Photograph first
Wide and close, from several sides, with the base of the tree. Do it before limbs move, unless someone is in danger.
Storm and emergency in Grand Junction, CO
Tree down? Start here
If a tree hits your house, car or a power line in Grand Junction, get everyone clear first. Call 911 for any injury, fire or downed line, then your power company. Photograph the damage before cleanup, call your insurer, and then send us the details for a quote.
Who to call
Who to call for what
The right first call depends on what the tree hit. Wires come first, always, and no tree crew should touch a tree that is on an energized line. City trees have their own process, and a tree on your own property is a call to your insurer and then to a crew.
| What happened | First call | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Tree on a power line | 911 if a line is down or sparking, then your electric utility | Request a crew after the utility says it is safe |
| Tree on the house, someone inside | 911 if anyone is hurt or trapped, or if you smell gas | Insurer, then a crew for tarping and removal |
| Tree on the house, nobody hurt | Your insurer, after photos | A crew for limb removal and a safe takedown |
| Tree across the driveway | A crew, once you have your photos | Ask your insurer whether blocked access is covered |
| Tree across a public street | 911 or the non-emergency line, if it blocks traffic | City of Grand Junction if it is a City tree inside city limits |
| Big limb cracked, still hanging | A crew, and keep people out from under it | Do not climb up to cut it yourself |
Why it happens here
What valley storms do to trees
Grand Valley storm damage usually traces to weak wood and bad timing. CSU Extension says fast growers like cottonwood and Siberian elm are soft wooded and break in storms. Wind and microbursts snap brittle limbs, and early wet snow can split a tree that has not dropped its leaves yet.
Sources: CSU Extension, Selecting Trees and Elm Trees
Before the wood moves
Insurance, without the guesswork
Policies differ, so your own insurer decides. In general, homeowners coverage responds when a covered storm drops a tree on a covered structure, and debris removal often has its own limit. A tree that hits nothing is often not covered. Good photos and a written, itemized invoice make the claim easier.
Keep it itemized
Ask for a written quote and invoice that separate tarping, limb removal, takedown and hauling.
Ask before cleanup
Your insurer may want an adjuster to see it. Ask what they need and what emergency work is okay right away.
After a big wind
Before you say yes to a door knocker
After a storm, not everyone at the door is who they seem. Slow down for ten minutes and check. Inside Grand Junction, a tree company needs a City license, and the City's list shows who holds one. These questions work on anyone, including crews we send you.
- What is the company name, and is it on the City's licensed list?
- Can I see the insurance certificate before you start?
- Will you put the full price in writing, with what is included?
- Is anything due before work starts, and how much?
- Who hauls the wood, and who is responsible for the stump?
- If a limb is on a wire, have you confirmed the utility cleared it?
Short answers
Storm questions, answered first
For the morning after, when you need the short version.
A tree came down on a power line. Who do I call?
Your power company or 911 first. Stay well clear of the tree and anything it touches, and treat every downed line as live. Xcel Energy and Grand Valley Power both serve parts of the valley, so check your bill. Once the utility says the line is safe, send us the details and a crew will follow up.
Does homeowners insurance pay for a fallen tree?
Often, if it hit a covered structure. Policies generally respond when a storm drops a tree on your house or garage, and debris removal is often capped. A tree that lands in the yard without hitting anything is often not covered, and neither is one that fell from neglect. Your own policy decides, so call your insurer.
Who pays when a neighbor's tree falls on my house?
Usually your own homeowners insurance, at first. Your policy normally covers your house no matter whose tree it was. If the neighbor ignored a clearly dead or dangerous tree, they may carry some liability, and your insurer can look at that. Take photos of the tree and the damage before anything gets moved.
Who handles a City tree that falls in a storm?
Contact the City of Grand Junction. Trees on City property, typically the strip between sidewalk and street, fall under City Forestry, and a public tree maintenance permit applies before private work on them. If it is blocking a street or touching a line, call 911 or the utility first and report it to the City afterward.
How soon can a crew get here after a storm?
The crew tells you straight when it follows up. We won't promise an arrival time we can't back up. After a valley-wide wind event, crews get stretched and the hazards come first: trees on houses, blocked access and limbs hanging over walkways. Even in a hurry, ask for the price in writing before work starts.
Send the details
Reach a crew after a storm
Send the details once everyone is safe. If a line is involved, wait until the utility has cleared it. We follow up with next steps.
What happens next
- 1 Send the details What the tree is doing, where it is, and a photo or two if you have them.
- 2 We follow up You hear back the way you asked, with next steps.
- 3 Price in writing You see it before a saw starts, and the yes or no stays with you.
What helps us price it
- A photo of the whole tree and one of the problem
- Roughly how tall it is and how thick the trunk is
- What it could hit: a roof, a fence or power lines
- How a truck gets there, and how wide your gate is
- Whether you also want the stump ground and the wood hauled
If a tree is on a power line or anyone is hurt, call 911 or your electric utility first.
Once the danger is past
Tree removal
Dead, leaning or too close to the house.
Tree trimming and pruning
Deadwood, heavy limbs and clearance.
Stump grinding
Ground below grade, ready to replant.
Tree health and disease
Yellow leaves, dead limbs, beetles and cankers.
Cabling and bracing
Support for a weak fork or a heavy limb.
Land clearing
Lots, brush, Russian olive and tamarisk.
Wildfire mitigation
Thinning and cleanup around the home.
Guides and tools: Grand Valley tree guide, Tree permit and HOA checker, Tree removal cost estimator, Storm alerts and damage help.
Towns we serve
Get a free quote from any Grand Valley community on this list.