Storm Damage Cleanup in Hale, Lupton & the Tawases
Call the storm line, keep everyone out from under it, and we will tell you how soon the truck can be there.
Northern Michigan weather takes trees down. Summer straight-line wind off the lakes, ice in December, and the wet April snow that loads every pine limb until something gives. What is left is a tree on the roof of the cottage, a maple across the drive, and limbs hanging in the crown waiting to come down on the next person who walks under them. A storm-damaged tree is under tension in ways a healthy one is not, and that is what makes the cleanup dangerous.
Reinhardt Tree Service answers the storm line around the clock. Larry comes out with the bucket truck and the chipper, gets the tree off the house or off the drive in sections so the damage does not get worse, and takes the hangers out of what is left standing. If the service line is down, we coordinate with Consumers Energy before anyone touches the tree. Emergency and after-hours work is priced above a scheduled job, and we tell you that number before we start.
We photograph the damage before anything is moved and write the estimate the way insurance adjusters want to see it. When your carrier agrees, we can bill them directly.
What is included
- Trees lifted off roofs, decks, garages and vehicles in sections
- Downed trees cut up and cleared from drives, yards and lanes so you can get in and out
- Hangers and split limbs cut out of the standing trees
- Split or storm-weakened trees assessed and removed when they cannot be saved
- Temporary disconnect coordinated with Consumers Energy when the service drop is involved
- Photos and an itemized estimate for your insurance claim
- Debris chipped and hauled, or stacked if you want the wood
What to do right now
Stay away from the tree and anything it is touching. A trunk on a roof or a fence is under load and can shift.
Downed or sagging wires: assume they are live. Call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, and 911 if anything is sparking.
Get people and pets out from under a tree on the roof, including out of the rooms below it.
Photograph everything from a safe spot before anything is moved. Your adjuster will want it.
Tarp only what you can reach safely from the ground. Do not get on the roof.
Call us at (989) 305-9731. We answer the storm line.
Insurance claims
Homeowners policies commonly cover removing a tree that damaged a covered structure: the house, the garage, a fence, a shed. Check your policy; every one is different. We photograph the damage before it is moved, itemize the estimate the way adjusters want it, and when your insurer agrees we can bill them directly so you are not fronting the whole job.
A healthy tree that simply fell in the yard and hit nothing is usually not covered, and a tree that was clearly dead before the storm can be argued over. We will tell you straight which case yours looks like.
How it goes
Call the storm line
Call (989) 305-9731 any hour. Tell us what came down, what it is on, and whether a line is involved. Send photos if you safely can.
Assess and price it in writing
Larry looks at what is under tension and what is at risk, photographs it, and gives you a written price, emergency rate included, before the saw starts.
Get it off and get it safe
The tree comes off the structure or the drive first, in sections from the bucket or a climb, then the hangers come out of what is left.
Cleanup and the paperwork
Debris chipped and hauled, the yard raked, and the photos and itemized estimate sent to you or your adjuster.
Storm, emergency and after-hours
Storm work costs more because it is harder and more dangerous: trees under load, at night, in the rain, with a house underneath.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Emergency or after-hours premium | 25 to 50 percent above scheduled rates |
| Call-out minimumApplies when we roll a truck outside working hours. | $250 to $500 |
| Tree on a structureRigged off the building in pieces, not dropped. | $1,000 to $6,500 |
| Making a hazard safe now, finishing laterSometimes the right answer at 2 a.m. is to stabilize it and come back. | Priced separately |
Most homeowners policies cover removal when a tree hits a structure. We photograph and itemize the work so your adjuster has what they need.
These are the ranges most jobs in our area land in, not a price list. Every job is priced on site or from your photos, in writing, before anything is cut.
All typical price rangesRight now
If a tree is on a structure or into a wire, do not use this page. Call (989) 305-9731, and call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 for any downed wire.
What to do right now
Storm Damage Cleanup questions
There is a tree on my house. What do I do first?
Get everyone out from under it, including pets, and stay out of the rooms below it. If any wire is down or sagging, treat it as live, stay away, and call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050; call 911 if it is sparking or something is burning. Then photograph everything from a safe spot and call us. Do not climb on the roof and do not start cutting; a trunk resting on a house is loaded like a spring.
Will my insurance pay for this?
Often, when the tree hit a covered structure like the house, garage or fence; check your policy. We photograph the damage before it is moved, itemize the estimate the way adjusters ask for it, and can bill your insurer directly once they agree. A healthy tree that simply fell in the yard and hit nothing is usually not covered.
How much more does emergency work cost?
Storm and after-hours work typically runs 25 to 50 percent above a scheduled job, because it means dropping other work and working in worse conditions. If the tree is on the ground in the yard and not on anything, waiting a day or two for a scheduled slot can save you real money, and we will tell you when that is the case.
Should I cut up the downed tree myself?
Be careful. Storm-downed trunks and limbs are bent and pinned, and they spring, roll and split when cut. Small brush on the ground is fine. Anything large, anything elevated, anything on a structure or near a line, leave for us.
Storm Damage Cleanup in your town
Plus everywhere in between across Iosco, Ogemaw, Alcona and Arenac Counties. See the whole service area.
Ready to talk about storm damage cleanup?
Call Larry or send a few photos. Estimates are free, and you hear back within 24 hours, same day for emergencies.