For homeowners, there is often a lot of confusion surrounding insurance policies and the inclusion or exclusion of roof damage. Roofing insurance can be complicated, so before an incident occurs, it’s a good idea to look at your policy and know what sort of coverage is available to you in the event of roof damage.

Standard Insurance Policies

A homeowner’s insurance policy usually includes damage to the home’s roof and covers the costs associated with repair or replacement. However, this coverage usually extends only to sudden instances where damage results from an accident or natural disaster.

To explain the coverage simply, let’s say a tree falls over during a storm and destroys part of the homeowner’s roof. Because that was a sudden, naturally occurring incident, the insurance policy would cover the damage.

In another situation, a tree branch may break, hit the roof, and bounce off. A Colorado homeowner may look, determine that no damage was done, and put the incident out of mind. However, if the tree branch damaged a couple of shingles or punctured the roof, the slow roof leak that worsened over the next few years would not be covered once the damage was finally noticed.

This is because the gradual wear and tear that the roof sustained fell under general maintenance issues that the homeowner was responsible for.

Additional Roofing Insurance Caveats

When considering the coverage included in a homeowner’s insurance policy, it’s important to remember that additional conditions may be required to have roof damage covered during a roof insurance claim.

For one, the roof’s age is a factor that adjusters consider when deciding whether to approve a claim. In some cases, when a roof is more than 20 years old, it might only be covered for its current cash value instead of the sum needed to repair or replace it.

It’s also worth mentioning that paying the deductible listed on the homeowner’s insurance policy requires insurance companies to cover the damages done to a roof. Let’s say the roof is only ten years old and the damage incurred is determined to need $8,000 to repair. If the Colorado homeowner has a $1,500 deductible, they need to pay that amount to the insurance company, and they will cover the remaining $6,500 to pay for the damages.

If you’ve sustained roof damage and you’re not sure what your next steps are, Roof Evolution is here to help. We work with insurance companies to ensure our customers receive the best possible roof repair or replacement services. Call us at your convenience, and we will walk you through the repair process.