A limb or whole tree on a wooded lake-country roof: clear the house, call, get a temporary cover, then plan the structural repair.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
When a tree or large limb lands on a Sherman roof, get everyone out of the damaged area, stay clear of wires and call. A roofer covers the opening if it is safe, then tree removal, structural checks and the permanent repair follow as separate steps. No arrival time is promised, since crews wait on weather and the tree crew.
A tree through a roof is the roofing call that sounds the worst and often follows the most orderly sequence. The sequence matters because each step depends on the one before. People come first. The tree or limb has to be dealt with before the roof can be reached. A temporary cover keeps rain and snow out. A structural look at the rafters and ceiling comes next, and only then does the real repair start.
This part of Fairfield and Litchfield County is dense with mature hardwoods, and the lake towns have lots that run up into woods. Trees fall onto houses in wind, in wet snow and in saturated ground, and they sometimes fall when no storm has been recorded at all. On May 15, 2018, a macroburst over Brookfield and New Fairfield brought trees down onto houses and cars across the Candlewood Lake towns, and two deaths were reported from trees on vehicles.
Sherman Roofing is a call line, not a roofing crew. You describe what has happened, and the call is put through to an independent local roofer who serves your town. The line answers at any hour. A crew's arrival depends on the roofer, the weather and who else needs help. If anyone is hurt or a wire is down, call 911 first, then (833) 751-2102.
Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house, stay clear of wires, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or a wire is down. Then call a roofer to cover the opening and a tree service to remove the tree. Photograph from the ground. Do not go into the attic or onto the roof.
A fallen tree can hide danger. A strained rafter can give way, a wire can be live under branches and a gas or oil line may be damaged. Take your family and pets out and wait outside.
Once it is safe to be nearby, photograph the tree, the roof and the lawn, and note the time. The guide on what to do after a wind storm lays out the sequence in more detail.
They are separate jobs. A tree service cuts and removes the tree or limb, ideally after the roofer or a structural professional has said where weight rests on the house. The roofer covers the opening and rebuilds. Coordinating the two avoids dropping a heavy piece onto an already damaged roof.
This line connects you with a roofer, not a tree service. Ask the roofer which pieces of the tree should come off first, and whether the roof can bear the crew.
If the framing is damaged, the roofer may recommend an engineer's opinion before the permanent repair is scoped.
You cannot tell from the outside. Sagging, new ceiling cracks, sticking doors and sounds of creaking are warning signs, but a cracked rafter can look fine. A roofer or structural professional should inspect the framing before anyone spends time under the damaged area or before the repair is priced.
Keep out of the room beneath the damage until it has been looked at. Interior repair comes last.
If the building department posts the house as unsafe, follow its instructions. See storm damage roof repair for the wider process.
You can reduce the risk but not remove it. Have a tree service assess large trees close to the house, especially those with dead limbs, leaning trunks or root damage, and trim limbs that hang over the roof. Do this before storm season, from the ground, with qualified people.
Dead limbs are the usual culprits, and they show up in autumn when leaves are gone. Trees with exposed roots, cracks or fungus at the base deserve a closer look.
The guide on roofing under trees covers debris and gutters that come with a canopy.
Assume every wire near a fallen tree is live. Stay well back, keep others away and call 911 and the electric utility. Do not try to cut or move the tree yourself, because load on a damaged roof can shift suddenly.
Move people and pets out of any room under the damage. If a wire is down or touching the tree, stay away and call 911 and the electric utility. A tree on the house can shift without warning.
Say whether the tree is still on the roof, whether it can be reached, how the house is accessed and whether water is coming in. The call goes to an independent roofer who decides what can be done safely and when.
A tree service usually removes the tree in pieces, with the roofer or an engineer sometimes asked to look at the structure first. Pulling a trunk off a damaged roof without a plan can bring more of it down.
The roofer covers the damaged area with a tarp or boards, then inspects rafters, decking and the ceiling below. If the framing looks cracked or displaced, a structural assessment may be needed before repair.
Broken rafters are sistered or replaced, decking and shingles are installed and flashing is reset. The scope is written and priced separately, and a repair of this size usually involves the town building office.
A branch falls, crushes shingles and may crack decking. The repair is local: remove the limb, cut out damaged boards, re-deck and re-shingle the area. It is the mildest case, but water still gets in and needs a temporary cover.
A trunk breaks through the decking and into the attic or a room. Rafters and ceiling joists are often involved. A structural look is essential before rebuilding, and the work can include the interior.
A tree has fallen but come to rest on the roof, still supported by the ground. This can be as dangerous as a trunk through the roof, because removing the wrong piece can release it. Leave it to the tree service.
Tree damage ranges from a few shingles to a major rebuild, so this page prints no figure. Each stage is quoted on its own, and the roofer confirms the price on site.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary cover | Quoted on site | The size of the opening, roof pitch and conditions set the time and materials |
| Tree and debris removal | Separate from roofing | Done by a tree service; ask the roofer whether the roof can be reached before it is done |
| Structural repair | Quoted after inspection | Broken rafters or joists need an assessment before a price is possible |
| Decking and shingles | Quoted by area | How many boards and slopes are involved, and whether shingles can be matched |
| Interior ceiling and insulation | Separate trades | Wet insulation and drywall are often a separate job after the roof is dry |
Your exact price is set by the roofer after inspection and confirmed in writing before any work starts.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent fallen tree roof damage, send the form and we'll call you back.
Sherman is heavily wooded, with mature hardwoods over many roofs and Candlewood Lake on its eastern edge. Lake homes and farmhouses often sit under tall oaks and maples, and many lots slope, which makes a fallen tree harder to reach and remove. Tell the line how the house is reached and where the tree lies.
The May 2018 storm that struck Brookfield and New Fairfield also reached Sherman, as it did New Milford and Bridgewater. Trees came down onto houses and vehicles in the area, and about 120,000 customers lost power. In a storm like that, tree crews and roofers are asked everywhere at once.
Power lines run along many of the town roads, including the routes serving the lake, so a tree on a roof is often a tree on a wire. Wait for the utility to confirm a line is dead before anyone approaches. The roofer cannot work until the electrical hazard has been dealt with.
After a wind storm: a temporary cover to stop water, then a documented inspection and a written repair plan from an independent roofer.
Active leaks, ice melt and fallen-limb holes on hillside and lake lots: call any hour, and the roofer you reach sets the timing.
Leaks, loose shingles, worn flashing and limb damage on wooded Sherman-area roofs, looked at and quoted by an independent local roofer.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
When a tree lands on a roof, get everyone out of the damaged area, stay clear of wires and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
Shade keeps a roof damp, and damp roofs grow moss, collect leaves in valleys and clog gutters.
The line answers at any hour, but the roofer sets the timing and no arrival time can be promised. Tree removal, wires and weather all affect when a crew can reach the roof.
Usually a tree service does that. The roofer covers the opening and repairs the roof. They work best in sequence, so tell the roofer when the tree will be removed.
Not in the damaged area. Rooms beneath a strike may be unsafe even when the ceiling looks intact. Ask the roofer or a structural professional before you go back in.
That is for your insurer to decide, and this line cannot say. Photograph everything, keep receipts and written findings, and ask your insurer what it requires.
A substantial roof repair or rebuild may need one from the town building office. The roofer should confirm this and say who applies.
Even a small limb can crack decking, so have it checked. See emergency roof leak repair if water is coming in.