How To Know If Your Roof Damage Is Covered By Insurance

While a storm is passing through town, the most important thing for homeowners is to have a roof over their heads. Once the storm has passed, though, it’s time to see how bad the roof damage is.

One question you’ll also need to ask yourself before heading up to the roof (or having your local roofing company check it out) is just what kind of roof damage is covered by your insurance. 

Because whether it’s storm-related or just general upkeep, knowing what is covered under your policy and what isn’t will help you be prepared for what you find. 

Though each roof insurance policy may be slightly different, we can help prepare you with today’s blog post. We’ll discuss the kinds of roof damage that’s often covered, what to do about that damage, and when roofing insurance supplements are necessary to help you get that damage covered. 

Roof Damage That Is Typically Covered By Insurance

As a rule of thumb, insurance usually covers damage that’s been caused by a weather event. That could include direct damage, like thunderstorms, hail, snow, and tornadoes, which do damage straight to the roof.

That can also include indirect damage, which happens when the storm causes a tree’s limbs (or even the tree itself) to crash into your roof. 

If your roof is damaged and you decide to submit a claim (keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to have a roofing company review your roof before submitting a claim, as they can give you an estimate to see how the damages lines up with your policy), the insurance adjuster will assess if there’s enough damage for a full replacement. 

If not, then they’ll recommend an amount for specific repairs. 

Roof Damage That Is Not Typically Covered By Insurance

Though you may be going up to check on your roof’s damage after the storm, not all of the damage you’ll find is actually related to that storm. 

We’ve put together a brief list to help you distinguish between the two, as the following items are generally not covered by roof insurance:

• Wear and tear - Insurance policies typically do not cover damage caused by normal wear and tear over time, such as roof aging or deterioration.
• Poor maintenance - If you have not properly maintained your roof, your policy may not cover damage caused by neglect or lack of upkeep.
• Roof installation errors - If your roof was installed incorrectly or not up to code, any resulting damage may not be covered.
• Certain roofing materials - Some policies may not cover damage to specific types of roofing materials, such as cedar shakes or slate, due to their higher cost of repair or replacement.

What To Do When You Find Roof Damage

Now that you have an idea between the kinds of roof damage that insurance will cover and the kinds you will be responsible for, let’s talk about next steps.

To start, it’s important to call your roofing company first to get an estimate for the cost.

We always advise taking this step before calling your insurance company. This is because once the roofing insurance company sends out an adjuster, it’s considered a claim – even if you ultimately decide to pay for the roof repairs out of pocket.

Should you decide there’s enough damage to warrant a call to the insurance company, then let them know what’s happened. Be sure that your roofing company has taken photos and documented the damage they found.

Next, an insurance adjuster will come out to inspect the damage. They’ll then create a claim. Once approved, the roofing company can get to work fixing the covered repairs.

When Roofing Claims Are Denied

Just because you believe you’ve found roof damage doesn’t automatically mean the insurance company will agree. Let’s go over a few instances where your roofing claim could potentially be denied.

The main reason would be that your roof just didn’t have damage. A sneakier second one? Waiting too long to make the claim on damage from a storm in the past.

Though this timeline depends on your specific policy, you will usually have a limited window to file a claim for storm-related roof damage. This could be around 1 to 2 years. 

Another common reason is one of the ones we listed above: a poorly installed roof. If the shingles weren’t installed correctly, it doesn’t matter that it was a storm that knocked them off. Insurance won’t cover the replacement.  

When You’ll Need To File A Roofing Claim Supplement

The roofing claim supplement process begins if you find there’s a discrepancy between what the insurance company has offered for repairs and the repairs that need to be done.

Often this can come up once your roofing company begins the repairs. They may find the damage is worse than was first reported. This oversight is not uncommon, and can happen with busy insurance claims adjusters don’t have the time to fully inspect a roof. 

This step involves documenting the damage that’s been uncovered and submitting a roofing claim supplement to the insurance company. 

However, getting photos, making calls, and providing resources to the insurance carriers can be time-consuming and unpredictable – especially when you’re in the middle of a repair job!

That’s where we come in. At US Home Supplements, we help you to manage your insurance restoration pipeline. We've supplemented thousands of projects, and we know what your insurance carrier needs to justify paying for the critical construction items required to get the work done right.

Our supplementers are the most responsive in the industry, and we can even get overages paid out before materials even get delivered for the job. 

Ready to get the support you need with your roofing claim supplements? Contact US Home Supplement today to get started.