not wait for an approval.
Make safe
We attend and remove the immediate danger first, the tree off the roof, the limb over the path. Safety is not a claim decision, it happens straight away.
Document to claim standard
Dated before-and-after photos, an itemised scope, and our $20M certificate of currency. The paperwork insurers actually ask for.
You lodge, we supply
You lodge with your insurer and hand them our quote and documentation. We quote in the format insurers expect, so it reads cleanly to an assessor.
Approved, then cleared
Once the insurer or their assessor approves the scope, we complete the full clearance and cleanup. Then the rebuild can start.
What's usually covered: a storm-felled tree on your home, fence or access. What's usually not: removing a healthy tree you just want gone, or one that failed from long-term neglect. Always check your own policy, every product disclosure statement is different.
For insurers & insurance builders
The make-safe partner the claim relies on
Casey works directly with insurers and the builders who handle insurance repairs. When a storm claim lands, the tree has to come off the structure before anyone can assess or rebuild, and that first step needs a qualified, insured, documented crew.
We came through Cyclone Alfred doing exactly this work across the corridor. We know the triage, the documentation, and the pace a claim runs at.
- $20M public liability, certificate of currency on file
- Site-specific SWMS for high-risk make-safe work
- Itemised scopes and photo records in claim format
- Both sides of the border: Tweed Shire and Gold Coast
A real one
The African tulip that went over in Alfred
Matt's place at Kingscliff, a huge African tulip down in Cyclone Alfred. The kind of job we cleared dozens of through that event: made safe, documented, cleared, done. See more on the storm response page.
Straight answers
Storm and insurance questions
Will my home insurance cover storm tree removal?
Usually yes, when a storm brings a tree down onto your home, fence, or across access, most home and contents policies cover making it safe and removing it. What is often not covered is removing a healthy tree just because you want it gone, or a tree that failed from long-term neglect. Every policy is different, so check your product disclosure statement or ask your insurer. We document the job to claim standard either way, so you are not chasing paperwork later.
How does the insurance claim process actually work?
In short: make it safe first, document everything, then claim. We attend, make the immediate hazard safe, and take dated photos of the damage and the tree before and after. You lodge the claim with your insurer and give them our quote and documentation. The insurer or their assessor approves the scope, and we complete the clearance. Casey has done a lot of this, so we quote to the format insurers expect, which keeps approvals moving.
Do you work directly with insurers and insurance builders?
Yes. Alongside homeowners, Casey works directly with insurers and the builders who handle insurance repairs, doing the make-safe and tree clearance so the rebuild can start. We provide the certificate of currency, a site-specific SWMS, itemised scopes and photo documentation that claims and repair work need. If you are an assessor or an insurance builder who needs reliable tree work on the Tweed Coast or Gold Coast, that is a lane we already run in.
What should I do before the crew arrives after a storm?
Keep everyone well clear of the tree and stay at least 10 metres from any powerline, and assume a downed line is live and call the electricity provider. Do not climb on or cut anything yourself, as storm-damaged trees are under tension and move unpredictably. If it is safe to do so, take photos from a distance for your claim. Then call us and we will triage it: genuine hazards get same-day priority when it is safe to access the site.
Tree down? Call now.
Genuine hazards get same-day priority when it's safe to access. We make it safe, document it for your claim, and clear it. Insurers and builders welcome.
After hours or storm emergency? Same number. Leave a voicemail or send photos by SMS. Miss our call and you'll get an SMS back within 60 seconds.