Homeowner’s Insurance and Your Roof: What You Need to Know

There are winter storms heading even to Central Florida, and it is another season for inquiring about homeowner’s insurance and roofs. So, does homeowner’s insurance cover roofs? The answer to this question depends on the type of peril that caused the damage. While your policy may vary, here are four types of events covered by your homeowner’s insurance if your roof is damaged:

  • Weather: Wind and hail damage are common weather conditions leading to insurance claims. Hail damages roofs directly, while wind removes shingles and can cause trees to topple and crush your home. When these incidents occur, not only will your roof be covered, but your policy may also replace personal property damaged due to roof collapse. Also, if the weather damages other structures, like a shop or storage shed, they may also be covered if their roofs are also damaged by weather.
  • Fire: If a fire does not take down your entire house, it will at least damage your roof. In these cases, even accidental flames will likely result in a successful insurance claim, even if you have to pay a deductible first. Just as with weather conditions, any affected structures that are part of your property and any personal property may also be covered.
  • Leaks: Any roof leaks caused by errant tree branches or hail will be covered by most insurance policies. The same is true if other conditions, like fire, cause the same type of damage. Ice may also cause roofs to leak, but that must be due to extraordinary circumstances, not lack of preparation. However, if your roof leaks due to poor maintenance or age, that will not be covered by your insurance. This is why you want to invest in annual roof inspections for your own home and order one for any home you are considering buying. The unknowns can result in considerable expense to you.
  • Skylight damage: If your roof damage is covered, so are your skylights. While they are normally impervious to rain and wind, hail is another matter. Bad hailstorms may not break the glass completely, but they will cause it to crack and spread until the skylight’s structure is compromised. As with roofs, as long as this is caused by natural perils and not neglect, you can likely file a successful claim.

All of this depends on whether your policy includes a wind or hail exclusion. If that is the case with your policy, you will not be able to file a successful claim. Read your policy and see if there are exclusions that can prove expensive later. You can revise your policy before storm damage hits. In fact, it is a good idea to review your coverage every year and consider expanding it.

Even if you lack insurance coverage, there is help available to fix your roof. The team at Winter Springs Roofing & Repair are the roof repair specialists in Central Florida. If you require repairs due to age, wind, hail or tree branches, call us today to patch up that damage.

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