Emergency Tree Service

Emergency tree work is an urgent, risk-driven response to tree-related conditions that pose an imminent risk to people, structures, critical access, or public safety and should not or cannot reasonably be deferred without increased likelihood of harm or damage.
______

Insurance involvement does not determine whether a situation is an emergency.
Do not delay a response for fear that insurance will not cover the work!

Crown Down Tree Service LLC prioritizes emergency response based on hazard severity, site conditions, and resource availability at the time of dispatch. An on-site hazard assessment is required to confirm urgency and determine the safest method of mitigation.

If the condition can be safely secured, isolated, or deferred until normal scheduling without increasing risk, it will be handled as non-emergency work by appointment.

Some examples of tree emergencies can include:

-Tree on a house

-Tree on a car, truck, or other vehicle

-Tree blocking driveways or property entrances or exits

-Tree in a road

-Trees that are blocking handicap accessibility
-Large hanging limbs*
-Uprooted / unstable tree*

-Tree touching power lines or that have damaged utilities †

-Failed tree after storm*

-Cracked or split trunk*
-Trees about to fail*

*: Only in circumstances where failure may cause damage or harm
†: Utility-involved trees must be cleared or removed by utility providers

Sometimes, the emergency is obvious but not all tree damage is an emergency. Read on to see Crown Down's process for triaging urgent tree-related work!

Here's what to expect when you call:

Step 1: Contact us by phone at 703-929-4166, Menu Option #4, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is especially important if it is after hours to ensure we are notified of your emergency needs. Leave a voicemail with your name and address.

Step 2: Submit an emergency service request. This helps us triage during periods of high call valume and gives us all the details and proper authorization to deploy for what comes next.

Step 3: We review details and send an Emergency Dispatch Authorization for approval. Once you have reviewed and signed for the dispatch, we will send an experienced arborist to your property to assess the site. 

Step 4: We perform an on-site assessment to confirm an imminent hazard and determine site requirements and safe methods that will prevent unnecessary damage, cost, or insurance complications later, and provide an ETA of services if resources have not already begun arriving.*

*At this point you do not owe for anything other than the "SERVICE CALL" listed in the rate sheet below.

Step 5: Once site conditions are assessed we will recommend for you to:

A.) Authorize deployment of emergency resources without delay (See HSSA waiver in the "Client Resources" section below). Rates listed in the Rate Sheet will go in to effect for each asset and personnel required moving forward!

B.) Have us schedule work on a non-emergency basis to prevent unnecessary service costs if it is agreed that the site is safe enough for us to leave the site in its current condition.

C.) Close the request after the assessment if no further services are required.

Once we are authorized to perform work, Crown Down will handle the emergency request as soon as available resources/site conditions enable us to do so. In most cases, this may be immediately however during violent weather events, you may need to wait as we triage critical services or wait out storm activity until work is safe to proceed. Trees on or in houses must take priority!  

The truth is, until the claim is reviewed and compared against your policy coverage, there is never any guarantee. We don't say this to alarm you, it is just a fact of insurance process.  We encourage clients to communicate early with their insurance company for the most accurate interpretation of their policy coverage, however some information you may find helpful:

1.) Insurance generally does not cover risk, only damage. If there is already damage, and you suspect that there is imminent risk of additional damage, your insurance will likely not want you to wait for it to get worse which may inflate the claim's size. 

2.) The type of coverage depends on the damaged property that's involved. This affects which coverage you should start with:

• Vehicle Damage = Car Insurance

• House and Property Damage = Homeowners Insurance

• Personal Property on a Rented Premises = Renter's Insurance 

3.) If the damage appears minor, initiating a claim may still be a good idea to protect you from unseen issues later on.

4.) If there is damage, and you are initiating an insurance claim, you will likely owe a "deductible" or an insurance payment that is similar to a co-pay when you visit a doctor. These may range anywhere between a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars and vary based on your insurance, coverage, and claim history.

5.) If you cannot reach your insurance company quickly (which can be common in widespread events), your assessor can advise you on the outlook of site-conditions to help you come to your own conclusion about the urgency of receiving service. Don't be afraid to trust your instincts; if it looks like you need to act quickly, there is probably a reason.

6.) In Virginia, if a tree falls across your property line, you are usually only responsible for what is on your property. Doing anything more risks trespassing and may not be covered by your insurance.

Keep yourself safe!
Do not attempt to recover affected or endangered property, enter areas with unstable conditions, or self-remedy tree-related emergencies unless you have extensive training, a clear understanding of the risks, and the proper equipment to perform the work as safely as possible. Emergency tree hazard mitigation is best left to qualified professionals! 

Once the hazardous condition has been stabilized or removed, the emergency phase is considered complete.

Some clients choose to have us return for follow-up services, such as additional debris disposal, pruning, or removal of trees that were not deemed hazardous but were affected by the damage. In situations where restoration work may be needed, we may also be able to connect you with trusted industry-adjacent service providers.

We can discuss next steps once the immediate risk has been addressed so you can decide what makes the most sense for your situation.