When a tree comes down on Long Island, the order of calls matters: the utility if wires are involved, then photos, then your insurer, then a tree company. The companies listed below say on Google that they answer around the clock, but confirm when you call.
If wires are involved, call PSEG first
Call PSEG Long Island at 800-490-0075 for downed wires or any tree touching a line. For a gas problem, call National Grid. PSEG asks you to tell them:
- the exact address of the tree
- whether the tree or limb is on a line or could fall onto one
- whether the wire runs between two poles, or from a pole to a house
- anything else nearby that makes it more dangerous, like a school, a playground or water
PSEG treats these as hazards: a limb on a main line, a limb pulling hard on a wire, a tree leaning on a wire, wires burning a tree, and a branch pulling the service wire off a pole or the house. No tree crew should be cutting into a tree that is tangled in a live line before PSEG has made it safe.
Photograph everything before it moves
In November 2012, New York’s Department of Financial Services told insurers to accept homeowners’ photos and video of damage. Its checklist still makes sense for a fallen tree:
- take individual color photos of the damage, starting with the most costly
- set the camera or phone to record the date and time
- keep the photos and receipts together for the adjuster
Then call your insurance company and ask what it needs before the tree is cut up and hauled off. If the tree is putting people at risk, safety comes first.
What insurance usually covers
United Policyholders, a nonprofit for insurance customers, explains how most homeowners policies treat trees (March 2026):
- Covered, usually: removing a tree that a windstorm, hail, or the weight of ice, snow or sleet brought down onto your house or another covered structure, like a garage or a fence. Most policies pay up to $500 or $1,000 for that tree debris.
- Usually not covered: a tree that fell without damaging anything, or a tree that is leaning but has not hit anything yet.
- Sometimes covered: a fallen tree that blocks your driveway or the only way in and out of the house.
If your tree lands on a neighbor’s house, the neighbor normally claims on their own policy.
What emergency removal costs
| Situation | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fallen tree lying in an open yard | $100 to $500 | Competition Tree, Nassau (Aug 2026) |
| Small tree, open backyard | $500 to $1,200 | Competition Tree, Nassau (Aug 2026) |
| Mid-sized tree blocking a driveway or leaning on a fence | $1,200 to $2,500 | Competition Tree, Nassau (Aug 2026) |
| Large tree on a structure or resting on power lines | $2,500 to $5,000 or more | Competition Tree, Nassau (Aug 2026) |
| Medium tree, storm or immediate danger | $800 to $1,800 | Miguel’s Tree Service, Suffolk (Aug 2026) |
| Large tree, storm or immediate danger | $1,500 to $3,000 or more | Miguel’s Tree Service, Suffolk (Aug 2026) |
| Emergency removal, overall range | $500 to $3,000 or more | Long Island Best Tree Service (Oct 2026) |
Night and weekend calls cost more. Competition Tree and Long Island Best Tree Service both put after-hours rates roughly 30 to 100 percent above daytime, and Competition Tree says rates can climb another 25 percent or so after a big storm. Miguel’s says emergency work runs 1.5 to 2 times its normal price. If the tree is down in the yard and not on anything, waiting for a daytime crew can save real money.
Storm debris and trees by the road
PSEG Long Island does not haul away debris from storm or emergency restoration work. It says to contact your town. In the Town of Huntington, for example, trees on town property or in the town right of way go to the Highway Department at 631-499-0444. Huntington says anything on your own property that PSEG does not take is the owner’s to deal with: your sanitation carter may collect it if it meets the yard waste rules, or you can hire a tree company.
Storm chasers
After a big storm, trucks come through neighborhoods offering to cut right now. ISA’s hiring brochure tells homeowners to be wary of people who go door to door offering bargains, and to ask for proof of insurance and call the insurer to confirm it. Even in a hurry, get a written price and the company’s county license number. How to check a tree company takes a few minutes on a phone.