Does Home Insurance Cover Roof Damage

Like many questions asked about what your Greensboro home insurance policy covers, the answer is often, “It depends.” Since insurance policies are unique to the particular company underwriting the policy, each contract may have unique specifics. The best advice is to thoroughly read your homeowner's policy and consult your insurance agent for further clarification.

What About Roof Damage?

Concerning roof damage of your home, there are a number of considerations to understand. The dwelling coverage portion of your Greensboro home insurance policy protects your home and any attached structures, such as your garage, from losses sustained from a number of different perils that are spelled out in the policy. This includes the roof.

The “other structures” coverage, which is included in most homeowner's policies, covers structures on your property that are not attached to the home, such as an unattached garage or a shed. The roofs on these structures are also covered for the same perils for which your house is covered, although there is often a coverage limit for these unattached structures. It's usually figured on a percentage of the coverage limit for the home. If, for example, your home has a dwelling coverage limit of $400,000 and your other structures limit is 10%, your claim for these buildings would max out at $40,000.

What if My Roof is Leaking?

Keep in mind that damage to your roof, in order to be covered, must be the result of one of the stated perils, such as damage caused by wind, fire, hail, vandalism or any of the others spelled out in your policy. Some policies may, however, have certain exclusions, such as an exclusion for wind or hail damage, but these are usually only found in policies written in areas where strong winds or hail are common (which doesn't include Greensboro or surrounding areas).

If your roof is damaged by one of the perils covered in your policy, and that damage produces a water leak that further damages parts of your home or personal belongings, these should all be covered by your Greensboro home insurance coverage. If your roof is leaking as a result of age or wear-and-tear, however, damage to the roof will be excluded from coverage, it being classified as an ongoing maintenance problem. Damage the water leak causes to your walls, floors, carpets or personal possessions, however, likely will be covered. Talk to your agent for clarification!