under what circumstances will homeowners insurance generally pay for a new roof?

Question

I would like to know under what circumstances , if any, will homeowners insurance pay for a new roof? We have friends that told us a roofer looked at theirs a few years ago and said it had hail damage, then homeowners paid for all of it. Would that generally be the case?

Answer 1

They will pay to replace the whole roof if a covered loss damaged the whole roof. In your friend's case, it was the hail. Most companies will check to see if there had been a hail storm in your area around the time of the submitted claim - they keep track of these things - they also keep track of lightning strikes. If wind only took off a few shingles, only the few shingles would be covered. If the roof was old in this situation, your company would pay the few shingles & any resulting damage to the interior (less your deductible) & you would have to pay for the balance of the roof replacement. If wind takes down a large tree that falls on your roof & damages the whole thing, this would also be covered - there may also be structural damage from the tree. If you have an old roof that you are looking for an excuse for the insurance to pay, this is maintenance & that is not the intent of your homeowners insurance.

Answer 2

Hail damage is covered but you would need to report the claim at the time of the damage. You can't call the insurance two years after the fact and say, hey my roofer says I have hail damage.

Also, they would want to inspect it to see if you actually needed an entire new roof or if it was repairable. If you needed a new roof anyway because it was just an old roof, and then a hail storm comes along and does some more damage, you may not get the entire thing covered.

If you have damage, you need to report it at the time it happens or you'll play hell proving that the storm or whatever, caused it, months or years later.

Answer 3

Insuance covers a "sudden & accidental loss" caused by specific things (perils). Usually, hail is one of those, and most often the company would honor hail damages after first inspecting, provided you reported it timely. Windstorm is usually covered, as is Aircraft, riot, vandalism, eplosion, smoke & fire. However, just because your roof needs replaced, does not mean the insurance company will pay for it. It also wears out, and that is maintenance, not covered under the insurance contract.

Answer 4

Its important to understand the coverages on your policy. Keep in mind that your homeowners insurance policy is not a maintenance policy. It does not cover wear and tear. If you have 30 year shingles on your roof for 50 years and the roof starts leaking, don't expect that to be covered.

Answer 5

Your homeowner's policy very likely covers this.
You can always request a copy of that policy from the company.

Any problems with the company can generally be worked out with the company, but remember that each state also has a department of insurance to help with such things.

Answer 6

Yep, hail damage or after a severe wind storm where a lot of shingles are missing or damaged.