After a storm brings a tree down

If a tree is on or near a line, stay away from it and call the utility. Don't let anyone start cutting until the utility says it's safe.

Many states set how close people and equipment can get to overhead lines. In Connecticut, Florida and Illinois, for example, the federal OSHA rule is the one that applies: it keeps workers who aren't trained for line work 10 feet from lines up to 50,000 volts.¹ Some state rules:

• Georgia: 10 feet from high voltage lines. Before closer work, notify Georgia 811 at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays, and wait for the line owner to make the line safe.²
• Maryland: 10 feet, and the law names tree trimming. The line owner has to be notified and barriers, relocation or de-energizing arranged first.³
• New York: 10 feet from lines over 600 volts, with notice to the line owner at least 5 work days before the work.⁴
• California: 6 feet from lines over 750 volts, and breaking the rule is a misdemeanor.⁵
• Texas: 6 feet from lines over 600 volts, with notice to the line operator at least 48 hours before closer work.⁶

Each state's rules page, such as Georgia's, has its power line rule.

If it's safe, photograph the tree, where it landed and any damage before anything is moved. Then call your insurer before you hire anyone, and ask:

• Whether the policy covers removing a tree that hit the house, a fence or another structure.
• Whether it covers a tree that fell without hitting anything.
• Whether there's a limit on tree removal, and what the deductible is.
• What it needs from you: photos, an estimate, or a visit from an adjuster first.

Emergency or storm removal costs about 2 to 3 times the normal price.^7-9 Fixr puts an emergency job at $450 to $5,000,⁸ and Angi says an urgent removal can cost as much as $5,000.¹⁰

Two city contracts show how after-hours rates compare with daytime ones. In Grayslake, Illinois, seven bidders' off-hours rates ran 5% to 81% above their daytime rates, with a median of about a third.¹¹ In Oxnard, California, three bidders charged 20% to 35% more for urgent work after hours.¹² These are city contract prices, so read them as local examples rather than a homeowner rate.

Get the price in writing before the work starts, even in an emergency. The removal cost guide has the normal prices these multiply.

If a crew knocks on your door after a storm, give it the same checks you'd give any company:

• Ask for a certificate of insurance, and call the insurer on it to confirm the policy is active.
• Ask whether your state or city licenses tree work, and if it does, ask for the license number and check it.
• Get a written quote with the scope, cleanup, and what happens to the stump and the wood.
• Don't pay a large deposit in cash.

The guide to verifying a tree company covers each check. If you'd rather have companies come to you, get quotes from tree companies near you.