Making an Insurance Claim for Roof Damage
Homeowners insurance generally covers roof damage that occurs due to a covered peril. Covered perils are unexpected events outside of your control, such as thunderstorms and hail. If your policy excludes certain perils, you may be able to buy an endorsement to extend your coverage.
Insurance companies typically don’t pay for roof damage arising from poor maintenance, normal wear and tear, or failure to make necessary repairs. To better understand what’s covered and what isn’t, learn more about the relationship between roof damage and homeowners insurance.
Key Facts
- Homeowners insurance typically covers roof damage caused by covered perils.
- A covered peril is an unexpected event that damages your property.
- Insurance companies generally don’t cover roof damage caused by normal wear and tear, poor maintenance, or failure to make repairs.
- If you experience roof damage due to a covered peril, you must contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Issues From Roof Damage?
Coverage for roof damage varies by policy, but insurance companies usually cover damage arising from covered perils. In simple terms, a peril is any unexpected event that damages your home and/or its contents. A covered peril is an event that’s covered by your insurance policy. To qualify as a covered peril, an event must be outside of your control.
For example, your policy may cover roof damage caused by a lightning strike, but it isn’t likely to pay for damage that occurs because you don’t maintain your roof properly. Below you’ll find more details about roof damage and homeowners insurance coverage.
What Roof Damage Issues Are Typically Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?
| Cause of Damage | Often Covered | Sometimes Covered | Often Not Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | X | ||
| Wind | X | ||
| Hail | X | ||
| Snow/Ice | X | ||
| Lightning | X | ||
| Falling Objects | X | ||
| Vandalism | X | ||
| Flooding | X | ||
| Earthquakes | X | ||
| Cosmetic Damage | X | ||
| Poor Maintenance | X | ||
| Failure to Make Repairs | X |
Homeowners insurance may cover roof damage caused by these perils.
Fire
Asphalt shingles, wood shakes, and other roofing materials are highly vulnerable to the intense heat produced by residential fires. For example, shingles tend to melt, exposing the materials underneath. If a nearby home catches fire, hot embers may end up on your roof, causing blistering and other types of damage. Embers can even fall in the gaps between roofing tiles, making your home vulnerable to additional damage [1]. Homeowners insurance typically covers roof damage caused by accidental fires.
Wind
At high speeds, wind is capable of tearing shingles and other materials right off of your roof. Insurance companies generally cover roof damage caused by high winds, with a few exceptions. For example, hurricanes or tornadoes may be excluded from your standard policy. If they are, you may be able to increase your coverage by buying an endorsement.
Endorsements change the terms of your existing policy, letting you add coverage without going through the policy renewal process or switching insurers [2]. If your base policy excludes hurricanes or tornadoes, consider purchasing an endorsement to protect yourself in the event of high winds caused by a natural disaster.
If your policy includes hurricanes and tornadoes, check to see if you have a separate deductible for either of these events. The deductible is the amount of money you have to pay to repair or replace damaged property before your insurance company starts covering the bills.
Expert Take
“It’s important to review any special deductibles every year to make sure they still fit your needs.”
Hail
Homeowners insurance generally covers hail damage, but only if it’s severe enough to affect the structure and function of your roof. For example, if large pieces of hail cause some of your shingles to crack, your roof may not be as effective at preventing leaks. Homeowners insurance typically covers this type of damage. Your policy probably won’t cover cosmetic damage that doesn’t interfere with your roof’s ability to protect your home against rain, snow, sleet, wind, and sunlight.
Snow and Ice
Coverage for snow and ice isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. In general, homeowners insurance covers roof damage associated with the weight of snow and ice. For example, if you live in a region known for harsh winters, a single storm may produce more than 1 foot of snow. The weight may cause your roof to collapse, causing a significant amount of damage.
If melting snow and ice cause large pools of water to form, however, your insurance company may classify the damage as flood-related. Standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover flooding.
Falling Objects
In general, homeowners insurance covers roof damage caused by falling objects. For example, if a tree falls on your home, your insurer may cover the cost of removing the fallen tree and repairing the damage it caused. Note that homeowners insurance only covers accidental damage that isn’t the result of poor maintenance or negligence. If you knew the tree was rotted and didn’t have it removed, your insurer may deny your claim.
Vandalism
Homeowners insurance typically covers damage associated with acts of vandalism. For example, if someone steals your terracotta tiles or rips the shingles off your roof, your insurance company is likely to cover the cost of repairs.
What Roof Damage Problems Are Typically Not Covered Under Homeowners Insurance?
As noted previously, standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover damage caused by flooding. If your neighborhood floods frequently, consider purchasing a flood policy for extra protection. Standard policies also exclude earthquakes, landslides, and other events that result in the movement of the earth. However, your insurance company may offer an earthquake endorsement, giving you the opportunity to expand your coverage.
Homeowners insurance typically doesn’t cover cosmetic damage or damage that affects the appearance of your roof without affecting its structure or function. Your insurer may also deny your roof claim if the damage occurred due to poor maintenance or neglect.
For example, if you allow moss to grow unchecked, the shingles may separate from your roof. This increases the risk of leaks, mildew growth, and other types of damage. If you file a claim, your insurance company may refuse to pay due to your failure to address a known hazard.
An insurer may also deny claims associated with a lack of maintenance, so be sure to keep your gutters clean, remove leaves and other debris regularly, and treat your roof for algae, moss, and lichen as needed.
How to File an Insurance Claim for Roof Damage
When you file a claim, it goes on your insurance record. If you file several claims in a short amount of time, your insurer may increase your rates or refuse to renew your policy. Therefore, it’s important to assess the damage before you file.
If the repair estimate is less than your deductible, it’s best to pay out of pocket and avoid filing a claim, as your insurance company won’t cover any of your expenses. You may also want to pay out of pocket if you can afford the repairs and don’t want to add another claim to your record. If the damage is significant enough to warrant a claim, follow this process:
- Report the incident to your insurance company.
- Take the necessary steps to prevent additional damage. For example, you may need to have a roofer put down a tarp to prevent damage to the interior of your home.
- Provide supporting documentation, which may include photos, videos, invoices, repair estimates, or a narrative description of the event.
- Answer your adjuster’s questions promptly.
- Check the status of your claim regularly.
- Review your insurance company’s offer. If it’s not enough to cover your expenses, you may want to negotiate a little. Otherwise, go ahead and accept the offer.
- Have a licensed contractor repair or replace your roof.
Tips and Prevention to Help Avoid Roof Damage
You can’t always prevent bad weather, vandalism, and other covered perils. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of damage to your roof:
- Keep trees trimmed to prevent branches from falling on your roof during a storm.
- Remove rotted trees before they have a chance to fall over.
- Secure outdoor items to prevent them from blowing around in high winds. If you don’t have a shed on your property, consider using deck anchors to keep patio furniture in place.
- Have a professional inspect your roof at least once per year to determine if you need to do any maintenance or repairs.
- Ventilate your attic to prevent heat and moisture from building up.
- Use a ladder instead of walking on the roof to clean the gutters or perform other maintenance tasks. Walking on shingles or other roofing materials may damage them, making them less effective at preventing leaks.
Keep Your Policy Terms in Mind
Homeowners insurance covers a wide range of perils, but coverage for roof damage depends on how the damage occurred. You may need to purchase a separate flood policy or an additional coverage endorsement to ensure you have as much protection as possible.
Reviewed by Steve Glass
Steve Glass is a retired insurance professional with over 34 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry. Over the course of his career, Steve led teams that handled property and casualty claims, auto medical claims, auto bodily injury claims, catastrophe claims and insurance subrogation recovery efforts. He also has experience as an Insurance Subrogation Arbitrator.