My Roof Is Leaking. Is It Covered by Insurance?

Wondering If Your Roof Leak Is Covered? Here’s What You Should Know

For a homeowner, few things are as stressful as a roof leak. Not only is there the unpleasantness of water dripping from your ceiling, but it points directly to a problem with your roof—the first line of defense for your home. And while homeowners insurance will cover you for a wide range of issues, we find that homeowners are often left wondering: “If my roof is leaking, is it covered by insurance?”

As a family-owned company, our team at Wright at Home Roofing & Exteriors makes it our mission to take care of other homeowners throughout Golden Valley and the greater Minneapolis area. Knowing whether your roof is covered can help to alleviate the stress of resolving a leaky roof. Let’s take a look at how you can determine if replacing your leaking roof will be covered by insurance.

Are Roof Leaks Generally Covered by Insurance?

The shortest answer to this question is that roof leaks are often covered by insurance—but it all depends on what caused the leak in the first place. 

Insurance policies will be broken down according to various “perils.” A peril is any event or circumstance that could cause damage to the property being covered, in this case, your home. Some perils will be covered by your policy, but some typically are not, and it’s important to determine how the leak occurred. 

What Causes Are Covered by Insurance?

For the most part, covered perils or causes will all be circumstances that are beyond the homeowner’s control. This typically includes fires, lightning, and hail damage. If the source of your leak is a major hail storm that dealt significant damage to your roof, for instance, this is more likely to be covered by your insurance policy. Leaks due to product defects may also be covered, though this may be covered separately by a roof warranty. 

On the other hand, any instance where the homeowner may be at fault (in whole or in part) will generally not be covered by insurance. One of the most common instances where a leak will not be covered by insurance is if it’s determined that the leak was caused by neglect. For example, if your roof was damaged by hail, but the hail storm occurred years ago and your roof has only now begun to leak, the provider is likely to determine it was the neglect that caused the leak—meaning you won’t be covered.

All of that said, it’s crucial to note that these are all generalizations. Ultimately, if your roof is leaking, whether it’s covered by insurance will depend on your policy and your carrier. This is why it’s essential for homeowners to read through and understand their insurance policies so they know in advance what types of damage they’re covered for.

How Can I Prevent Roof Leaks?

The best way to avoid potential insurance issues with roof leaks is to prevent roof leaks altogether. As mentioned, many roof leaks occur due to neglect or poor maintenance—they almost never happen overnight. This means one of the best things you can do is to schedule regular inspections (at least once per year) and perform necessary maintenance to keep your roof protected year-round.

If your home is in the path of a damaging storm, it’s especially crucial to have your roof inspected right away. The longer you put off an inspection or storm damage repair, the higher the chance of your roof beginning to leak.

Leaking Roof? Call the Experts at Wright at Home

Wright at Home Roofing & Exteriors is the leading expert for storm damage repairs and inspections throughout the Minneapolis area. If your roof has begun leaking, it’s important to determine the root cause right away in order to address the problem and prevent further damage to your home’s interior.

Our team is standing by to help homeowners deal with roofing issues throughout the storm season. Contact us today to book an inspection and get an estimate for repairs.