Neighbor's Tree Broke My Window — Whose Insurance, and the Repair
The big maple next door came down in the storm, and a limb went through your bedroom window and the patio door glass.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Neighbor's tree broke my window? In general the first stop is your own homeowners policy, which usually covers your house no matter whose tree hit it; the neighbor's policy may come in if the tree was known to be dead or failing. Confirm with your agent. JMB Builders in the Twin Cities photographs the damage, boards up and replaces the windows and doors. Priced per window or door.
- Priced per window or door
- Photos before the tree is cut off the house
- Board-up the same visit when needed
In general, damage to your house is claimed on your own homeowners policy, even when the tree stood on the neighbor's lot. Where the neighbor's policy can come in is when the tree was dead, rotten or leaning and the neighbor knew it and did nothing; then your insurer may go after the neighbor's insurer to recover what it paid. That is the general pattern, not a promise about your policy or your state of facts. Check your policy and ask your agent, and do not count on the neighbor paying unless their insurer agrees in writing.
What helps either way is evidence, and most of it disappears when the tree service shows up. Photograph the tree on the house, the broken windows and doors with a scale, and the stump or break if you can see it: a hollow trunk or a dead limb tells a different story than a healthy tree snapped by wind. We photograph each opening and write the scope; the tree service handles the tree.
Once the tree is off the house, we board up or close the openings, then replace what broke: glass, sash or whole window, patio door glass panel or the whole door, screens and trim. If the tree also broke framing, rafters or the roof, that is a structural repair on its own scope. You file and deal with your insurer, and we meet the adjuster if you want us there. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your deductible, and we do not.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of the tree on the house and the stump or break, taken before it is moved
- Your claim number, and the neighbor's insurer's name if they share it
- Access to the damaged windows and doors after the tree service is done
- Your choice of matching the old windows or upgrading, paid as the difference
What JMB supplies
- Photos of each broken window and door with a scale, labeled by room and side
- Board-up or temporary glass so the house can be closed and locked
- A line-item scope: glass, sash or unit, patio door panel or door, screens, trim and siding around
- A copy of the scope and photos you can give your agent and, if they ask, the neighbor's insurer
- Replacement windows and doors installed with flashing, sill pan, foam and trim
- Painting quoted as its own line, or leave the trim primed and caulked
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Glass only, sash or whole window; patio door glass panel or whole door
- Siding, capping and trim torn around the opening
- Second-story windows and access past the fallen limbs
- Whether framing broke, which moves the job to a structural scope
- Matching older windows the maker no longer sells
Send photos of the tree on the house and each broken opening. We reply within one business day; board-up can come first.
How long it takes
Board-up the first visit once the tree is off. Glass and windows are built to order over weeks; install is a few hours per window or patio door.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Neighbor's Tree Broke My Window — Whose Insurance, and the Repair: questions, answered
Whose insurance pays when a neighbor's tree falls on my house?
In general, your own homeowners policy covers damage to your house no matter whose tree it was. If the tree was dead or failing and the neighbor knew, your insurer may try to recover from the neighbor's insurer. That is the general pattern; check your policy and ask your agent how it applies to you.
Do I have to pay my deductible if the neighbor's tree broke my window?
On a claim on your own policy, usually yes. If your insurer later recovers from the neighbor's insurer, some or all of the deductible may come back to you. Ask your agent. A contractor cannot cover it: Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying your deductible, and JMB Builders does not.
What should I photograph when a neighbor's tree hits my house?
The tree on the house from a few angles, each broken window and door up close with something for scale, the inside where glass and water came in, and the stump or break on the neighbor's side if you can see it. Rot or a hollow trunk matters if anyone asks whether the tree was failing. Take them before the tree service cuts it up.
Can I just send the neighbor the bill for the broken window?
You can ask, and some neighbors pay or file on their own policy. But you cannot force it without their insurer agreeing, and that can take weeks while your window is boarded up. Most people file on their own policy and let the insurers sort it out. Ask your agent which way fits.
Tree from next door broke my patio door. Can just the glass be replaced?
Often, yes. If only the glass panel broke and the frame, track and the other panel are straight, a new glass panel or sash is ordered for the existing door. If the frame is bent or the door will not slide or seal, the whole door is replaced. We check and photograph both.
Who removes the tree from my house?
A tree service lifts and cuts it off the house. We board up and replace the windows and doors once it is off. If the trunk or limbs broke framing, rafters or the roof, that repair is scoped on its own with the structural work.
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 the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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Insurance & Storm Damage Repairs near you
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