When a Tree Falls on Your Roof in Rahway

Rahway's mature trees are one of the city's best features - until a storm drops one on the house. Here's what to do.

Streets around Rahway River Park and in the older neighborhoods are lined with big, mature trees. They shade the houses and look great. But in nor'easters, summer storms and heavy wet snow, limbs come down, and every few years whole trees do. It happens in Rahway like everywhere else - news crews have covered trees landing on Rahway houses in summer storms.

First: safety

• Get everyone out of any room where the tree has come through, or where the ceiling is cracking or sagging.
• Check for wires. If the tree is touching a power line or a line is down, stay well back, call 911 and report it to PSE&G. Assume any downed line is live.
• Smell gas? Leave the house and call from outside.
• Don't climb on the roof or try to cut the tree yourself. Trees under tension can move suddenly when cut.

Then: limit the damage

1. Move people, pets and valuables away from the damaged area.
2. Catch water and cover belongings with plastic if rain is coming in.
3. Photograph everything - outside and inside - before anything is moved.
4. Get the tree removed by a tree service and the roof covered by a roofer. Usually the tree has to come off first.

Who's responsible?

In New Jersey, when a healthy tree is brought down by a storm, the general rule is that it becomes the responsibility of the property where it lands - even if it grew next door.

It can be different if the tree was obviously dead, rotting or dangerous and the owner knew about it - that can shift responsibility. Trees in the public right-of-way, like many street trees between the sidewalk and the road, are handled by the municipality.

This is general information, not legal advice.

How the roof gets fixed

Once the tree is off, a roofer will cover the opening to keep weather out, then assess the damage: broken shingles, cracked or punctured decking, damaged rafters, gutters and flashing. Damaged rafters or decking mean structural repair - which, in New Jersey, generally needs a permit (see our Rahway roof permit guide). Smaller hits may just need a section of shingles and decking replaced. See storm damage roof repair.

Preventing the next one

• Have an arborist look at large trees close to the house, especially ones leaning toward it or with dead limbs.
• Trim branches that hang over the roof.
• Watch for warning signs: fungus at the base, cracks in the trunk, large dead branches, or roots lifting the ground.
• If a neighbor's tree looks dangerous, let them know in writing.