Does home insurance cover roof repair and replacement? Homeowners insurance covers roofs if the damage is from covered perils outlined in the policy.
Homeowners insurance may cover roof repair and replacement, but only damage caused from certain covered events. Homeowners who simply need an old roof replaced won’t be able to rely on homeowners insurance to get the job done.
Q: My roof is more than 20 years old and is showing signs of wear. Clearly, a functional roof is an important part of my home, but roof replacement is so expensive and I’d like to save money if I can. Does homeowners insurance cover roof repair or replacing my roof?
A: The question “Does homeowners insurance cover roof repair or replacement of the roof?” is a common one, whether your roof has been damaged by a storm or it’s just getting old and needs replacing. However, homeowners insurance generally only covers the replacement of the roof if it was damaged by certain covered perils or events. For example, if a tree fell on your roof due to a storm or your roof was damaged as a result of a fire, your homeowners insurance would likely help pay for the roof repair or replacement. But getting a brand-new roof to replace an aging one will most likely not be covered by homeowners insurance. Read on to learn more about when homeowners insurance might help with roof repair or replacement costs.
If you’re wondering how to get insurance to pay for roof replacement or how to get a new roof for free, homeowners insurance may help only if the roof has been damaged by a sudden and unexpected peril. Standard policies, often listed as HO-3 policies, typically cover damage caused by events like fire or lightning, windstorms or hail, explosions, riots of civil unrest, damage caused by an aircraft, damage caused by vehicles, smoke, vandalism or malicious mischief, theft, volcanic eruption, falling objects, or weight from ice. Homeowners insurance might also cover accidental discharge or overflow of water from a home system; sudden and accidental failure of a water heater, air conditioning, or fire-protective system; damage caused by freezing; and sudden and accidental damage from an electrical current.
If the roof was damaged as the result of any of these covered perils, the roof would most likely be covered under the homeowners insurance policy. That means the answer to the question “Will homeowners insurance cover a new roof?” is that it may, depending on the cause of the damage. That’s why a common incident such as a tree falling during a storm is generally covered by insurance because the damage came from a covered peril, which in this case was the windstorm.