Fallen Tree Roof Damage Repair in Irving, TX

Big shade trees are part of what makes older DFW neighborhoods pleasant, until a storm brings one down on the house. A fallen tree is one of the hardest roof emergencies because three trades are involved, and the order matters. It is a core part of our emergency roof repair in Irving, and this page explains who does what, and what we will and will not take on.

Tree fell on your roof? What should you check first?

Before anyone thinks about shingles, check for these:

• Power lines in or near the tree. Stay well away and call the utility.
• Gas smell in the house. Leave and call the gas company.
• Sagging ceilings or cracking walls under the impact. Keep everyone out of those rooms.
• Water coming in. Catch it with buckets and switch off power to wet areas at the breaker.

Then photograph the tree, the roof and any interior damage from a safe spot, report the loss to your insurer, and call us at (725) 745-8803.

Tree on roof removal: who does what

1. Tree service. Removes the trunk and limbs from the roof, often with rigging or a crane. We do not do tree removal, and we will not climb a roof with a loaded tree on it.
2. Our crew. Photographs the opening as soon as the tree is off, then covers it. Our emergency roof tarping page explains how the tarp is fastened to survive more rain.
3. Framing, if needed. If rafters or trusses are broken, a framing carpenter repairs them, and engineered trusses may need an engineer's repair design.
4. Our crew again. We rebuild decking, underlayment, flashing and shingles on sound framing.

If the same storm also left hail or wind damage on other slopes, the storm damage roof repair process applies to the rest of the roof.

Small limb or whole trunk: tree branch roof damage varies

Not every tree strike opens the roof. Lighter branches may only scuff shingles, crack a few tabs or bend a gutter, and a careful repair handles that. Heavier limbs crush shingles and break decking boards. A full trunk can snap rafters and push the ceiling down. Even a glancing limb can break shingle seals in a wide area, which is why we inspect beyond the obvious spot.

Around Irving, the risk comes from the same thing that makes older streets pleasant. Neighborhoods built in the 1960s through the 1980s now have live oaks, pecans and elms that tower over the ridge, and spring squall lines put the most load on them, while the occasional winter ice storm adds weight that long, heavy limbs were never shaped to carry. Warning signs worth an arborist's visit before the next storm: dead or leafless limbs over the roof, a trunk that has started to lean, cracks or cavities at a major fork, and branches already rubbing granules off the shingles.

Roof hole repair, from tarp to shingles

Rebuilding after a tree strike is a patch into a roof that is staying, so the work is judged at the seams between old and new. Damaged decking is cut back to the nearest rafters so new panels have solid bearing, the new underlayment tucks under the old material uphill so water cannot run behind it, and shingles are woven into the existing courses rather than laid as a visible block. Because adjusters often split a tree loss between roofing, framing and removal, our notes keep those items apart. What the job includes on our side:

• Photos of the damage before cover, for your claim.
• Emergency tarp over the opening once the tree is off.
• Inspection of decking, framing visible from the attic, flashing, vents and gutters near the impact.
• Written notes on what is roofing work and what is framing work, so your adjuster sees the split.
• Replacement of broken decking, new underlayment, flashing and matching shingles.
• Debris cleanup from the roof and yard around the repair, and completion photos.

How the rebuild goes, once framing is sound:

1. Cut back damaged shingles and underlayment to clean, square edges.
2. Remove broken decking and fasten new panels to the rafters.
3. Lay new underlayment, lapped under the existing material uphill.
4. Restore flashing and vents in the repaired area.
5. Install shingles, weaving them into the existing courses.
6. Seal, clean up and photograph the finished work.

Can rafters be fixed along with the roof?

This is where we are careful. Broken rafters and trusses are common when a heavy trunk hits a house, and we will point out any we find. But structural framing is not roofing. A broken rafter in a conventionally framed roof is a carpentry repair. A damaged engineered truss usually needs a repair design from the truss maker or an engineer. Some cities will want an inspection before the roof is closed. Our part is to protect the house, tell you honestly what we see, and rebuild the roof system once the framing is right.

Fallen tree insurance claim and cost basics

Your homeowner policy typically covers damage to your house when a covered peril, such as wind, brings a tree down, regardless of whose tree it was. Tree removal is often covered only up to a set limit, and a tree that falls without hitting anything may not be covered at all. Read your policy or ask your insurer.

The Texas Department of Insurance advises photographing tree damage before any repairs, making temporary repairs to prevent more damage, and keeping every receipt. If the tree was clearly dead and your neighbor ignored it, your insurer may seek repayment from the neighbor after paying you.

What drives the roofing cost after a tree strike

What drives the roofing cost: the size of the opening, how much decking broke, whether framing work comes first, matching shingles, and roof pitch. We give a free estimate for our portion and document the damage so your adjuster sees roofing and framing items separately. We never pay or waive your deductible; Texas Insurance Code Chapter 707 forbids it.

The opening is rarely the whole bill. Limbs that bounced across a slope break seals and crack tabs well away from the hole, so the repair area is often wider than the impact. Decking is priced per sheet once the old shingles are off. If framing repairs take days or weeks, the tarp stays up longer and may need re-securing after more rain. Slate, tile and wood shake roofs, common in older Park Cities homes, take more time and harder-to-find material than asphalt shingles. And a weathered roof that will not match new shingles can push a repair toward a full slope.

Why RJ, and the tree-lined areas we serve

Owners appreciate that we say plainly what we will and will not do. They get fast response, urgent temporary repairs to stop leaks, and an explanation in Spanish or English; si un árbol cayó en el techo, le explicamos cada paso en español. Google reviewers say our crews left the property clean, and all 33 reviews on our profile add up to 5.0 stars (November 2026 count). Our workmanship on the finished repair is guaranteed, with the terms spelled out in your contract, and the shingle maker warrants its product. Inspections and estimates are free, and the photos we take before the tarp goes on are dated, so your adjuster sees the damage the way the storm left it.

From Irving we serve neighborhoods full of mature trees, including Dallas, Highland Park, University Park and Farmers Branch.

Permits and inspections after a tree comes down

On rules: Texas does not license roofers, and TDLR has no roofing license. In Irving, the city's handout exempts roof repairs of 100 square feet or less from permits; bigger tree repairs may need one, so check with your city's building department. When a trunk strike breaks rafters or trusses the job usually becomes structural work, and a city may want the framing repair inspected before the roof is closed; in Irving, the Inspections Department at (972) 721-2371 can say what applies. Highland Park, University Park and Dallas run their own permit offices. Whoever does the roofing should hold the city's contractor registration where one is required.