Tree branches over hanging your roof is an invitation for mayhem and costly repairs

 If you have been watching the news, then you will know that in Chicago we recently had micro tornado’s pass through our area.  There were winds that topped out at 100 miles per hour.  These winds forced a large branch from a tree that was over hanging over a home in Wilmette, Illinois.  The home that I am speaking about was a home inspection in Wilmette, I was hired to inspect.  The biggest concern I had for my client was that the tree was not owned by the home that the damage was done on.  This is a big concern these days because of all the wind and rain storms we been having of late.

My client was not concerned about the damage to the home because it was going to be fixed prior to his closing.  His concern was what to do to prohibit future issues like this happening. 

As you know I am not an attorney, but I will speak with some basic common sense.  If you see that their is a possible issue that may cause damage to your home, then I would think that the prudent thing to do is to eliminate that possible issue from causing damage to the property.  The damage to the Wilmette home inspection would not have happened if there was no branch hanging over the home to fall on it.

I know from personal experiences that some insurance companies will not insure homes with tree limbs  hanging over the home.  Trees planted to close to homes also are frowned on because they also can either fall on the home in a large storm or cause damage to the foundation  and sewer waste piping. 

How much will it cost to remove a branch over a home? Was the question from my client from the Wilmette home inspection.  The proper answer is hard because pricing for tree or branch removal can vary greatly depending on multiple factors.

• The height of the tree can add cost to the removal of the branch or tree.
• How close to the structure is the tree or branch?  The more dangerous or possible chance for damage to the home will raise the time it takes to remove the tree will increase the price.
• Is the tree in good condition?  If the tree had a disease that will make it difficult to remove then plan on a higher removal cost.

As you can see, there are many issues that can determine the price of your tree branch removal.  The tree branch issues at the Wilmette home inspection was priced out at $1700.00 and the neighbor who owned the tree was splitting the cost with the property I inspected.

Trees and the landscaping of a home should be a major part of any home inspection process and should definitely be documented.  If you have any questions about what to look for with trees hanging over your home, please contact me at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke