San Diegans woke up Monday to streets, driveways and backyards littered with fallen trees and limbs after Sunday's El Nino storm. But when it comes to cleaning up the damage, will your insurance pay? That depends.
State Farm Insurance agent Walt Waggener said most wind damage is generally covered -- but not all.
"Typically if your tree falls over in your yard, that is excluded by most homeowner's policies," said Waggener. "You're going to have to go ahead and pay for the cleanup yourself."
But if the tree hits a structure on your property, your insurance will generally pay to fix it. Waggener said that could include your house, garage, gazebo, patio cover and fence.
"Generally homeowner's policies are designed to cover homes, not trees," said Waggener.
You should also check your insurance deductible to see if it is worth going through your agent. But what if the tree that hits your home or garage is from a neighbor's yard? It still comes down to the homeowners insurance of the damaged property, not the policy where the tree was growing.
In the case of a damaged car, a homeowners policy would not pay for repairs. Instead the car owner's insurance would cover the damage if they have a comprehensive plan.
