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Fallen tree · Roof tarp · Board-up · HO-3 debris limit

Emergency tree, tarp and board-up cost calculator

Getting a tree off a roof and covering the hole usually costs $800 to $6,000 before any shingle repair. A tarp alone is often $300 to $1,500. Many HO-3 policies pay only a small, separate limit — commonly $500 or $1,000 — for removing the tree, while the tarp and the damaged roof are different parts of the same claim. The calculator splits those numbers so you can see whether calling the claim is worth the deductible.

Reviewed 25 October 2026 · Written by Mantu Kumar

See the photo · See the cost diagram · Open the calculator

Written and maintained byMantu Kumar

Evidence review17 October 2026

Calculation rulesRead the methodology Quality standardEditorial policy

Key facts at a glance

• Tarp only: about $300–$1,500 installed, more on a steep or two-story roof.
• Limb on the roof: commonly $800–$2,500 to cut and lower it without dropping it through the deck.
• Whole tree on the house: often $1,500–$6,000, and more if a crane or a blocked street is involved.
• Board-up of a broken opening is often $400–$1,500, separate from the roof.
• Tree-debris sub-limit: many HO-3 forms cap removal of a tree that hits a covered structure at about $500 or $1,000. A tree that only falls in the yard is often not covered.

Planning ranges compiled from 2025–2026 emergency-restoration and tree-service quotes. Policy limits vary — read the declarations, not this page, for your number.

2026 planning ranges

1. 1Tree off the house · $1,500–$6,000
2. 2Crane or rigging adds to it
3. 3Tarp + battens · $300–$1,500
4. 4Board-up · $400–$1,500
5. 5Haul-away · often a $500–$1,000 cap
6. 6Roof patch later · $600–$2,200
7. 7Two-story or steep access
8. 8Night + weekend call-out
9. 9Photos + receipts

How it often splits: Tarp & board-up: mitigation Tree off the house: dwelling Tree from the yard: debris cap Deductible applies once

• Tarp is a reasonable emergency measure on many policies when it stops further damage. Ask whether it applies to the deductible.
• Tree removal that is only yard debris is a different coverage, and often a small one or none.
• Roof repair after the tree is off is the dwelling claim, not the debris sub-limit.

Emergency tree and tarp estimator

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Diagram, part by part

Emergency tree, tarp and board-up: every numbered part explained

The emergency tree, tarp and board-up drawing above has 9 numbered parts, from Tree off the house to Photos and receipts for the claim. Each card below frames one of them, and after you run the calculator it shows what that part adds to your estimate.

1. 1 Tree off the house

   $1,500–$6,000

   Cutting a fallen tree off the house is careful, staged work so the structure is not damaged further. The crew removes weight in sections, lowering pieces with ropes rather than letting them drop onto the roof.

   What moves it: Tree size, how it is resting on the house and access for equipment.

   On the quote: Ask how the tree will be lifted off and who is responsible if more damage happens during removal.

2. 2 Crane or rigging adds to it

   Often the largest part of tree removal

   Large trees or trees wedged into the structure may need a crane or a rigging setup to lift sections clear without dragging them across the roof. Crane time is billed by the hour, plus travel.

   What moves it: Tree size, reach and whether a crane can get close.

   On the quote: Ask whether a crane is needed and how crane time is billed.

3. 3 Tarp + battens

   $300–$1,500

   A heavy tarp stretched over the damage and fastened with wood battens keeps rain out until the permanent repair. Battens screwed through the tarp hold far better than nails or sandbags in wind.

   What moves it: Size of the opening, roof pitch and height.

   On the quote: Ask how the tarp is secured and how long it is expected to last.

4. 4 Board-up

   $400–$1,500

   Broken windows and doors are covered with plywood fastened to the frame to secure the house against weather and entry until glass can be replaced.

   What moves it: Number and size of openings.

   On the quote: Ask whether the plywood is fastened to the frame or the wall, to avoid more damage.

5. 5 Haul-away

   often a $500–$1,000 cap

   Hauling the tree away is often limited by insurance to a debris removal amount, commonly $500 to $1,000 per tree, unless the tree damaged a covered structure.

   What moves it: Volume of wood and how far it is carried.

   On the quote: Ask whether haul-away is included and how much wood is left on site.

6. 6 Roof patch later

   $600–$2,200

   The permanent roof repair comes later with its own estimate and is part of the dwelling claim. A small patch can sometimes be done in the same visit; larger damage needs a roofer's full scope.

   What moves it: Size of the hole, decking damage and shingle matching.

   On the quote: Keep the emergency invoice separate from the permanent repair estimate.

7. 7 Two-story or steep roof

   Adds about a third

   Working on a two-story roof or a steep pitch needs more rigging, harnesses and time, and sometimes a lift. The calculator raises the tree and tarp lines when access is harder.

   What moves it: Roof height and pitch.

   On the quote: Ask whether harness rigging or a lift is included in the price.

8. 8 Emergency call-out timing

   After-hours rates cost more

   Emergency crews charge more at night, on weekends and right after a storm, when demand is highest. Insurers generally accept reasonable emergency rates because the work prevents further damage.

   What moves it: Time of day, storm demand and travel distance.

   On the quote: Ask for the hourly rate and any minimum charge before work starts.

9. 9 Photos and receipts for the claim

   Not priced

   Take photos before, during and after the emergency work and keep every invoice. Most policies require you to prevent further damage, and the cost of doing so is usually covered as part of the claim.

   What moves it: How well the work is documented.

   On the quote: Ask the crew for an itemized invoice showing what was done and why.

Storm opening

A tarp is not a roof, and a tree bill is not a roof bill

The photo is the job people photograph for the claim: wood still on the shingles, and a tarp fastened with battens so the wind does not peel it off overnight. The invoice usually arrives as two or three vendors.

Three checks before you approve the emergency invoice or file. These close-ups are crops of the same AI-generated illustration.

01Impact point

Where the tree landed

A limb on the roof, a tree through the roof, and a tree in the yard are three different coverage questions. Photograph the contact point before it is cut.

02Tarp and battens

How the tarp is held

Battens, not loose plastic, are what keep a tarp from becoming a second loss. Note the story height. Two-story and steep slopes cost more because of the lift.

03Eave and gutter

What is not in this invoice

Shingle repair, decking, interior drying and a crane are separate lines. Do not let a debris sub-limit get described as the whole claim.

Before you sign a quote or file a claim, verify these three details

Debris vs dwelling

Which lines are tree removal, and which are roof, tarp or interior?

Deductible

Wind or hurricane percentage deductibles can be larger than this whole bill.

Further damage

Is the tarp written as emergency mitigation, and who watches it until the roof is repaired?

Ready to price the shingles under the tarp? Open the roof repair calculator →

Emergency tree and tarp cost ranges (2026)

These are national planning bands for the protection work, not for a new roof. A crane, after-hours holiday rates or a municipal street closure sit above the top of the band.

How a tree-on-roof claim usually splits

People ask for “the storm cost” and get three answers. The tree service prices the wood. The restoration company prices the tarp or the board-up. The roofer prices the shingles, underlayment and any broken deck. Insurance forms often follow that same split.

On a typical HO-3, a falling object is a covered peril when it damages the dwelling. Removing the tree from the building is commonly covered only up to a debris sub-limit printed in the form, often $500 or $1,000, and sometimes a little more on a newer edition. Removing a tree that fell in the yard and hit nothing covered is frequently not paid at all, or is paid only when it blocks a driveway and only up to that same small limit.

Protecting the property from further damage — the tarp — is usually discussed as a reasonable emergency measure. Some policies pay it in addition to the debris limit and still apply the deductible. Some apply the deductible first and the measure never produces a check. The declarations page is the only place that number is real.

If rain entered after the tree opened the roof, drying and flooring are a water-damage scope, not part of the tarp invoice. Price that separately before you decide the claim is “just the tree.”

Worked example: a limb, a tarp and a small patch

Default calculator inputs: limb on a one-story roof, tarp included, modest patch, $1,000 deductible, roof 12 years into a 20-year remaining life for the patch portion, national index.

What insurance pays — and what it usually will not

• The tree in the yard is not the same as the tree on the house. No damaged covered property usually means no debris coverage.
• The debris sub-limit is not the roof budget. Do not let an adjuster close the roof repair at $1,000 because that is the tree limit.
• The tarp is there to stop a second loss. Keep the invoice, the photos and the date. A tarp left for months can become a maintenance argument.
• Your own chainsaw does not replace a rigging plan. A limb dropped through the deck turns a $1,500 job into a roof replacement.
• Age still matters on the shingles. The emergency labor is new. The roofing material it protects may be depreciated on an ACV policy. The claim gap calculator is the second step.

Emergency tree removal and tarp cost by region

The calculator's default emergency tree removal and tarp job, repriced for each of its six regions. At the national average it runs $1,200 – $4,100; South / Lower Midwest is the lowest at $1,044 – $3,567, and West Coast metro is the highest at $1,560 – $5,330, a gap of about $1,140 at the midpoint.

What “Emergency job” does to the price

Every other input stays at its default and only “Emergency job” changes. The cheapest choice, Tarp and battens only, comes to $450 – $2,200; the most expensive, Tree on the house, plus tarp, comes to $1,900 – $7,600.

What “Roof patch in the same bill” does to the price

Every other input stays at its default and only “Roof patch in the same bill” changes. The cheapest choice, Not yet — tarp only, comes to $1,200 – $4,100; the most expensive, Include a modest shingle patch, comes to $1,800 – $6,300.

How age changes the emergency tree removal and tarp claim payout

Using the default job, a $1,000 deductible and a 20-year expected life. At 10 years old, about $1,325 is held back as depreciation; a replacement cost policy releases it after the work is finished, while an actual cash value policy keeps it.

Invoice checklist: 6 items for the claim

Emergency invoices are paid faster when they show what was done and why.

1. Date and time. When the crew arrived and left.
2. Tree removal method. Crane, rigging or ground crew.
3. Tarp and board-up. Area covered and materials.
4. Hours and rates. Crew and equipment.
5. Haul-away. Wood removed or left.
6. Photos. Before, during and after.

How emergency work usually runs

Stay out of rooms under a damaged roof until the crew says it is safe.

Ways to keep emergency costs down

Emergency costs are lower when prepared.

• Trim trees near the house. Prevention.
• Keep contacts ready. Faster response.
• Document damage. Claim support.
• Use battens on tarps. Longer life.
• Avoid night calls when safe. Lower rates.
• Check debris coverage. Policy limits.

Sources and further reading

• NAIC — Actual cash value vs replacement cost coverage
• ReplaceCost roof repair calculator
• Angi — How much does it cost to tarp a roof?
• HomeGuide — Tree removal cost

Frequently asked questions