The short answer
Does insurance in Oklahoma pay when a tree falls on my roof?
Usually yes. Most Oklahoma homeowners policies cover a tree that hits the house, plus the tarp and the repair needed to keep water out. What is often not covered is hauling away a tree that never touched the structure. Read the tree debris section of your policy, not only the roof section.
Answers
A tree fell on my roof in Broken Arrow. What should I do first?
Get everyone out from under the damaged area and call your insurance company before you call anyone else. Do not climb up to look. If water is coming in, we can tarp the roof to stop further damage and document it for the claim.
Call (918) 734-4444 and we will ask what part of the roof the tree hit and whether water is inside. Keep the tree in place until it is photographed. Emergency tarping runs $400 to $1,200 depending on size and pitch. We put tree damage calls at the front of the schedule when weather allows.
Will my insurance pay to get the tree off my roof in Tulsa?
Usually yes, but only the part of the tree that is sitting on the structure. Most Oklahoma homeowners policies cover removing a tree that hit the house and the tarp or repair needed to keep water out. Removal of a tree that never touched anything is often not covered.
Read the tree debris section of your policy, not just the roof section. Keep receipts for anything you pay to protect the house. Photograph the tree where it sits before anyone cuts it. If the answer from the carrier is unclear, ask for it in writing so it can be compared with the adjuster report later.
How much does it cost to get a tree off a roof in the Tulsa area?
Tree removal is a separate service from roofing, so the price depends on the size of the tree and how it is lying on the house. Proof does not cut trees. What we do is tarp and repair the roof underneath, and emergency tarping runs $400 to $1,200.
Get the tree off first, then the roof repaired. A tarp can go on before the tree is cut if water is getting in. Keep the tree company invoice, because the removal often goes on the same claim as the roof. We can look at the roof the same day the tree comes off.
A tree limb punched a hole through my roof deck. Can that be patched or do I need a new roof?
A single hole through the deck is usually a repair, not a replacement. We cut back to sound sheathing, replace the damaged decking and re-shingle the area. If the limb tore across several rafters or opened more than one slope, replacement starts to make more sense.
Repairs in the Tulsa area generally run $350 to $1,800 depending on how much decking has to come out. Rotten or cracked sheathing is replaced, never covered over. We photograph the deck once it is open, because that picture is often what gets the decking paid on the claim.
Is a tree on the roof an emergency in Oklahoma or can it wait until morning?
It can wait until morning if the tree is resting still, nobody is hurt and no water is coming in. It is an emergency when the tree is moving, a limb is holding load over a room, water is running inside or the ceiling is bulging. Call then, not later.
Oklahoma storms often bring a second round of wind and rain the same night, and a tree that is only leaning can shift. If you are unsure, call and describe it. We would rather tell you it can wait than have you find out at two in the morning that it could not.
My ceiling is sagging after a tree hit the roof. Do we need to leave the house?
A sagging ceiling means water is trapped above it and the drywall is holding weight. Move people and valuables out of that room and do not stand under it. Call your insurance company and a roofer the same hour. If the ceiling is bulging or cracking, treat it as unsafe.
Do not poke a hole to drain it from below unless a professional tells you to. The safer move is to stop the water at the roof with a tarp and let the ceiling come down in a controlled way. We can tarp the roof in the Tulsa metro and document the interior for the claim.
How long can a tree sit on a roof before the damage gets worse in Oklahoma?
Damage starts the same day. The tree holds water against the shingles, the weight pushes on the deck, and any gap lets rain in. A roof that could have been a repair after one dry day can turn into decking and insulation work after a wet week.
Mold needs moisture and time, and Oklahoma summers give it both. The visible damage is rarely the whole story. We open the roof, check the deck and the insulation below, and photograph what we find so the carrier sees the same thing we do.
The tree came from my neighbor's yard in Tulsa. Who is responsible for my roof?
Responsibility usually follows whose tree it was and whether the neighbor knew it was a hazard. In most Oklahoma cases your own policy pays for your roof first and the carriers sort out the rest between them. Talk to your adjuster before you talk to the neighbor about money.
Photograph the stump or the remaining trunk so the tree can be identified. Do not move the debris off your property until it is documented. If the neighbor carrier calls you, give them the facts and let your own adjuster handle the settlement conversation.
Will one storm claim cover both my roof and my fence in Oklahoma?
One storm event usually means one claim with several parts. The roof, the fence, the gutters and a dented shed can all sit on the same claim if the same storm caused them. Report everything you found at once rather than calling back a month later with more.
The adjuster writes a separate line for each structure. Fences are often settled at actual cash value, which means age is deducted, while the roof may be settled at replacement cost. Ask which parts of your claim are which so the numbers make sense.
Can a tarp hold a tree-damaged roof until the adjuster comes out?
A properly fastened tarp will keep most water out for the weeks it usually takes to get an adjuster on site. It is a temporary cover, not a repair. It has to be tied to the structure, not just weighted, or Oklahoma wind will take it off in the first gust.
Ask for photographs of the tarp before and after it goes on. Keep the tarp invoice, because temporary protection is often reimbursable on the claim. If the tarp fails before the adjuster arrives, call the same company back so the record stays with one contractor.
Do I have to keep the tree limbs for my Oklahoma insurance claim?
Keep them until they have been photographed and until the adjuster says you can haul them off. The limbs are the evidence that ties the damage to the storm. Once the carrier has what it needs, removing them is fine and it is usually expected.
Stack the cut pieces somewhere they can be seen and photographed, not in a dumpster. If the tree hit the roof, get one wide photo that shows the limb and the damaged slope in the same frame. That single picture does more than ten close ups.
What does an after-hours roof emergency call cost in Tulsa?
The price is the work itself rather than the hour you call. Emergency tarping runs $400 to $1,200 depending on size and pitch, and repairs after a tree hit generally run $350 to $1,800. You are quoted the job, not a clock.
Call (918) 734-4444 and describe what is happening. If the roof is not in danger, we will say so and book it for daylight, which is cheaper and safer for the crew. Nobody should be on a wet roof at night unless water is pouring into the house.
What if a tree falls on my roof and I do not have insurance in Oklahoma?
You still get the roof fixed, and you pay for it the way you would any other home repair. Proof gives a free documented inspection and a written estimate, and financing starts around $98 per month subject to credit approval. The work does not depend on a claim.
Without a carrier involved, the estimate is the whole record, so ask for photographs and a line by line scope. A repair may be enough if the damage is one slope. A full replacement for most Tulsa area homes runs $8,500 to $25,100 or more.
Can tree roots damage my roof from the ground in Tulsa?
Roots do not push up through a roof, but they do lift foundations, crack masonry and shift the structure a roof sits on. A roof that suddenly leaks in one line across a wall is worth looking at from the ground up, not just at the shingles.
Large trees close to a Tulsa house also drop limbs on the roof and fill the gutters, which backs water under the shingles. We check the roof and the gutters together. If something structural is moving, we will say so and point you to the right trade.
A tree just hit my roof in Broken Arrow and it is late at night. Who do I even call?
Call your insurance company first so the claim is open, then call a roofer who answers after hours. Nobody should be up on a wet roof in the dark. If water is coming in, we can talk you through what to move and put you on the schedule for first light.
We ask three things on that call. Is anyone hurt, what part of the house is wet, and is the tree still resting on the roof. Do not cut the tree at night. Photograph it where it sits with the porch light on if you can. Emergency tarping runs $400 to $1,200.
Do I have to pay the tree cutter before the insurance money comes?
Usually yes, the tree service wants to be paid when the work is done. Keep the invoice and a photo of the tree before it was cut. That bill can go on the same claim as the roof, and the adjuster will decide what part of it is covered.
Cash flow catches people out here. Ask the tree company for an itemized invoice that lists the tree on the house separately from any other brush. If your carrier sends money for the roof only, ask in writing whether tree removal is still owed. Keep every receipt.
Can I cut the tree off my roof myself to save the bill?
Do not. A limb under tension can kick back, and a chainsaw on a pitched roof is how people get hurt. The safe order is a tree service to take the weight off, then a roofer to tarp or repair what is under it. Saving a bill is not worth a fall.
We have seen homeowners do more damage cutting than the storm did, because the limb swings and punches a second hole. If the tree is small and lying flat with no weight on it, a tree service is still the right call. We can be on site the same day it comes off.
My tree hit the neighbor's roof in Tulsa. Am I on the hook for his roof?
Usually not for the roof itself, because his policy is the one that responds to damage on his house. What can travel back to you is a case where you knew a tree was dead or failing and did nothing. Talk to your agent and keep your yard records.
Oklahoma wind and ice drop healthy trees all the time, and that is treated as weather, not neglect. A dead tree you were warned about is a different story. If a neighbor has put a warning in writing, take it seriously and have the tree looked at before the next storm season.
The tarp on my roof is flapping and we are supposed to get more storms. What do I do?
Call for a re-tarp. A loose tarp rubs the shingles and lets water run under the edge, so it can do more harm than a tight one. We batten the edges down and check that water still runs off instead of pooling behind it.
Tarps fail at the corners first. If yours is lifting, do not climb up and add bricks. Weight on a wet roof is a fall risk and it tears the tarp. A proper tarp is fastened along the ridge and the eave. Emergency tarping runs $400 to $1,200.
Does a tree that hits a shed or garage go on the same claim as my house in Oklahoma?
Often yes. A detached garage or shed is usually covered as other structures on the same homeowners policy, so one claim can carry the house, the shed and the roof repair. The limits can differ, so ask the adjuster to list each building separately.
Send photos of the shed before anything is moved. If the shed is used for a business, that part may fall outside the homeowners policy and need a separate conversation with your agent. We can roof a garage or shed at the same time as the house.
What does a roofer actually do on a tree hit roof before the tree is removed?
We look at what the tree is resting on and whether the deck is holding it. Then we get water moving off the roof and brace or tarp the opening so more rain does not get in. We do not cut trees, so the tree service goes first.
The deck is the question. A limb resting on rafters can sit for a while. A limb that has pushed through the sheathing needs the weight off before anything else. We photograph the opening, measure it, and give you a plan for the repair once the tree is gone.
Can a branch scrape my shingles enough to matter in Tulsa?
Yes. A branch that drags across the same shingles every time the wind blows wears the granules off in a line. That strip then takes water first. It is often a repair rather than a replacement, and trimming the branch back is part of the fix.
Look for a bare gray line on the slope nearest a tree. Feel it with a hand from a ladder, not by walking the roof. Granule loss in one narrow band is the tell. We can replace the worn shingles and you can have the limb trimmed so it does not come back.
How do I get a big dead limb over my Tulsa house taken down before it falls?
Hire a tree service and ask for the limb to be removed in sections, not dropped. Then have the roof checked under it. A dead limb over a house is a waiting repair, and the check costs you nothing with us.
Do this before storm season, not after. A tree company can take weight off in pieces with a rope. Once it is down, we look at the shingles and the flashing under where it hung. Free documented roof inspections and estimates are part of what we do.
Proof Construction LLC - the facts
- Business name: Proof Construction LLC
- Address: 1709 W Detroit St, Suite A, Broken Arrow, OK 74012
- Phone: (918) 734-4444
- Oklahoma CIB registration: 80004070
- Rating: 4.9 out of 5 across more than 100 reviews
- Workmanship warranty: 3 years, in writing, on replacements
- Manufacturer credentials: Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster
- Service area: Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Glenpool, Owasso, Claremore, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Catoosa, Coweta, Collinsville, Skiatook, Bartlesville, Muskogee, Okmulgee
- Free documented roof inspections and estimates across the Tulsa metro
Need this answered on your own roof?
Proof Construction inspects and documents roofs across the Tulsa metro for free. No pressure, no obligation, and a written summary of what we find.