24/7 storm response
Tree down? Call now.
Trees on houses, across driveways and into wires go to the front of the list. One number, answered around the clock during storm season, and it rings Larry Reinhardt.
Call (989) 305-9731Not an emergency? The free estimate form is the faster route.
What to do right now
Get everyone out from under it
Clear the rooms below the tree and keep people, pets and vehicles away from the trunk and the root plate. A tree that has already fallen can still move.
Treat every wire as live
If a line is down, sagging or sparking, call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, and 911 if anything is arcing or burning. Do not touch the tree, the wire, or anything the wire is touching, including a fence or a wet driveway.
Call us
(989) 305-9731. Tell us what the tree is on, whether anybody is in the building, and whether a wire is involved. We will tell you honestly how soon we can be there.
Photograph it before anything moves
From a safe distance, wide shots and close ups: the tree, the damage, the inside of the room, and the whole yard. Your insurance adjuster will want them and they are impossible to get once cleanup starts.
Call your insurance carrier
Open the claim while we are on the way. Ask what they will authorize for emergency mitigation, which is usually covered separately from the full repair.
Do not run a saw on a loaded tree
A trunk lying across a roof is under tension and compression at the same time, and it will move the second it is cut. This is the job that hurts people every storm. Cover what you can, tarp what is open, and wait for us.
When to call Consumers Energy first
The service drop, the wire that runs from the pole to your house, is the homeowner's responsibility, not the utility's. If a tree is lying on that wire, Consumers Energy will usually do a temporary disconnect at no charge so a tree crew can work safely, and we coordinate that call with you at 800-477-5050.
The heavier primary lines along the road belong to the utility. If your tree is in those, it is their crew, not ours, and we will tell you that straight instead of billing you for work we should not be doing.
Never
Never cut, pull or push on a tree that is touching any wire, and never let anyone put a ladder against it. Power lines around here are not insulated the way people assume.
Documenting it for insurance
Most homeowners policies in Michigan cover tree removal when the tree hits a covered structure: a house, a garage, a fence, sometimes a driveway. A tree that falls in the yard and hits nothing is usually on you. Either way, the paperwork goes better if you do these five things.
- Photograph everything before cleanup, including the tree, the damage and the room below it.
- Write down the date, the time and the weather. Note any outage or warning that night.
- Keep receipts for tarps, a hotel, or anything you buy to stop further damage.
- Ask us for an itemized written estimate. Adjusters want the line items, not a lump sum.
- Do not authorize a full repair before the adjuster has seen it, unless it is stopping more damage.
We photograph and itemize storm work as a matter of course and will send the estimate straight to your adjuster if you want us to. We do not do the negotiating for you, and nobody should promise to "handle your deductible" for you either.
Tree on a structure? Call, do not wait.
The same number, day or night: (989) 305-9731. Trees on houses and across driveways go first.