How to make a home insurance claim for roof damage

Key points

• Whether or not your home insurance company will pay a roof insurance claim depends on what caused the damage to your roof. 
• Home insurance may cover roof damage if a tree falls on your house, but not cover damage to an older roof caused by wear and tear. 
• Home insurance typically covers hail damage, but insurance companies in some coastal areas may exclude windstorm and hail coverage, or have a separate wind/hail deductible. 

Replacing a roof costs about $11,500 for an average-sized house, but this figure can rise or fall based on factors such as roofing materials (e.g., shingles or metal), the size of the roof and your location. 

If you have home insurance, some roof repairs and replacements — such as those required after a fire or damage caused by wind and hail — will typically be covered by your homeowners policy. But home insurance doesn’t protect against every type of damage to your roof, especially if it’s in bad shape to begin with. 

Types of roof damage covered by home insurance

The dwelling portion of your homeowners insurance covers repairs to the structure of your house, including its roof. Common types of roof damage typically covered by homeowners insurance include:

• Fire.
• Lightning strikes.
• Falling objects, like if a tree falls on your roof.
• Windstorms.
• Hail.
• Snow, sleet and ice damage, like if an ice dam forms on your roof and it caves in.
• Vandalism.

Tip: If the roof of your shed or pool house — or any other detached structure on your property — is damaged by a covered problem, the other structures coverage portion of your homeowners policy may pay to repair or replace the roof. You’ll turn to your personal property coverage to replace your belongings if your roof caves in and destroys the stuff in your attic. 

Types of roof damage not covered by home insurance

Typically, home insurance won’t cover a roof replacement or repairs for the following issues:

• Wear and tear.
• Pest infestations, like if a termite infestation causes your roof to collapse. 
• Flood damage (you’ll need flood insurance for that).
• Earthquake damage (you’ll need earthquake insurance for that).
• Maintenance issues.
• Damage that occurs over time, like if a small hole in your roof wears down and results in more damage.

In some cases, you could be denied home insurance coverage outright due to your roof’s condition. “If your roof is really old and needs to be replaced altogether, an insurance company might not cover the home until you’ve had your roof replaced. The reason being, the roof is the first line of defense for your home,” said Loretta Worters, vice president of media relations at the Insurance Information Institute. 

Insurance companies may only provide actual cash value for claims to your roof if it is past a certain age, meaning the current depreciated value of your roof will be factored into the claim payout. Others may exclude cosmetic damage to metal roofs or charge a substantially higher rate if you have a wooden roof. 

Depending on where you live, some insurers allow you to add a fortified roof endorsement to your homeowners policy. This provides for replacing an existing, non-fortified roof with one that meets standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety if the entire roof requires replacement, according to Worters.

Tip: Standard homeowners insurance covers wind damage, but if you live in an area that experiences frequent hurricanes or tornadoes, your policy may exclude windstorm coverage. Or, you may have a separate windstorm deductible that is higher than your regular home insurance deductible. If your policy does not cover windstorm damage, you may want to buy a wind coverage add-on or purchase separate windstorm insurance.  

How to file a roof damage claim

If your roof is damaged by a covered problem in your policy, like fire or weight of snow, here’s how to file a roof damage claim with your homeowners insurance. 

1. Check the damage and gather evidence for your claim.
   In a safe manner, assess what damage your roof sustained as well as which parts of the roof were affected. If possible, take photos and write notes about missing pieces of roofing or any exposed areas.
   
2. Review your home insurance policy.
   Carefully look over your homeowners insurance, particularly the dwelling coverage, to ascertain what is and is not covered by your policy. Was the damage caused by a covered problem? If so, is there a separate deductible? Did you pay for actual cash value or replacement cash value? Write down any questions you have for your insurance company.

3. Contact your insurer.
   Reach out to your insurance company to start your claim. This will include providing information on what caused the damage, the extent to which the roof was damaged and any property outside the roof damaged by the event. You can typically file a claim online, over the phone or by using a mobile app.
   
4. Use temporary fixes.
   You’ll want to prevent any further damage to your house. When safe, check to see if you make temporary repairs. If water is now leaking into your home, place a bucket under each leak to protect your flooring. If necessary, add a tarp over the affected roof area to stop large amounts of water from coming into your home before it can be repaired. Keep the receipts for these temporary repairs — your insurer may reimburse you for them.

5. Work with the insurance adjuster.
   An insurance claims adjuster, provided by your insurer, will visit your property and assess the roof and provide an estimate for repairs.
   
6. Consider getting a second opinion.
   If you don’t agree with the insurance company adjuster’s report or repair estimate, you can hire a reputable and insured roofing professional to assess the damage. You may be able to use this information to counter the insurance claims adjuster’s report. If you need help negotiating your claim, hiring an insurance lawyer is also an option.
   
7. Prepare for the settlement.
   While the insurance company reviews your claim, you can start preparing to replace the roof. An insurance company may send out their own contractors to repair the roof, or you may be able to choose your own.

Understanding your deductible when filing a roof insurance claim

Your deductible is the amount of money deducted from a property damage claim payout when you successfully file a claim. 

If you have a $2,500 deductible and your claim for $25,000 to replace your roof gets approved by your insurance company, the actual payout you receive is $22,500 ($25,000 – $2,500 = $22,500).

If you live in a coastal area — or one that sees frequent tornadoes and hurricanes — your insurer may require a separate deductible for damage caused by wind or hail from hurricanes. These deductibles are usually set at 2% to 5% of your dwelling coverage. 

If you have $300,000 in dwelling coverage and a 5% wind/hail deductible, your deductible is $15,000. In this case, if your claim for $25,000 to replace your roof is approved, you’ll receive a payout of only $10,000 ($25,000 – $15,000 = $10,000). 

How to negotiate a roof replacement with your insurance company

Before starting the negotiation process with your insurance company, make sure to collect the facts and provide evidence of the claim. Worters suggests gathering answers to the following questions:

• What’s your deductible? “If your roof was partially damaged, the cost to repair it may be less than your deductible, in which case your insurance wouldn’t cover repair costs,” said Worters.
• Do you have actual cash value or replacement cost coverage? If you have actual cash value coverage for your roof, depreciation will be factored into your payout, so your claim reimbursement will be smaller. Replacement cost pays to repair your roof without a deduction for depreciation. 
• Do you have extended or guaranteed replacement cost coverage? These coverages provide an additional financial cushion on top of your dwelling coverage, in case the local cost of materials and labor spikes. 
• Was your roof totally or partially damaged? The extent of damage, your roof’s age and build material will all be factored into your payout. 

After reviewing your policy, if you feel you’re still owed more you can pay to: 

• Get your own estimate. You can hire your own contractor or appraiser to give an estimate of the damage to your roof. Once you get this estimate, submit it to your insurance company.
• Hire a public adjuster. Insurance companies send out their own adjusters — either staff professionals or hired independent adjusters on contract — to estimate your claim payout. These insurance adjusters work on behalf of the insurance company. You can hire a public adjuster — who works on your behalf — to survey the claim, come up with an estimate, submit the paperwork and speak to the insurance company on your behalf. 

What to do if your roof insurance claim is denied

If your roof claim gets denied, it’s important to first understand the reason. “Some homeowners insurance policies may have windstorm and hail exclusions, which means damage caused by those perils would not be covered,” said Worters. 

After reviewing the denial and carefully examining your policy, you may still feel a payout is due.  In this case, you can do the following:

• Formally dispute the claim denial. Every insurer has its own appeal process, which typically involves sending out an adjuster to reevaluate your roof damage. 
• Hire an insurance lawyer. An insurance lawyer can help with renegotiations and determine if you have grounds to take legal action. 
• Appeal to your state insurance department. You can file a complaint against your insurance company through your state’s department of insurance. They may have on-staff advocates who can help you through your issues and investigate the denial. 

Home insurance claim for roof damage FAQs