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Large tree trunk down across a brick house after a storm
Fully Insured
  • Local Crew

    Based in Rutherfordton, NC, serving the surrounding areas, commercial and residential.

  • 24/7 Storm Service

    Emergency storm tree removal day or night. Call (828) 289-8180.

Storm Damage Tree Removal in Rutherfordton, NC

When a tree comes down on your house, your roof or the only road out, call (828) 289-8180. H&L does storm damage tree removal 24/7 in Rutherfordton and the surrounding areas. We lift trees off homes, open blocked drives and roads, and clean up what the wind left behind. On August 15, 2026 it was a tree down on a brick house, and after Hurricane Helene it was one job after another across the county.

When a Tree Falls on Your House or Roof

Crane lifting a large log away from a house during storm cleanup

A tree resting on a house is still carrying its weight, so how it comes off matters as much as how fast. If it is cut where it lies, the trunk can drop through the ceiling. In our photo a crane lifts a section of trunk away from the house, keeping that load off the rafters while the rest is cut free.

  1. We check how the trunk rests, what is holding it up and whether a line is caught in it.
  2. Limbs are cut back first, so the trunk is lighter and easier to control.
  3. Heavy sections are lifted or pulled away from the house instead of being dropped onto it.
  4. With the tree gone, the damage is in plain view, so your roofer and your insurance adjuster can get to work.
  5. The wood and limbs come off the yard, and we go over what else the storm left.

What to Do While You Wait for Us

  • Get everyone out of the rooms under the tree, and keep them out until it is off the house.
  • Treat every downed wire as live, and stay back from any tree that has a line in it.
  • Call the power company about any line that is down, sagging or caught in limbs.
  • Keep children, pets and cars away, because a trunk resting on a roof can still shift.
  • Leave the chainsaw in the shed, since a loaded trunk can kick or roll when it is cut.
  • If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 911 before you call us.

Emergency Storm Tree Removal, Day or Night

Excavator cleaning up a tree that fell on a house after a storm

Our post from August 15, 2026 read “Emergency storm tree removal”, and our page adds “24-7 give us a call”. The photo shows the excavator on the lawn of that brick house, pulling the trunk and limbs away from the walls, with cut logs beside it. Trees do not fall on office hours, so tree service and storm damage are the two jobs we answer around the clock.

A Tree Blocking Your Driveway or Road

Not every storm call is a tree on a roof. One customer had a big tree fall first thing in the morning while she was at work. It blocked her from her home and trapped her sister on the property, and we cleared it the same day. Another family was iced in after a storm, called us at 9:00 a.m., and we were there by 1:00 to clear and salt the driveway.

Storm damage cleanup on a gravel drive is often more than the tree, because a fallen trunk can leave ruts, a washed ditch or a culvert choked with debris. Once the wood is gone, we can put the surface right as part of our driveway and private road work. A lot full of downed timber is closer to land clearing, and a cracked tree still standing can wait for a planned visit from our tree service crew.

Hurricane Helene in Rutherford County

Helene came through in late September 2024. The National Weather Service called it “likely the most severe flooding in recorded history across the Chimney Rock/Lake Lure area in Rutherford County”. Its notes on the county list widespread downed trees and power lines, and roads washed away. East of the Rutherford mountains the hit was lighter, though trees and lines still came down and the power went out.

On September 27, 2026 we posted that “H&L crews will never forget hurricane helene”, and that we “stood strong & tried to rebuild our county job by job”. In Canecreek mountain POA, Helene left landslides across the community’s roads. Bryson and the crew fixed them so people could get in and out, took down trees in a dangerous spot, and kept the roads up under a contract after that.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Storm Damage Tree Removal?

It depends on your policy, so only your insurer can answer it. Policies differ on a tree that hit the house versus one that only blocked the drive or fell in the yard, and on how much of the removal they pay. Call your insurer early, and if it is safe, photograph the tree where it fell before anyone moves it. If the adjuster wants to see it in place, tell us when you call.

“100 year old, massive oak tree fell on my home yesterday and did extensive damage. Bryson pulled his team together in under and hour and had them at my house. 6 hours later, the second picture, tree off of the house, no longer raining in my living room.”

William J., Google review

Tree Down? Call Us 24/7

Call (828) 289-8180, 24/7 for storm damage.

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Google Reviews

What Customers Say

  • “They came out same day and cleared the tree for us.”

    H&L are outstanding! I had a big tree fall first thing in the morning while I was at work and it completely blocked me from my home and trapped my sister on the property. They came out same day and cleared the tree for us. Super professional and would recommend them!

    Sarah H. ★★★★★ Google review
  • “May have been a small job for them but it was huge to us.”

    We used H&L for several issues in our backyard. May have been a small job for them but it was huge to us. They dug up and removed a fence, filled in and leveled our yard, knocked down and removed storm damaged trees and cleared a spot for a future shed. They topped it off with hydro seeding. I found them easy to work with and very knowledgeable. This type of work makes me nervous and I felt very comfortable with what they did and with their advice. I would use them again.

    Sylvia M. ★★★★★ Google review
  • “Bryson came right out.”

    Bryson came right out. Took a tree that fell on our roof yesterday! Great guy. Good service.

    José V. ★★★★★ Google review
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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions We Hear a Lot

John Deere dozer parked beside a lot being cleared of pine trees
  • Not in the rooms under it. A trunk on a roof can settle further, especially once rain soaks the ceiling below it. Move everyone to the far side of the house or out of it, and leave the lifting to us.

  • Tell us where the tree is lying, what it hit, whether any wires are down and how much room there is to get equipment to it. Let us know too if anyone is still inside the house or cannot get out.

  • It turns on what the tree landed on, how it is lying, how big it is and whether a crane or an excavator has to get in. A tree on a roof takes more care than one across an open drive. Call (828) 289-8180, describe what you see, and Bryson will talk you through it.

  • Yes, including roads shared by several homes or a property owners association. If the storm also rutted or washed out the road, we can repair it once the trees are gone.

  • That varies with the tree and how it landed, so there is no single answer. One customer wrote that the massive oak on his home was off it six hours later.

  • Rutherfordton and surrounding areas. Call (828) 289-8180 to check your location.

  • Yes. Tree service and emergency storm tree removal are available 24-7. Call (828) 289-8180.

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Ready to Get Started?

Call H&L Landscaping and Grading at (828) 289-8180 for grading, clearing and 24/7 tree service.

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