Did a wind or hail storm just impact your neighborhood? Does your insurance protect your roof?

Your insurance generally will cover roof damage as well as any structural damage that is caused by a peril covered. Damage to your garage's roof or any other structure of the home is also covered under this section of your insurance policy.

However, not every issue of roofing replacement is covered by your insurance, and roof damages can occur in many ways.

If your roof was neglected throughout the years and has deteriorated due to that reason, the roof's damage might not be protected by your insurance company, or your claim may be rejected. It is also possible to be in a position to lose your claim when your roof is damaged due to flooding, earthquake, or a mudslide, provided you have protection for those hazards.

Damages caused by wind or hail are usually covered under an insurance policy; however, it is not uncommon for insurers to demand distinct deductibles in these circumstances.

Do my homeowners insurance cover hail and wind damages on my roofing?

A standard insurance policy for homes typically covers hail and wind since they are both frequent reasons for roof damage. In states that are prone to these dangers more often than other regions, insurance companies tend to raise the price of their policy to account for the increased risk and frequent claims.

The extent of the damage could determine how much you're eligible for an insurance company to cover the damages. For example, if a couple of shingles on your roof have scratches in the aftermath of a hail storm, the insurance company for your home may consider it to be "cosmetic" damage, which is a standard homeowner's insurance exclusion. In the real world, it might not be worth declaring a claim on cosmetic roof damage since the deductible could result in a higher amount than the cost of repair.

Does the homeowner's insurance cover leaks to the roof?

Your insurance provider for your home will be able to cover roof leaks in the following scenarios:

The leak was the result of the risk covered by your policy. The incident was sudden, swift, and didn't build up over several years.

It can be a source of dispute in the insurance of homes; even the fact that a leak occurred as a complete surprise to the homeowner could be interpreted as an act of negligence to the insurance company.

For instance, if your home is located in a winter environment and your roof is coated with snow every winter, you might not observe the gradual degradation until the big storm comes through and a huge section begins leak. Although the event which caused the leak occurred during a massive storm, your insurance company may think that the damage is slow and deny you a claim.

My claim could be rejected by the insurance company if my roof isn't in good condition?

When you have signed your homeowner insurance form, the insurance company will dispatch an adjuster to the roofing insurance claim to verify that the information you provided in the application is accurate and decide if any adjustments to your coverage need to be made. The issue isn't only about the coverage limit. The insurance company also wants to assess whether you're worth the risk of insuring, given the probability that you'll be filing claims. They've been known to reject claims after inspection.

The roof's condition and age are among the most important building blocks of your house that they examine. If the age of your roof has surpassed 20 years, insurers will not renew policies without first undergoing an inspection by a roofing firm in the process of claiming roofing insurance.