Storm-Damage Photo Checklist
What to photograph after Vermont tree damage—and what not to approach—so a tree-service request starts with useful information.
Six chosen photographs are worth more than a hundred taken at random, and where each is taken from is the entire point. Start wide: one shot from far enough back that the whole crown is visible against the sky with whatever sits beneath the tree in frame. That is the shot people skip and the one an assessor most wants, because it carries proportion, lean, crown balance and consequence together. Then the base and surrounding ground from two opposite sides, which is what reveals a root plate that has moved. Then the damage close, and the damage in context. Then the access route from the street toward the tree, and its narrowest point with something for scale — the measurement that decides which machine can come at all. Nothing on this list is worth entering a possible fall area for, and suspended material can release on a still day.
First choose the correct call
- Call 911 for immediate danger to people or an occupied area
- Contact the electric utility for a downed line or tree touching electrical equipment
- Contact the municipality for a public street, sidewalk or municipal tree
- Keep people, pets and vehicles outside the likely fall area
From a safe location, capture
- A wide view showing the entire tree and what is nearby
- The trunk base and surrounding soil only if visible without approaching
- Broken tops, hanging branches or canopy change from outside the drop zone
- Damage to roof, fence, vehicle or access route from a protected position
- Street address or clear location description in the request—not inside the image
Useful request details
- When the damage occurred and whether it is changing
- Whether power, a public road or an occupied structure is involved
- Tree species if known; do not guess if unsure
- Gate width, slope, surface and other visible access limits
- Insurance claim information can be discussed with the insurer; coverage is not assumed
No photograph is worth stepping inside a possible fall area for. If a shot cannot be taken safely, it does not get taken.
The shot list
Six photographs, each taken from a specific place. Together they let a crew judge urgency, method and access without anyone stepping into a fall zone.
| Shot | Stand where | What it settles |
|---|---|---|
| Whole tree against the sky | Far enough back to see the full crown | Proportion, lean, balance, and what is beneath |
| Base and surrounding ground | Two opposite sides, at ground level | Whether the root plate has moved |
| The damage, close | The nearest genuinely safe position | What actually broke |
| The damage, in context | Far enough to include what is under it | Consequence — the half people omit |
| Access route | From the street, looking toward the tree | What machine can reach it |
| Narrowest point on that route | Square on, with something for scale | Whether a standard machine fits at all |
Nothing on this list is worth entering a possible fall area for. If a shot cannot be taken safely, it does not get taken.
Which shots matter, and which ones nobody should take.
Why do photographs matter so much after a storm?+
They decide three things: how urgently a crew responds, what equipment they bring, and what an insurer sees before anything is moved. A wide shot showing the tree, the structure and the ground tells a crew more about access and method than any description, and it is the record that settles a claim question later.
What is the one shot people always miss?+
The wide one. Everyone photographs the break close up and nobody steps back far enough to show the whole tree against the sky with what is underneath it in frame. That single photograph carries proportion, lean, crown balance and consequence — and it is the one an assessor asks for first.
How close is too close?+
Anywhere inside the possible fall area, which is larger than people assume and roughly the height of the tree in every direction. Material hanging in a canopy can let go on a still day. Never approach a tree bearing on a structure, a lifted root plate, or anything within reach of a conductor to improve a picture.
What should I photograph on the ground?+
The soil where the trunk enters it, from two opposite sides at ground level. Cracked or raised soil on one side with a depression or mound on the other means the root plate has moved, which is the most serious thing a walk-round can find and the easiest to miss under leaf litter or snow.
Do I need to photograph the access route?+
Yes, and it is the shot that most changes what a crew brings. Show the route from where a truck could park to the tree, the gate or narrowest passage with something for scale, any steps or turns, and the driveway surface. A crew arriving with the wrong machine costs everyone a visit.
How many photographs are useful?+
Six to ten chosen ones beat a hundred taken at random. Whole tree, base and surrounding ground, the damage close up, the damage in context showing what is beneath it, the access route, and the narrowest point on it. Everything else is optional.
Should I capture the date?+
Yes, and most phones do it automatically — check that the setting is on. For an insurance question, when the damage happened relative to a named weather event matters, and photographs taken before anything moved with a verifiable date are the strongest record you can produce.
What should I write down alongside the photographs?+
When you noticed it, what the weather was doing, whether anything has moved since, and any previous work on the tree. Also whether a crack visibly opens and closes as the tree sways — that is something only a person standing there can observe, and it changes the assessment considerably.
Do I need to photograph the interior damage too?+
If a tree is on the house, yes — from inside, where it is safe to be. Ceiling staining, displaced framing, water entry and damage to contents are separate items on a claim from the exterior damage, and they are frequently assessed differently. Do not enter rooms the tree is bearing on.
Can I move anything before photographing?+
Move people, pets and vehicles out of danger — that always comes first. Beyond that, photograph before anything is cut or shifted, because the position and origin of material is exactly what a later question turns on. Protecting contents from further water damage is fine and expected; tidying the scene is not.
Will a photograph get me a price?+
No, and be cautious of anyone who quotes from one. Photographs screen well and decide nothing: they cannot show internal decay, root condition, ground bearing, or the real width of an access route. A responsible estimate for a removal needs someone at the property.
What do I do with the photographs?+
Send the wide shot and the access shot with your service request, keep the full set with the date for your insurer, and keep them after the work as part of the property's record. If there is a dispute later about condition before or after, the set you took in the first hour is worth more than anything reconstructed from memory.
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