Water damage on your homeís ceiling or walls is a common tell-tale sign of a roof leak, which can occur due to a number of different reasons, such as a storm or a falling object damaging your roof, allowing rain to enter.
No matter the cause, repairing a roof leak can be difficult ñ and expensive. If you find that you have a leaky roof, you may want to find out if your homeowners insurance policy will cover the repairs.
The answer is, yes, your homeowners insurance policy does typically cover roof leaks in most circumstances, though there are certain situations in which roof repairs and damage to belongings may not be covered.
In this article we will discuss when roof leaks are covered by homeowners insurance, as well as when they are not covered, and the process of filing a homeowners insurance claim for roof damage.
No matter the cause, repairing a roof leak can be difficult ñ and expensive. If you find that you have a leaky roof, you may want to find out if your homeowners insurance policy will cover the repairs.
The answer is, yes, your homeowners insurance policy does typically cover roof leaks in most circumstances, though there are certain situations in which roof repairs and damage to belongings may not be covered.
In this article we will discuss when roof leaks are covered by homeowners insurance, as well as when they are not covered, and the process of filing a homeowners insurance claim for roof damage.
When does homeowners insurance cover roof leaks?
Your homeowners insurance policy ñ unless explicitly stated otherwise ñ will cover roof leaks if the leak was caused by a covered peril.
Covered perils can include damage caused by things such as:
ï Hail and windstorms
ï Falling objects
ï Excess weight from snow, sleet, or ice
ï Vandalism
ï Explosions
Repair of a roof leak may also be covered by your insurance policy if the damage is sudden and accidental, though the definition of this may vary depending on your policy.
The answer is the same for the question ìwill homeowners insurance pay for a new roof?î ñ if the roof damage is caused by a covered peril, or by a sudden accidental event, then your homeowners insurance will most likely cover the necessary costs.
Covered perils can include damage caused by things such as:
ï Hail and windstorms
ï Falling objects
ï Excess weight from snow, sleet, or ice
ï Vandalism
ï Explosions
Repair of a roof leak may also be covered by your insurance policy if the damage is sudden and accidental, though the definition of this may vary depending on your policy.
The answer is the same for the question ìwill homeowners insurance pay for a new roof?î ñ if the roof damage is caused by a covered peril, or by a sudden accidental event, then your homeowners insurance will most likely cover the necessary costs.
When does homeowners insurance not cover roof leaks?
On the contrary, though roof leaks will be covered if the cause was a covered peril or a sudden accidental event, your homeowners insurance will not cover a roof leak if the cause was not a covered peril, nor if the problem resulted from gradual wear and tear.
For instance, repair of the leak will not be covered if the damage developed over time from poor maintenance, or if you noticed the damage previously but failed to fix it in time.
There are also other perils that are usually not covered by your standard homeowners insurance policy. These often include cases such as:
ï Earthquakes
ï Floods
ï Settling of your homeís foundation
ï Government actions
ï Landslides and mudslides
If the roof leak was caused by one of these perils, then your homeowners insurance may not cover the repair costs, nor any damage to your belongings caused by the leak.
For instance, repair of the leak will not be covered if the damage developed over time from poor maintenance, or if you noticed the damage previously but failed to fix it in time.
There are also other perils that are usually not covered by your standard homeowners insurance policy. These often include cases such as:
ï Earthquakes
ï Floods
ï Settling of your homeís foundation
ï Government actions
ï Landslides and mudslides
If the roof leak was caused by one of these perils, then your homeowners insurance may not cover the repair costs, nor any damage to your belongings caused by the leak.
Filing a homeowners insurance claim for roof damage
Once you have identified a roof leak, the best course of action is to file a claim as soon as possible for the best chance of success.
When filing a homeowners insurance claim for roof damage, there are several steps that you should take in order to make a successful claim:
1. Identify the source of the damage
2. Document the damage caused by the roof leak ñ take as many photos of the damage as you can, as well as the source of the damage (if you are able to find it yourself), as this will provide supporting evidence for your claim. If you have photos of the affected area from before damage occurred, these may help too by providing a before-and-after comparison.
3. Prevent further damage ñ once you have taken photos of the damage, make some temporary repairs (if possible) in order to prevent further damage to your property (e.g. collecting drips of water in a bucket, mopping up excess water)
4. Contact your insurance provider ñ get in touch with an agent as soon as possible in order to make your claim
When filing a homeowners insurance claim for roof damage, there are several steps that you should take in order to make a successful claim:
1. Identify the source of the damage
2. Document the damage caused by the roof leak ñ take as many photos of the damage as you can, as well as the source of the damage (if you are able to find it yourself), as this will provide supporting evidence for your claim. If you have photos of the affected area from before damage occurred, these may help too by providing a before-and-after comparison.
3. Prevent further damage ñ once you have taken photos of the damage, make some temporary repairs (if possible) in order to prevent further damage to your property (e.g. collecting drips of water in a bucket, mopping up excess water)
4. Contact your insurance provider ñ get in touch with an agent as soon as possible in order to make your claim