People first, then the claim, in the order the state regulator wrote down.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) opens its storm checklist the same way: "Check for safety concerns before assessing the damage." The steps before anyone arrives are on the first hour, in order, and a tree on a power line and who to call has its own page.

Then comes the claim: "Contact your insurance agent/company as soon as possible to arrange a visit from an adjuster." NCDOI defines an adjuster as "a person who will determine the amount of damage to your home or property, what can be repaired or replaced, and at what cost." NCDOI's line, 855-408-1212, helps anyone who cannot find their company's number.

Among the questions NCDOI suggests asking when you file:

• The name and phone number of every person you speak to
• Whether you need estimates for the repairs
• The deductible, since some policies have one that applies during a named storm
• When to expect the adjuster

NCDOI puts documentation ahead of the first repair: "Before doing any temporary repairs, photograph and make a list of the damage." The checklist for a fallen tree is on what to photograph before anyone cuts. NCDOI's After a Disaster brochure adds blank logs for emergency repairs and claim conversations.

NCDOI draws one line through the repairs. On one side: "If your home is exposed to the elements, protect it from further damage by making temporary repairs only. Save any receipts for materials purchased for temporary repairs." On the other: "Do not have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected your property, and you have reached an agreement on the cost of repairs."

NCDOI's homeowners guidance adds that "Your policy requires you to make reasonable emergency repairs necessary to prevent further damage to your home and its contents," and gives covering broken windows or putting a tarp on the roof as examples of temporary repairs. NCDOI's aftermath page adds: "Check with your insurance company before you dispose of damaged materials or items."

A tree through the roof sits right on the line between temporary and permanent repairs. While the trunk lies in the opening, the house stays open to the weather, so getting the weight off feels like protecting the house. Whether a given policy treats the removal that way is for the policy and the agent to say.

NCDOI's instruction for the visit: "You should be there when an adjuster comes to your home." NCDOI also says to show the adjuster where the damage is, share your inventory of it, take notes and ask what else to supply. If the tree had to come off before the visit, your photographs are what show where it lay.

NCDOI's homeowners guidance says the adjuster prepares an estimate of loss, and the amount the company offers "will be based on this estimate." The company may also ask for a signed statement called a proof of loss, which, in NCDOI's words, it uses "to start determining the value of your claim."

Many policies separate a tree that damaged a structure from one that fell in the yard. NCDOI's claims page says: "Most companies will pay, up to a limit, for a tree to be removed from a damaged structure, such as a home, garage or fence, but will not pay to remove a tree from your yard." The Department's homeowners guide adds a case that sentence leaves out: a tree that blocks a driveway or "a dwelling's entryway/exit designed to assist a handicapped person." Tree removal can be its own item in a policy, with its own conditions and its own limit, so the wording that matters is in your own policy, read with your agent or company.

NCDOI's starting point is that "your settlement is based on your policy." If the policyholder and the company disagree on the value of an estimate, NCDOI describes an appraisal provision that lets either side demand an appraisal: each picks an appraiser, and "an impartial third appraiser, called an umpire, may need to be involved" if the two cannot agree, on terms the policy sets.

After a declared disaster there can be a second route: "The Commissioner of Insurance may issue an order activating the Disaster Mediation Program following a state of disaster proclaimed by the Governor or declared by the President." An eligible policyholder whose homeowners claim was partly or completely denied can then request a conference with an independent mediator, but "The mediator cannot, however, make a decision on the claim."

NCDOI's Consumer Services Division, at 855-408-1212, can forward a complaint, require the company to respond, and require corrective action if it determines the company's position does not comply with applicable requirements. It cannot act as your legal representative or establish "The value of a claim or the amount of money owed to you."

NCDOI's contractor advice is about order too: "Call your insurance agent or insurance company before signing a contract or paying for repairs." It adds "Never pay a contractor in full or sign a completion certificate until the work is completed," and NCDOI's homeowners guidance leaves the hiring with the homeowner: "You should hire the person or persons to make the repairs to your property." That goes for a tree crew too.

We'll work with your insurance company to make the process smoother. The removal itself is explained in how a tree's weight comes off a house, and 24-hour emergency tree service is where a storm call begins. What a policy includes, the amount and the limits stay with the policy, the company and the policyholder, not with a tree crew.