“the key was documenting *everything* with photos and itemized receipts.”
Totally agree—if you don’t have photos, it’s like the mess never happened (at least to the insurance folks). Learned that the hard way after a windstorm. Adjuster wanted proof of every single tree limb. I ended up with a phone full of “branch selfies.” Out of curiosity, has anyone had luck getting them to cover damage to landscaping? My policy was weirdly vague about plants and shrubs...
Funny you mention the “branch selfies”—I had a whole album of those after last spring’s hailstorm. I swear, my camera roll looked like a tree crime scene. I totally get what you mean about insurance being picky. If it’s not in a photo, they act like it never existed.
About the landscaping coverage, I’ve run into the same thing. My policy had this vague line about “reasonable replacement of plants and shrubs,” but when I actually tried to claim for a busted lilac bush and some flattened hostas, they basically shrugged. Said it only covered “direct damage from named perils,” and then tried to argue wind wasn’t one for landscaping. Go figure. I did manage to get them to cover part of my fence that went down, but the plants? Nope.
Honestly, it seems like unless you have some kind of fancy rider or extra landscaping coverage, most basic policies just don’t want to touch plants and trees. Maybe if it’s an expensive tree or something that fell on your house or car, but not just general yard mess.
The receipts thing is spot on though. I started keeping all my garden center receipts just in case, even for mulch and cheap perennials...not sure it’ll help, but you never know. And yeah, photos of everything—even stuff you think is obvious—because they’ll ask for proof of the weirdest things.
Storm clean-up costs really add up fast too. Last time we had to pay out-of-pocket for hauling away branches and fixing up the flower beds. Insurance barely chipped in. Not saying don’t try—sometimes you get lucky—but I wouldn’t count on them covering much unless your policy spells it out.
Hang in there—it’s a pain now, but at least you’re learning what to document for next time (hopefully there isn’t one).
Yeah, I’ve run into the same kind of insurance runaround. After a windstorm last fall, I had to replace two fence panels and half my raised beds—insurance only paid for the fence, and even then they tried to depreciate it because it wasn’t “new.” The plants? Not a dime. I started keeping photos and receipts too, but honestly, unless you’ve got some high-end landscaping or a specific rider, it feels like you’re on your own for anything green. Clean-up costs surprised me—hauling branches and renting a chipper set me back about $400 just for one weekend. It adds up fast.
Insurance adjusters can be a real handful—sometimes I think they’ve got a secret class on creative depreciation. You’re spot on about the landscaping; unless you’ve got a special rider, most policies treat plants like they’re just decorative throw pillows. The clean-up costs always sneak up too. I’ve seen folks spend more on debris removal than on actual repairs. Keeping receipts and photos is smart, but even then, it’s a bit of a lottery. Hang in there... at least you’re not alone in the storm aftermath shuffle.
Yeah, the landscaping coverage (or lack of it) always gets me. I learned the hard way after a windstorm trashed half my backyard—turns out my policy capped tree removal at $500, and the actual bill was triple that. Even with photos and receipts, the adjuster nitpicked over “pre-existing damage” to my fence. For anyone tracking costs, debris removal and hauling can easily run $1,000+, depending on the size of your lot and local rates. Repairs themselves—roof patches, siding fixes—are all over the map, but labor is usually the budget killer. I’d say keep a spreadsheet handy... it’s tedious, but at least you’ll have numbers to back up your claim if they push back.
