There's a tree on my roof — what should I do?
A trunk or major limb resting on the roof, punched through it, or hung up on the gutter and eave. Inside: ceiling stains spreading, drywall sagging or popped nails, doors and windows that suddenly won't latch, daylight visible in the attic, displaced shingles. The tree often looks completely settled and still — that appearance is not information. Your roof is now carrying a load it was never engineered for, and the tree has become part of the building's load path — in many cases it is the only thing holding damaged framing in position. That is why the removal has to be sequenced rather than just cut off. Separately, the interior damage keeps advancing from water long after the tree stops moving.
What to do about it
Call tonight. Normally a emergency tree service job, $500–$3,500 around Indianapolis depending on size and access.
Can the tree be kept
The tree, effectively never. Once the root plate has torn free or the stem has broken, there is no reattachment and no cabling fix. The whole question shifts to getting it off the structure without adding damage — which is a rigging problem, not a felling problem.
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