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Orchard-tree fall damage checklist for Wingham CT3 gardens

A November-to-March storm brings down an old orchard tree onto a rear garden or boundary. What to check, what to fix first, and what the insurance record needs.

Every winter, somewhere in the CT3 villages, an old apple, pear or cherry from the fruit-belt goes over onto a rear garden. Wingham, Preston and Staple back straight onto the orchard belt, so this is not a rare event. The right response, in the right order, saves you money on the insurance side.

First hour: safety only

• Are any live cables, gas meter housings, or overhead wires touching the fallen wood? If yes, do not go near - call the utility direct on their emergency number.
• Is the tree resting against a structure (house wall, outbuilding, conservatory)? If yes, do not try to move it. It is holding weight now.
• Is anyone in the outbuilding it has hit? Get them out.

Second hour: photograph everything

Before any clean-up starts, photograph the scene from every angle. Wide shots, medium shots, close-ups on damage. Timestamp on the phone photos is your evidence for the insurance claim. If it has hit a boundary fence, photograph the fence damage too - separate line item on the claim.

Same day: make safe, do not fix

• Board up any glass breach with plywood to keep weather out. That is a make-safe action, allowable under most policies without pre-approval.
• Tarpaulin any roof breach - not repair, tarp only.
• Do not start cutting the tree yet. The insurance loss adjuster wants to see it as it fell.

Within 48 hours: report and quote

Notify insurer, get a claim number. Then get quotes for: tree removal, structural repair (roof, wall, outbuilding), boundary reinstatement (fence, gate, wall). Three separate quotes is standard on any claim over £2000. I do the handyman-scope reinstatement quotes on the CT3 patch; tree removal is a specialist arborist job and I flag which local arborist has the right kit for orchard-belt work.

What the handyman scope actually covers

Once the tree is off and the arborist has taken the trunk away, the handyman scope covers: fence and boundary reinstatement, outbuilding roof patch, fascia and soffit replacement where hit, closeboard replacement, gate rehang. Priced against the standard fleet fence-and-gate repair and timber repair rates, quoted after arborist has cleared.