Your homeowners insurance may cover your roof’s damage, depending on what caused it. Although the only way you can tell for sure is if you check with your policy, you can still get a general idea of what yours would cover.
In the next sections, we’ll review the different types of roof damage and whether they can be covered by most types of homeowners insurance. If you’re dealing with loose or broken shingles, blow-offs, leaks, punctures or cracks, worn-down materials, ponding water, structural damage, or another type altogether, continue reading to learn more.
LOOSE AND BROKEN SHINGLES
Loose and broken shingles can be covered under homeowners insurance policies if they’ve been caused by some sort of natural disaster. However, it’s important to remember that roof damage insurance claims will not work for loose and broken shingles if they’ve been caused by traditional wear and tear.
As your roof nears its life expectancy, you can expect problems, such as broken or loose shingles, to arise. Insurance companies will expect you to maintain your roof and replace it as needed, so this type of damage is not often covered. Contact your provider to learn more about your policy’s coverage.
BLOW-OFFS
In many cases, roof blow-offs are caused by brutal storms and harsh winds. Several types of storms that cause wind damage to your roof may fall under the coverage of a homeowners insurance policy, including nor’easters, tornados, hailstorms, derechos, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and microbursts.
Whether you’re dealing with tornado damage or damage from a hurricane, there’s a good chance your roof replacement will be partially or fully covered by your homeowners insurance. Remember to keep in mind, though, that the only way you’ll know if your insurance covers wind damage is to check with your insurance company about your policy.
ROOF LEAKS
Is your roof leaking? It’s a good idea to find out if your roof leak damage is covered by insurance. In most cases, it will depend on what has caused the leak and whether it has resulted from a covered peril. Under many homeowners insurance policies, roof leaks that have been caused by wind, hail, or fire damage may be covered in some way, which will help pay for the repair (unless your policy has a hail or wind exclusion). However, if the damage is a result of wear and tear or a lack of maintenance, homeowners insurance will generally not cover it. Contact your provider to find out more about whether they’ll cover leaky roofs.
MOISTURE DAMAGE
Sometimes, floods can cause moisture damage to your home, whether it’s to your roofing, siding, or another part of your property. Unfortunately, most types of homeowners insurance will not be able to cover flood-related damages. Homeowners will need to get flood insurance for this type of protection.
The best way to figure out whether your homeowners insurance policy will cover your roof’s damage, though, is to get in touch with your provider. Roofing insurance for storm damage tends to cover hailstorms, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more. We’ve included a full list of storms in the aforementioned section, “What is Considered Wind Damage Under a Homeowners’ Policy?”
PUNCTURES AND CRACKS
Punctures and cracks in your roof may occur from storms, especially hailstorms. Will your homeowners insurance cover the repair or replacement costs for punctures and cracks? Like other types of damage, it depends on what caused it. Punctures and cracks that occur from traditional wear and tear or lack of maintenance will typically not be covered by homeowners insurance, while ones that are the result of harsh wind or hail will likely be covered to some degree. Contact your insurance provider to find out more about coverage for roof damage from hail.
WORN-DOWN ROOFING MATERIALS
Since most homeowners insurance policies only cover roof replacements if the damage is a result of a sudden accidental event or an act of nature, worn-down roofing materials will not be covered. Most policies won’t pay to repair or replace a roof that’s deteriorated due to traditional wear and tear or neglect. It’s also important to remember that roofs that are 20-years-old or older will often have limited coverage. However, if you’re wondering whether you can file insurance claims for roof damage, get in touch with your provider today.
PONDING WATER
There are a handful of water damage scenarios that will be covered by a typical homeowners insurance policy, including storm-related. As for ponding water, it depends on how your roof got damaged. If you’re dealing with ponding water due to a lack of maintenance or the traditional wear and tear of an aging roof, then your homeowners insurance will most likely not cover the cost for repair or replacement. However, if particular storms have caused the ponding water, then your insurance may cover it. Ask your insurance provider for more information.
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
Will most homeowners insurance policies cover structural damage? As we’ve mentioned in the sections above, it depends on how the structure of your roof became damaged. If it’s caused by storm damage to the roof or a tree falling on your house, then there’s a good chance your homeowners insurance will cover the cost of repair or replacement, whether it’s full or partial coverage. If you have questions about your homeowners insurance policy, get in touch with your provider.
OTHER TYPES OF DAMAGE
There is a wide variety of other types of roofing damage that homeowners may have to deal with, including blistering shingles, cupping, granule loss or flaking, curling shingles, a roof falling in, and more. When it comes to whether homeowners insurance will cover it or not, the important thing to remember is that it depends more on how your house sustained the damage rather than what type it is. For example, in most cases, homeowners insurance will fully or partially cover a roof with hail damage.
To prevent your insurance provider from rejecting your insurance claim due to lack of maintenance. Give Softwash Hawaii a call, and request a complimentary property walk-through and estimate. 808-352-8885 or email at [email protected].
Share this post:
