Tree Fell on House Repair — Framing, Sheathing, Windows and Siding
The storm put a tree on the house. Once it is off and the hole is covered, here is how the framing, the openings and the outside of the wall get put back.
When a tree fell on the house, JMB Builders is the repair contractor for the carpentry across the Twin Cities metro: broken rafters, studs and sheathing, windows, doors, siding and the drywall inside. Once the tree is off and the opening covered, we document the damage for your claim, meet your adjuster, and rebuild to the approved scope. When framing is broken, a structural engineer writes the repair first. Priced per project.
- Priced per project
- Framing, sheathing, windows, doors, siding
- Engineer's repair letter when framing broke
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A tree on a house is two jobs in order. First, make it safe and dry: stay out of the rooms under it, call the utility if a line is down or the meter was hit, get the tree lifted off (often with a crane so it does not roll further into the roof), and get the hole tarped or sheeted in the same day to stop water. Photograph everything before and during, and keep every receipt.
Second, the rebuild. A trunk that comes through a roof usually snaps rafters or trusses and cracks the sheathing; one that hits a wall can crush studs, a window header or a door frame. Broken framing is not guessed at. A structural engineer looks at it and writes the repair — sistered rafters, a new truss, a new header — and structural repair usually means a building permit. Then the framing, sheathing, roofing, windows, doors, siding and interior drywall go back in that order.
You file the claim and deal with your insurer. We document the damage room by room and line by line, meet your adjuster and walk it, and rebuild once it is approved. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying your deductible, and we do not.
What you supply
- Photos from the day it happened, before the tree came off, if you have them
- The date and time of the storm, your claim number and the adjuster's contact
- The approved scope and any engineer's letter once you have them
- Access to the rooms under the damage and the attic above it
- Your paint colors — painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Photos of the damage inside and out with a scale reference, and a line-item list for your claim
- Meeting your adjuster to walk the damage, including the attic and the rooms below
- Framing repair to the engineer's letter: sistered or new rafters, studs, headers
- New roof and wall sheathing, underlayment, and the roofing over the repaired area
- Windows, doors and siding in the damaged area replaced and flashed
- Insulation, drywall and trim inside where the tree came through
- Haul-away of broken framing and debris from the repair, and finished photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Whether framing is broken and needs an engineer's repair, or only sheathing and finishes
- How much roof and wall is opened up, and on which story
- Windows, doors or a patio door in the path of the tree
- Matching siding, shingles and trim that are no longer made
- Interior: ceiling and wall drywall, insulation and flooring below the hole
- Temporary cover and water drying before the rebuild, which most claims list separately
Send photos of the outside, the attic and the rooms under the damage, and say whether the tree is still on the house and whether the hole is covered.
How long it takes
Temporary cover: as soon as the tree is off. The rebuild starts once the scope and any engineer's letter are in; a damaged roof section and one wall usually take a few days to a week on site.
How your project works
- 1
Safe and dry
Tree lifted off, utilities checked, the hole tarped or sheeted in, water dried out. Photos of all of it, and receipts kept for the claim.
- 2
Document
Every broken piece photographed with a scale reference and listed line by line: framing, sheathing, roofing, windows, doors, siding, drywall, insulation, trim.
- 3
Engineer and adjuster
When framing is broken, a structural engineer writes the repair. We meet your adjuster and walk the damage, attic to basement.
- 4
Rebuild in order
Framing to the engineer's letter, then sheathing, roofing and house wrap, then windows, doors and siding flashed in, then insulation, drywall and trim inside.
- 5
Finish and photos
Inspection if a permit was pulled, painting as its own line if you want it, and finished photos in your job folder for you and your insurer.
Tree Fell on House Repair — Framing, Sheathing, Windows and Siding: questions, answered
What should I do first when a tree falls on my house?
Get everyone out of the rooms under it. If a power line is down or the meter or gas line was hit, call the utility before anything else. Photograph the tree on the house from every side. Call your insurer to open a claim, get the tree lifted off, and get the hole covered the same day to stop water. Keep every receipt.
Do I need a structural engineer after a tree hit my house?
When rafters, trusses, studs or a header are broken or pushed out of line, yes. An engineer looks at the framing and writes the repair, and that letter is what a building permit and your adjuster both go by. If only the sheathing, shingles, siding or a window broke and the framing is straight, an engineer is usually not needed.
Can you fix the framing where a tree came through the roof?
Yes. Cracked rafters are sistered or replaced, broken trusses are repaired or replaced to the engineer's letter, and the roof sheathing is replaced over the whole damaged area, not patched. The roofing goes back over it with underlayment, and the inside gets new insulation and drywall.
Will the new siding and shingles match the rest of the house?
We match the profile, color and brand where they are still made, and use leftover material from the garage or another wall when it is not. When an exact match is gone, ask your adjuster in writing how your policy handles matching before anything is ordered.
Do you meet the insurance adjuster after a tree falls on a house?
Yes. We walk the damage with the adjuster from the attic down, with the photos and line items you already have, so hidden framing and the rooms below get looked at along with the roof. You file the claim and talk to your insurer; we explain the damage and the repair.
Can a contractor pay my deductible after tree damage?
No. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your insurance deductible, and JMB Builders does not. The deductible is your share of the repair and is paid as part of the job.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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