The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

Overnight in mid-April, about a foot of heavy, wet snow falls on a neighborhood of 1920s homes near downtown Colorado Springs. A large limb from a mature tree in the backyard splits off and falls across the alley-side garage. On the way down, it drapes across the overhead line that feeds the garage. In the morning the homeowner sees the limb, a hole in the garage roof, and snow inside on the car.

  1. The homeowner stays inside and keeps everyone away from the alley side, because the limb is touching a line.
  2. The homeowner calls the electric utility's outage and hazard line to report a limb on a line, and calls 911 when a spark is visible.
  3. After the utility makes the line safe, the homeowner photographs the limb, the garage roof and the interior from the doorway.
  4. The homeowner calls the insurer and a tree service, explaining that the limb must come off before the roof can be covered.
  5. The tree service removes the limb in sections, lifting rather than dragging it across the roof.
  6. A contractor patches the hole in the deck with plywood and tarps the garage roof the same afternoon.

The garage roof is repaired a few weeks later under the homeowner's policy, which covers other structures on the property up to a separate limit. Removal of the part of the limb on the garage is included; cleanup of branches that fell in the yard is a smaller, separate question in the policy. The homeowner also has an arborist look at the rest of the tree.

Decision points in this example

  • IfThe limb was touching a lineThenNobody touched the tree until the utility made it safe. This was the right call even though the garage was taking on snow.
  • IfThe garage is detachedThenMany policies cover detached structures under a separate limit. The homeowner checked that limit before the repair scope was set.
  • IfThe tree was healthy before the stormThenResponsibility questions were simple. A visibly dead tree can complicate things, especially if a neighbor's property is involved.
  • IfThe rest of the tree looked damagedThenAn arborist decided whether pruning or removal was safer before the next storm.

Why older neighborhoods see this often

Central Colorado Springs neighborhoods built in the early twentieth century tend to have large, mature trees, overhead utility lines running along alleys, and detached garages near those alleys. A broad canopy that has leafed out or budded catches far more wet snow than a bare tree in January, which is why April storms are hard on these blocks.

Regular pruning by a qualified arborist, especially removing weak or dead limbs over structures and lines, is the most effective prevention. Trees near utility lines should be pruned only by people qualified to work near them; ask the utility about its vegetation program.

General information for Colorado Springs, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.