Filing a Home Insurance Claim for Snow & Ice Damage: A Comprehensive Guide

After a storm hits, homeowners have plenty of cleanup. Untangling the connection between snow and ice and homeowners insurance should be at the top of your to-do list. 

Some kinds of weather-related damage (such as branches falling on your home or pipes bursting after they freeze) are typically covered. Unfortunately, common mistakes (like setting the thermostat too low or neglecting to clear ice from your property) could negate your claims. 

Other kinds of weather damage (like water in the basement from melting snow) typically require special types of coverage. And other issues (like damage to your foundation from the weight of snow) are rarely covered at all. 

How Do Snow & Ice Work With Homeowners Insurance?

In 2022, winter storms caused almost $6 billion in insured losses.[1] Many other issues attributed to snow and ice weren’t covered at all. 

Determining what is and is not covered typically means reading your policy carefully. Every version is different, but this table can help:

	Covered	Not Covered
Roof collapse	X
Foundation damage from weight		X
Water damage from melting snow		X
Snow or ice removal (when it hasn’t damaged anything yet)		X
Broken branches hitting your home.	X
Broken branches or harmed trees on your property		X
Frozen, bursting pipes	X
Snow and ice entering through windows, causing leaks and molding		X
Visitor slips and trips on ice around your home	X

What Kinds of Claims Are Typically Covered?

A standard homeowners insurance plan offers plenty of protection against common damage caused by snow and ice. These four issues are typically part of an insurance plan:

• Ice dams: As snow melts and refreezes, it creates a solid (and heavy) ridge of ice. As it melts again, water can leak into the home. A homeowner in Utah dealt with this issue, and it got bad enough that his ceiling came down. His damage was covered.[2] 
• Heavy snow: A big storm can dump a huge amount of precipitation in a short period. If enough snow comes down that it collapses your roof, that damage is usually covered. 
• Burst pipes: Freezing temperatures can cause the water inside your home to expand, breaking the pipes. The resulting water damage is typically covered.
• Branch damage: Ice-covered tree limbs can grow heavy enough to break. When they do, they can fall on your home and cause damage that’s generally covered.

While these issues are typically covered, your insurance company can still fight your claim. In some instances, you’ll have to work hard to ensure you get the coverage you’re entitled to get.

It’s crucial for homeowners to take precautions to block more storm damage. Better yet, you should prevent problems (like frozen pipes) when you can. 

What Kinds of Claims Are Typically Rejected?

Homeowners insurance is designed to offer protection for issues that are sudden and unavoidable. Some ice and snow damage is neither. 

These issues are rarely covered by a standard homeowners policy:

• Landscaping damage: As Austin homeowners discovered in 2023, an intense storm can down trees and ruin the look of yards.[3] Insurers consider that damage aesthetic, and they won’t cover it. 
• Water damage from melting ice and snow: Water damage inside the home is rarely covered unless it entered roofs or walls that were damaged by the storm.[4] A flood policy can provide coverage too. 
• Foundation damage: Very heavy ice and snow can crack your foundation. Without a specific rider, your plan probably won’t cover it. 
• Weather removal: If your ice and snow haven’t hurt your home (yet), your insurance company won’t pay to remove it. 

What Common Mistakes Lead to Claim Denials?

While some types of claims are eligible for coverage in your homeowners plan, the company could refuse to pay out. In fact, make one of the common mistakes listed below, and you could get nothing for your claim. 

Turning Off the Heat

Your thermostat should be set no lower than 65 degrees to keep your pipes from freezing.[5] If you turn down the temperature, despite the storm raging outside, your insurance company might claim that your negligence caused the issue. 

Neglecting Your Trees

Any tree can come tumbling down in a severe storm. However, underlying neglect and damage can make catastrophes more likely.[6]

Ensure that your landscape is well maintained and your trees trimmed properly. Ideally, you’ll hire a contractor to do the work. If your claim is challenged, you’ll have proof that you did your best to prevent winter problems. 

Leaving Ice & Snow In Place

No insurance company expects a homeowner to remove all traces of moisture after a storm. However, if you have plenty of snow blowers, shovels, and salt in your garage, and you left the snow and ice alone for several days, the insurance company might claim you neglected your duties. When the snow falls, do your part to clear it and keep your property safe. 

Refusing to Clean Your Gutters 

Leaves and debris can keep snow from melting and sliding off your roof. If uncleaned gutters are behind the ice dam on your roof, the insurance company might fight your claim. While no one likes this fall chore, cleaning the gutters is critical to keeping your home safe. 

Neglecting Roof Maintenance

A roof weakened by years of wind, rain, and sunshine is more likely to collapse than a newer version. Older roofs may also come with smaller compensation checks, so you’ll be left with a bigger price tag for the storm. If you know your roof is failing, replace it as soon as you can. In some cases, your insurance provider may opt not to renew your policy if your roof is too old or damaged. 

How to File a Weather Claim 

When big storms hit, insurance companies expect to hear from their consumers. In Minnesota, for example, agents told reporters they expected ice dam claims after a big storm in 2019, as they’d seen this pattern before.[7] The best thing you can do is file quickly. 

If all your neighbors contact their agents weeks before you do, your claim could look suspicious. Act promptly.

Take the following steps to file a snow and ice claim:[8]

1. Contact your insurance company. Provide your policy number, name, and address. Ask what forms, documents, and data you must provide.
2. Document the damage. Take photos and videos of the inside and outside of your home. 
3. Stop the leak. Cover broken windows, put a tarp on leaking roofs, and turn the water off at the street. 

Ensure you’ve talked to your insurance company’s adjuster before you make any significant repairs or throw out damaged items.[4] If you move too quickly, the company could deny your claim. 

Protect Your Home From Frightful Weather 

You can’t prevent the next snow or ice storm, but you can take steps to keep your home clean, tidy, and dry. Your work could reduce the damage and the size of your next claim. 

Before the next storm hits, review your coverage and talk with your agent. Adding specific storm and flood riders could beef up your protection and ensure you’re ready.